January 2010 Grocery Challenge

funkydresser

Please can I join - I spend on average £500 per month and there is just little old me and little old husband, where am I going wrong???? I am sure I can reduce this with all your help. I will start of by budgeting £75 per week, does everyone think this is enough. Hope you all had a great Christmas and Happy New Year everyone.:beer:

natzini

Please count me in, 2 of us for £150, thanks!

cw18

FUNKYDRESSER wrote: »

Please can I join - I spend on average £500 per month and there is just little old me and little old husband, where am I going wrong???? I am sure I can reduce this with all your help. I will start of by budgeting £75 per week, does everyone think this is enough. Hope you all had a great Christmas and Happy New Year everyone.:beer:

I'd say it's "do-able", but it depends on what you include and what you buy.

• I don't buy organic/free range, unless they're on offer or reduced to clear
• I rely very heavily on reduced to clear items - especially for meat and "treats"
• I don't include anything but food and drinks, and don't buy alcohol at all
• I've worked hard on portion control (especially meat) over the last couple of years
• I don't include snacks/lunches DS buys at college (he buys them out of his EMA)

And I'm now down to £105/month for myself and my 18 year old son


But you're best to reduce your spend gradually - dropping from £500/month to £100/month would only set you up to feel you've failed, whereas dropping it by £50 or £100 a month (assuming you can afford the higher amounts without building up debt) means you're more likely to succeed - not that anyone on here every considers anyone has failed....... The fact you're on here and trying to reduce your spend/manage your money is a success in it's own right :beer:

highland_fling_2

Good morning everyone,

don't think I will be venturing out today. Roads around here are terrible. You are now driving on about six/eight inches of impacted snow which has turned into solid ice. Still haven't seen a gritter, although did see a snow plough driving through. Main roads are o.k. but it is the journey to them which is hair raising.

Luckily I have enough food in the house to see me through to when the thaw arrives even if it doesn't start until spring.

Think I will just have a lazy day today and have defrosted hm soup from freezer for lunch and I am using up hm cottage pie I had in freezer for dinner. Will make some veg and hey presto "dinner is served".

Hope everyone has a good day and stays warm.

candygirl

Hopefully having a NSD day today, why I finished my DEC GC early and started Jan early i'll never know:rolleyes::rolleyes:think it was the jetlag lol:D

poohbear59

Hi I am a bit late joining this month but would like to aim for £160

If I can manage on less that would be a bonus. This month we have 4 adults with only one working part time. I think we will all need to eat less.

katycocoa

Hi, can I join please?

There's 2 adults and 3 cats. Shopping will include our food, cat food, toiletries and cleaning stuff. Never done this before so will be really interesting to see how much we spend. Going to say £150 to start with.

Aril

Ist shop of the year done and spent £15.51 in Mr T. Generally stuck to the list but did ahem add a mincemeat tart for 35p and 2 rum and raisin cakes which had been reduced to 50p each. They are good until Feb so will go in packed lunches. Shouldn't [famous last words:D] need to get any other food apart from a top up of milk mid week.
Aril

millionaire_in_training

Hi there I will join again. Must make it a mission this year to actually stick to this. I am going to go for £250 per month. 1 adult, 2 kids, rabbit and hamster. This will pay for everything excluding school lunches. I hope to get it down lower than that eventually but reckon that's a good starting point. Off to Somerfield just now for first shop. Take care all and Happy new year xx

milliejo

Happy New Year everyone.

Please put me down for £275 for January.

Have lots left in the freezer and have just done a shop of £41 which included stocking up on all the basics so hopefully it will be a cheap month