July '06 Grocery Challenge

Chrismojam

Ooh I think I'll join in too:D I went completely OTT with last months shop:o

We did one 'big shop' when we came back from hols which was about £140 ish....(2 of us and we normally only do one shop a month, which is usually around £110 - £120ish, and top ups throughout).....but then I went back for a 'few bits'......and spent about £70 I think??? and I'm pretty sure that last time I went shopping I spent another £30 or so:o.....so about £240 not including top ups for milk/bread etc....:eek: that's ridiculous for us.....

So actually this month should be really cheap as we've got lots in:D

I think if I ate pasta every day for a month I would still have plenty left....and tuna.....these are my unconsious buys.....'oh I'm sure we need more pasta/rice/tuna'....only to get home and find a cupboard full.....

I'm also thinking of trying the butchers/veg shop for a couple of months, as I normally do all my shopping at Sainsbury's and there's been loads of people on here saying how expensive it is.......so I'll try to not shop there and see how much I save...here's hoping...

funkymonkey

as you can see ive spent loads of money already! but my cupboards are full. just £4 a week budget for fruit and veg at the market! it can easily be done!

donna

Hello,

i only started visiting the os threads about a month ago. I attempted to save all receipts in June so that i could get an idea of how much we spend. This failed misserably as hubby and kids are a little unreliable at handing them over.

I am keeping all money and cards this month and if they want anything they can come and ask me. Car tax is due at the end of the month so could really do with tightening the purse strings.

I have done my shopping today online at tesco as i feel this will stop me from buying extra things and also the £4.25 spent on delivery is cheaper than the £5 petrol we spend getting to our nearest morrisons.(I used the 1000 free points code as well)

I am hoping to survive the whole month on £160. Is this realistic for 2 adults, 2 children(13&14), a dog and a cat?

I will copy and paste my shopping list and would appreciate any comments on how i could save money in any way.

Just to let you know, where i live there is an Iceland(shop here rarely), Small Tesco(if i have to), Heron(like farmfoods) and your usual corner shops like Spa, costcutters and co-op(but i don't use these). They are in the middle of building a Lidl and i can't wait for it to open. In the past we have usually traveled 30 mins each way to morrisons as we love all the BOGOF's. If we are ever in the vacinity of a Netto, Lidl or Aldi we pop in and stock up on cheap things. After visiting Netto last week and getting my cucumber, iceberg & spring onions for 39p each i was discusted at Tesco for charging between 69p & 79p for the same items. I even got 50% extra free on my spring onions at Netto as well. Also Tesco claim to be charging half price(£1.69) for their 454g strawberries and last week at Netto i got the same size tub for 99p.

Anyway after being inspired by people on this board i would love to start shopping on a 'buy what you need for the week' basis, and have storecupboard items that you buy once a month say.

I'll stop wittering now and post my list. Thanks for listening.
Donna x

Qty Description Size Price Total
4 Tesco Wholemeal Medium Sliced Loaf 800g Each £0.38 £1.52
6 Bananas Loose Each £- £0.90
1 Tesco Parsnips Value 750g Each £1.18 £1.18
4 Tesco Red Onions Loose Class 2 Each £- £0.84
1 Tesco Carrots Value Pack 1.5kgclass 2 Each £0.89 £0.89
1 Value Potatoes 5kg Each £1.33 £1.33
2 Beef Mince 800g Each £1.92 £3.84
1 Fresh Value Beef Stewing Steak Large 460g - 690g Each £- £2.26
1 Tesco Healthy Eating Semi- Skimmed Milk 3.408ltr/6 Pints Each £1.62 £1.62
1 Tesco Mature Grated Cheddar 500g Each £2.18 £2.18
1 Tesco Healthy Living Cottage Cheese Natural 650g Each £1.02 £1.02
1 Tesco Healthy Living Onion & Chive Extra Light Soft Cheese 200g Each £0.44 £0.44
1 Tesco Healthy Eating Garlic & Herb Extra Lightsoft Cheese 200g Each £0.44 £0.44
1 Tesco Low Fat Black Cherry Yogurt 150g Each £0.19 £0.19
4 Tesco Low Fat Toffee Yogurt 150g Each £0.19 £0.76
1 Tesco Low Fat Strawberry Yogurt 150g Each £0.19 £0.19
1 Tesco Low Fat Raspberry Yogurt 150g Each £0.19 £0.19
1 Tesco Low Fat Apricot Yogurt 150g Each £0.19 £0.19
1 Tesco Low Fat Natural Yogurt 1kg Each £0.79 £0.79
1 Tesco Healthy Living Light Black Cherryyogurt 200g Each £0.26 £0.26
1 Tesco Healthy Living Light Peach & Apricot Yogurt 200g Each £0.26 £0.26
1 Tesco Healthy Living Light Raspberry Yogurt 200g Each £0.26 £0.26
2 Tesco Chicken Breasts In Tomato & Herb Sauce 345g Each £2.69 £5.38
2 Tesco Chicken Breast & Creamy Mushroom Sauce 350g Each £2.69 £5.38
2 Quorn 5 Cumberland Sausages 250g Each £1.79 £3.58
1 Tesco Value Oats 1kg Each £0.38 £0.38
1 Tesco Value Wheat Biscuits 550g Each £0.64 £0.64
2 Tesco Value Bran Flakes 750g Each £0.71 £1.42
2 Shredded Wheat Honey Nut 500g Each £1.73 £3.46
2 Nestle Clusters 435g Each £1.93 £3.86
1 Tesco Californian Seedless Raisins1kg Each £0.98 £0.98
1 Tesco Golden Granulated Sugar1 Kg Pack Each £0.99 £0.99
2 Baxters Healthy Minestrone & Pasta Soup 415g Each £0.74 £1.48
1 Branston Beans In Tomato Sauce 4 X 420g Each £0.80 £0.80
2 Princes Lean Corned Beef200g Each £1.28 £2.56
1 Branston Top Down Brown Sauce 470g Each £0.59 £0.59
1 Tesco Value Chicken Portions2.5kg Each £2.65 £2.65
1 Nescafe Gold Blend Half Caffeine 100g Each £1.07 £1.32
2 Diet Coke Cherry 2 Ltr Bottle Each £1.36 £2.72
2 Morning Fresh Lemon Washing Upliquid 500ml Each £0.68 £1.36
1 Nouvelle Quiltedt/Tissue White 4 Roll 900 Sheet Each £1.66 £1.66
1 Tesco Greaseproof Paper 20m Each £1.19 £1.19

