March 2010 Grocery Challenge

Trinny

Hi there

As someone who has struggled to drop from £200 pm for groceries to £160 and hopefully less, i would suggest:

1. Join the Grocery challenge - collect your reciepts for one month, then set a modest but achievable target for lowering your spend. ( i dropped by £10 at a time and still find it tough to get the spend down.

2. Do Martin's drop a brand challenge - only sticking with those items where you cant see a difference. Eg branded fabric softener to stores own brand.

3. We discovered Aldi/lidl and it did make a difference. I also try to shop with a list and leave OH at home, as he gets tempted by all the "treats"

4. cook from scratch - we do and both work full time, food tastes brilliant and its easy to make a saving. OH is a pizza fiend but last weekend we tried making pizza and he says it was the nicest he has had - result!

Best Wishes

You can drop your spend - just take it step by step.

Trin

Mumof2_2

I swear by planning the meals for the week ahead and using internet shopping. When I went to the shops myself I'd always spend more and find little extra 'treats' to pop into the trolley. Also by doing an internet shop you can pop into the kitchen and just see how much food you really do have, and not have to guess and buy something you've already got plenty of.

My weekly shopping bill for 4 used to easily be £75-£80, but I'm now averaging around £60 :j. I'd definitely check out the grocery challenge as there's loads of good ideas. One thing I'd definitely say is to drop the shopping cost by, say, £30 a month and then keep going until you reach your target rather than trying to do it all in one go.

Good luck

vodkawitch1

I really do have a problem staying away from shops! must try harder - £9.00 spent today when £2.00 would have been enough for what I needed.

Dreamingofmoney - I think you are doing really well and worry about healthy food next month like everyone has suggested.

oceanspirit

dreamingofmoney yes please do post up what you have in your fridge/freezer/storecupboard so that we can help you work out combining the junk with the healthy to use up what you have. I made a mess of ALL my budgets at the end of 2009 because I'd put in nothing during the year for Christmas presents and am now having to keep everything tight to replace what I used from my emergency savings, AND make sure I put some aside for presents for next year!

This week's shopping came to £12.11. Went to Mr L for the first time as I was passing one and stocked up on tins of coconut milk at 79p - everywhere else is around the £1.30 mark.

Will be doing some more cooking up of dried peas/beans this weekend to freeze in portion sizes.

earthmother

Popped into Sainsburys for a box of cereal, and I must have timed it just right as there were several on the reduced shelf - so just £1 for a large box of Kelloggs Cornflakes to add to my total today

zippychick

Hi Uolypool:hello:

Another thread which may help and give ideas of how much others spend - here

good luck - one step at a time:)

Zip

ellemm

Hi all, have done the weekly shop and spent £12.55 in a*di (took advantage of the super 6 offers and got a pineapple, grapes, plums, lemons and oranges) then went to Mr M and only spent £5.36 - well actually also bought 6 bottles of wine as their offers are great this week especially Kumala reduced from £8.99 to £3.99, well be rude not to :T.
However the wine comes out of another budget.

Only meat bought - mince and chicken breasts so hopefully will use up more meals out of freezer, I know I say that every week.....:o but it's not as full as it was.

Got the GDs over tomorrow for sleep over so they want to bake...........:eek:
Have a good weekend everyone.

slowandsteady_2

Evening all,

am still popping in despite me having to pull out for this month, keeps me on track!

Had a bit of good news today with regards to my freezer breakdown and the ruin of a lot of food cos we hadnt realised it was broke in time, i remembered we have contents insurance so checked my policy and ruined freezer food is covered:j so gave them a ring and they were brilliant, after my small excess they are going to pay me £50 after we added up between us what i had lost, so thats great news, not a lot of money albeit but will help to restock, as had to throw food away in the fridge too that i wasnt happy with keeping as we didnt know exactly how long it had been off.

I have never had cause to claim anything from them before, thank goodness, so im glad i checked the policy.

On a sad note i have been signed off sick from work with an ongoing problem i cant get rid of, so im off now for three weeks and then go back to GP for review. Im terrified what that means for my wages, i work for the NHS and have technically served 4 continuous years but have had long term sick before and i dont know if you 'use up' your sick pay 'benefits' and thats it or if it starts again when you go back to work iykwim-would be grateful if any HR person could help if there is anyone and you see this. Im not sure id be entitled to SSP as i was only P/T for 3 mths up untill Jan and outside of the NHS so i dont know if ive paid enough contributions. Next week should be interesting:(

Still life goes on! Off to take my chicken out of the oven and S-T-R-E-T-C-H it as far as poss.

Night all x

franby64

Hi all

Yes it does seem like a long month!

Dreamingofmoney - I know how you feel but please don't pack it in.
I have been doing the challenge since Nov last year and I haven't come in under yet.
I was extra rubbish in December and still wish I could be as well organised and frugal as some of the long-term GCers!
I still shop too much and too often and could save money if I baked more and made more bread.
But this thread helps me feel in control and when I overspend it is knocked off next months general budget so I have an incentive to carry on even when I'm over.

88% of budget gone - £4.08 a day left (I give my budget about another 5 days but it might not survive the weekend!).

NJW69

I'm not HR but have worked in the NHS for over 20 years. Your sick pay allowances are calculated yearly. Probably the same as your leave year dates ? from 1st April to 31st March. So it would be based on what you have had off during the last 12 months.


I spent £10 in a Tesco at the petrol station on the way home so i'm off to update my total.

Still way under for this month.

Amazing.