September 06 Grocery Challenge

Julieboo

Hi All,
Nearly through my second week now (me and 4 kids) and its unbelievable the change. I used to easily spend £150+ per week on ready meals, couple of dvd's etc and now I'm saving saving saving...
Been making meals from scratch, eating more veg and fruit, dumped fizzy pop for lime cordial made up and kept cold in the fridge. Found out just how far a big bag of potatoes can go and how many variations of meals you can make. Been using the online deals and popping into tesco's last thing Wednesday and sundays for all the reduced items, bought a lovely large pork loin for 31p and a finest steak meal reduced from £4 to £1 mmm was good. Bought a huge bag of garlic sausage for 10p then froze it in batches of a few slices so I could use in pastas etc when needed. This week I have hardly spent anything and I have a freezer full of chicken, meat and homemade meals. I've also stopped the spending on dvd's as I joined Selectscreen £15 per month for unlimited dvd's and I can have 3 at any one time, got it on 5 free dvd's and £10 cheque but decided to keep as finding it brilliant.
The funny thing is I'm loving cooking, I actually forgot how much I enjoy it. The best thing is that if I can continue to save money I can really change me and my families lives, I'm going off work with illness through work related stress at moment and if I can prove that we can have a decent life on less money then I may be able to work PT instead and reduce my stress, feel better and have more time with my kids.
Here's hoping I can stick to it and hope your all doing ok too...
p.s any ideas of what to make with the pork loin??

earthmother

End of week two, and I am technically overbudget, but not so bad as I need to worry.

The bulk of this weeks money went to a Tesco delivery - but it included a 2 month supply of hubby's slimfast as it's on BOGOF until Tuesday, and several other offers that will last us well into next month, so I've pulled some money forward from the October budget to balance it out.

Just off to update my sig - should show up soon

COOLTRIKERCHICK

oh... not going well for me... i am totally confusing myself.....i think .. i better kick myself up the but...i am using grocery money for buying stuff in he boot sale... buying petrol.. then using the other money for shopping....oh poo...oh well this month is going to be my wake up call so even if i get muddled up... and over spend... it will help me ready for the future...
but at least the last two weeks have made me realise how much money i am spending.. on electric.. petrol.... etc.... so maybe i should count this month for just writting my spends down,,,, and then seeing where i can cut back.....i am not saying that i am failing..even though i have not stuck to budget......but i am using it as my wake up call.....

plus my shopping spend has gone down....as i am cooking from scratch .....

kiwi88_2

Hi all. I am joining today on a better late than never idea

We are 2 adults 2 children 1 dog and 1 weekend guest every fortnight. Average weekly spend at Tescos inc toiletries cleaning ect £100 to £120 a week. That's ( if I take the worst £120) £6240 a year broken down to £520 a month :eek: :eek: Must get this down :mad: As it's my first time so I will go easy and try for £400 a month.

Spent so far

£100 at Tesco's using £15 off vouchers and 100 extra points coupon. Total £85
Tesco's online £101:29 used 750 extra points online coupon.
Total 101:29
So total shopping so far £186:29

I have also checked both the freezer and the storecupboard and I reckon we can combine that and the shopping and only have one more online shop est £100. Shop for milk and bread maybe two more times £10. this gives me an estimated monthly total of £296 rounded up to £300.

This would give me £100 clear of my estimated monthly shop and save us a total of £220 this month :j

My dh will be amazed and so will I :grouphug: I've also joined the Morgage piggies so the savings could be put into percy and used as an overpayment therefore giving us a double benefit :dance:

I will post my results later here's hoping

mags50_2

Well I've started off ok... spend of £32.17 this week, and I've budgeted for £350 for the month...

but...

I have an Asda order to do sometime this week...

but...

have lots of things in the freezer and store-cupboard...

so really it should be way below my estimate... in theory!;)

good luck everyone :j

WelshWoofer

rachelmk wrote:

Spent 2.50 in Tescos last night on bread and dog food. Have enough to last the week and will be going away from next Sunday for 6 days with work - get back on the 23rd, so justa week to last until the end of the month.

Running total - 56 in tescos at beginning of the month and 2.50 = 58.50
41.50 to last till the end of the month (Sept 30th).

Add another 4.33 today in Tesco - loads of bakery products reduced to less than half price, I now have a freezer full of posh breads!
Total now = 62.83 (37.17 left)

kiwi88_2

This would give me £100 clear of my estimated monthly shop and save us a total of £220 this month
My dh will be amazed and so will I :grouphug: I've also joined the Morgage piggies so the savings could be put into percy and used as an overpayment therefore giving us a double benefit :dance:

Well I told dh about our amazing saving and all he could say was " Well we budgeted for £70 and we've overspent already " :mad: I informed him again of the £200 pounds saving we should have by the end of the month and got almost the same reply :wall:

In future I will not inform him of what we are doing I/we cannot afford to let this slide hopefully he will see the difference in the morgage statement

By the way we will have spent £320. Divide that by 4 weeks and what is the weekly total £80 Why can he not be happy with that? Oh I know because it's over the £70 :mad:

Sorry for the rant but I'm really trying to save us money and it's frustrating not to have the backup. Thank heavens for this list and the support from all you wonderful people :T :T

mrs-moneypenny

blew the budget well out of the water this week and went over by £40!!!
BUT this has included some storage boxes we needed and some christmas pressies that were too good a bargain to miss.
will NOT visit the hole in the wall again till friday so am making do all week.

Feebee_2

:rotfl: Kiwi , your OH sounds like mine and I suspect WE ARE NOT ALONE.
All is not rosy on the challenge front here but I can see where the problems are happening so that's got to be a good thing. More planning needed at mine so I dont have to nip out for that vital ingredient , and whilst I'm there I might as well pick up the bargain of the week, oh and two for one , mmm custard tart, haven't had one of those in a while and that's another budget blown :mad:
My portions need downsizing - unlike my trousers!

Deedee73

Week 1 Done and Dusted! :T Under by £2, and plenty of goods in the freezer and fridge. One slight problem, after coming home from visiting today, popped the meat ino oven, went to peel the spuds, and Wooops, only 3 left!! oh well, 1 spud = 2 little spuderoos!!!
Shopping tomorrow, just some fresh bit's n' bobs, milk etc, hopefully won't need to hit shopping fund Till Thursday.