The total was £68.24, however this was a guide price as there were special offers and BOGOF's. I think it comes to a little over £50.

P.S - I'm on the slimming world diet.

donna

Just to let you know which of the above are offers:

Mince - 2 for £3.20
Chicke breasts in sauce - BOGOF
Quorn sausages - 2 for £2.60(and you get a 30p voucher on each sleeve)
Shreddies and Clusters - 2 for £2
Corned beef - BOGOF
coke - 2 for £2.30
Washing up liquid - 2 for £1
Toilet roll - 6 for price of 4

funkymonkey

good for you donna! dont forget to use your tesco clubcard points as deals - they are worth four times as much! so £10 off at tescos is £40 off at cafe rouge! amongst other places / things.

Wizwoo

OK - I've told Lynzpower on the DFW board that I would try to cut our £250 for 2 adults plus 4 cats food bill down this month - so I thought I'd start with aiming for £200 this month and see how we go (hoping to cut a bit more off it in future).
Worked out earlier today that the cat food tends to come to about £60 - £65 a month though :shocked: - they're all on Felix senior and changing that does upset their tummies. We buy it in bulk when it's on offer though.
Spent £66 already yesterday - and still need to get most of the cat food :think: .

So to sum up:
Target= £200
Spent July 1st= £66

Balance= £134

broomstick27

ive decided on budget of £150 for all purchases this month. OH did point out that petrol would take up nearly half this and since he kinda has to drive to mork i think i'll leave out petrol.

Spent £0 the first two days yey. only 29 to go

recovering_spendaholic

Every month for the last three I have pledged to join in this and started with all good intentions only to blow it all half way through the month by not planning properly and giving in to pester power for takeaways and the like. So, after watching tonight's Panorama about Credit Card debt, I have just spent about an hour and a half writing up all my incomes and outgoings and working out a food budget, based on a total stock inventory I did the night before last. I am going to aim for £240 which will include school dinners and petrol, but I am going to keep all receipts and try and make as much stuff from scratch as I can. It won't be easy because DD1 is a fussy eater and is really rude about the food I make, because, unless it is oven chips, burger, pizza or toasties, she is really voiciferous and pronounces it to be "rank !!!!!!", which then puts off DD2 who is a really good little eater. I find DD1 almost bullying in her antics - she is 16 and when I don't have biscuits and other cakes and crisps and so on in the cupboards she rants around throwing things and slamming doors and shouting and swearing. She was a vegetarian at one point which was a nightmare but that phase has passed - now I just get the Nestle protests (with which I have sympathy and try to comply) and I am so fed up with it I must admit I buy peace. Well this month I am going to stand up to her. I already told her that she has to get a holiday job (she's just done GCSE's) and she will have to pay for her own food if she won't eat what I make - that has sent her to her room for the evening so we'll see!!!!

jayarr_2

good luck jane..ive got an 18 yr old-hes v fussy but quite happy to just have what he likes and isnt a big eater, and a 15 yr old who is a huge eater and not THAT fussy..feel like i get on ok with them but its still a pain to find stuff that we'll all eat

feeling abit down on how i'm going to do this time, hopefully will be ok as i'm around alot now and may be able to keep ontop of things

taplady

jayarr wrote:

its still a pain to find stuff that we'll all eat

I know how you feel! the only 2 meals we'll all eat in our house are pizza and fish fingers/cakes and chips:eek: and this is only because DS1 actually tried pizza at someones house and decided he actually liked it (he's 16 and the fussiest kid in town!) its not through lack of trying but I've admitted defeat with him and just hope he tries new things at friends houses.DS2 is not quite so bad, he tried stir fry the other day on a sleepover and liked it but wouldn't have had a mouthful at home:rolleyes:

My budget of £50 a week for the 4 of us is going well so far! I'm midway through wek 2 and still have £15 left in the purse with all meals planned till the weekend and only milk to buy!:j

Good luck all!