November 2009 Grocery Challenge

thisismoneysaving

Long_tall_sally wrote: »

Hello again.
I's like to properly join for December if I can please, just trying to decide for what amount because whilst I do want to keep reducing the spend amount, there is obviously the extra bits for xmas to get. On the other hand, if I don't even try & aim for a reduced amount, then it will be unlikely that i will ever achieve it, iyswim! What are other people doing?

Do you have a seperate christmas fund/budget?
I think I am going to be doing a grocery budget and not deducting christmas items from it. So chocs will not be included because we don't normally buy those. But dinners, lunches etc will.
If you are going to be home more days than usual over the christmas period, you will probably eat/drink more = more money!

I need to have a long think about this, but that's my inital thoughts.

I'd love to hear from people who've been doing this for some time.

Thank you

rosieben

My usual christmas planning and shopping - and my GC budget :eek: - have all gone to pot because of my house move, so I'm having a small mrS delivery today and a small mrT delivery tomorrow, and that includes all the christmas extras that will keep in the cupboard/freezer:j I'll just need to buy milk, fruit, veg, fresh cream plus a joint of beef/lamb or gammon; I already have a huge happy chicken ordered and I'm booked for 2 turkey dinners with family so I'm not buying a turkey this year

I count the christmas shoping with the normal GC budget except for extras that are definitely christmas like after dinner mints, crackers etc. They come out of the christmas budget along with pressies and cards.

For December I will set a GC budget and stick to it! I must get back into the swing of it as my cupboards and freezer are full to bursting!

have a good day everyone! :rolleyes:


edited to add that mrS has just delivered and the cheeses all have a late jan 2010 date :j was a bit worried in case I'd ordered them too soon - I don't worry too much about dates tbh but cheese is one thing that starts to moulder if kept too long in the fridge and I didn't want to freeze it as not sure how some of the continental cheeses are afterwards.

Fivenations

I wont be doing anymore shopping this week so am declaring £322.03 - a little over budget again but I did stock on items for December that were too good to resist. I'm still spending less than I did before I got back on the wagon so am not too disappointed. I'll get the hang soon enough!

thisismoneysaving

Well done, Fivenations

helen_jelly

Afternoon everyone

Well done all - you all sound like you are really trying hard this month, even those of you who have struggled to stay within budget, just remember how focused you are now as opposed to how you used to shop.

JayneC - thanks for the heads up with Aldi - I'm going there later to get some of those offers
Elizabunny - hugs for you, I'm not in that situation just yet but will be, so lots of hugs and try not to worry too much

Thats all folks

Helen x

Long_tall_sally

Aargh! Why do I do it? Popped out intending to go to local Co-op for an onion and a pepper that I needed to make a chilli and at the last minute decided to go down the motorway to Asda which I rarely go to because I'd heard they were doing Mullerlight yogurts for 20p each. (Didn't even have my phone with me so I panicked all the way there & back!)

So have now spent another £39 - very expensive onion and pepper! Still that included batteries for xmas, plus coke, prawns, g/free cereal and biscuits, veg, yogurts and a few other things. Did keep thinking though - "Remember your budget" but even so I didn't have enough cash on me and as I am still waiting on a new pin for my debit card (after it was cloned & used in Italy by some nasty person last week!), I had to pay on credit card which I wasn't too happy about.

Now have about £14 left in my budget till next Tuesday & will probably need more veg plus milk before then BUT WILL TRY HARD!

Angelfeathers

After panicking after my Tesco order last week, I'm now feeling a lot more hopeful about my budget this month! Went to Asda this morning for a few bits and managed to only spend £26.47 (though admittedly some of that was due to not knowing where things were and not being bothered to go back to find them). Got several whoopsies - not huge discounts, but decent ones - and could have got loads if I'd had the budget available.

So I now feel justified in having ordered an organic veg box this week as a treat. With that budgeted for too, I have £2.08 left for the next week if I want to stay below £300. I shall probably go over a little, but hopefully not by very much at all.

And there should even some extra money in the bank at the end of the month to pay back some debts!

Feeling good! :-)

franby64

Long tall sally.. I'm having an aargh! why did I do it? moment as well.

The other day the Co-op gave me a £2 off £20 voucher and I got it into my head that I should spend it! I've bought all useful stuff but I didn't strictly need some of it and now I've only got £20.28 'til Tuesday - £3.38 a day.

On the other hand we are lucky enough to have plenty of food in and there's no reason why I can't do this if I stop faffing about!

thisismoneysaving

Long tall sally & franby....
We've all done it! But I don't think it's too bad for you guys! We're so close to the end of the month - stick to your guns if you can. You'll be so proud come December...?

elizabunny

Hello everyone!

helen jelly Thank you.

I am trying to get back in positive mode today and have spent the morning baking cakes and peeling yet more apples for the dodgy freezer. The tree is nearly empty now and I'm glad, but really very thankful for such a good crop. I'm going to donate some of the apples to our sons families.

My cupboards look a bit bare, but somehow they always seem to yield something nice. DH says it's a bit like the '5 loaves and 2 fishes'. It's amazing what you can whip up from not alot.

So it's homemade beef curry for tonight followed by bread and butter pud. Don't think the cakes will last too long as DH takes some each day with his packed lunch.

I have an extra £100 for my Xmas budget :j Just as well because I think I've already gone well into the December budget:eek:, will tot up later this week and declare then.

Have a good day everyone!