September 06 Grocery Challenge

Boatie_Bird

This was my first attempt at the grocery challenge and I did it!
I had a budget of £200 for myself, DH and 3yr o DS.
I did it with a couple of pounds to spare - despite it being a long month and having friends round for dinner a couple of time.

My month runs from 25th-25th and for October I've dropped my budget to £190. Good luck all for next month!

cheerfulness4

I didn't make my first grocery challenge either, £15.24 over. :mad: Allowed £140 for 4 weeks for myself, DH , 2x DS's and one greedy cat.

Wow but it's been fun! I'm actually opening my eyes now when I shop and finding all these wonderful bargains people are generously sharing. We have eaten so much better and healthier.

All set for next month now. :j

Cazzdevil

What would anyone suggest is a realistic amount for one person to spend? I don't eat much meat at all so that's a big cost eliminated, but I'm not sure what's a reasonable target.
I try to keep to about £15 a week but I end up buying dribs and drabs through the week too so probably an extra £20 a month.

Thanks folks.

EagerLearner

We spend £140 on average per month but this month I still have £3.50 to spare, so I must have done something right despite what my sig says!

Our aim is £120 for two people - maybe try for £60 for yourself? Planning meals ahead may SEEM boring, but once you've done some large batches and frozen a few different things, you will love the feeling of savings you have made, not to mention the time you save slaving over the hot stove!

Cazzdevil

Thanks, I thought £15 a week for me seemed quite good but then I've just read another thread where someone spends an average of £12 for one adult, 2 kids and a cat!!
Within that £15 I'm including household and toiletries though so I don't figure it's too bad.

I think I'll join the October Grocery Challenge and see how I get on. My OH stays at my house for 2 weeks out of every month though so that will skew it slightly (although he's more frugal than me!).

Thanks Eagerlearner (o:

EagerLearner

Cazzdevil wrote:

Thanks, I thought £15 a week for me seemed quite good but then I've just read another thread where someone spends an average of £12 for one adult, 2 kids and a cat!!
Within that £15 I'm including household and toiletries though so I don't figure it's too bad.

I think I'll join the October Grocery Challenge and see how I get on. My OH stays at my house for 2 weeks out of every month though so that will skew it slightly (although he's more frugal than me!).

Thanks Eagerlearner (o:

No prob - don't forget it takes time to get to the level of food spending £12 for one adult, 2 kids and a cat! That person must have taken a long time perfecting the skills, doesn't happen overnight.

Also you can buy soooo many toiletries sooooo much cheaper from the £1 store. For example, I used to get 2 kitchen rolls for £1.09 from Sommerfield, around once a month. On Sunday I bought six rolls from £1 store - enough for the next 3 months. Also, I found a fantastic face moisturiser for £1 which is 100ml rather than 50ml and very good for my skin - would normally have forked out at least £6.50 per 50ml = £13.00. So I saved £12!

So anyway - all in, you can save a bunch by batch cooking and not getting everything from the supermarket...

monty100

Well, didn't meet my self-imposed limit this month, despite a freezer full of meat. But on the other hand the self-discipline of writing a menu plan at the start of each week, and then shopping very strictly on a weekly basis, with very few 'frills' has meant that even tho I didn't succeed, we have still managed to eat well, pay a totally unexpected repair bill (£450) AND have money left at the end of the month!!! :j

It helps that all in the house were 'on board' for the experiment, and I also think that weekly shopping has helped (I am usually a 'once-a-month' big order person, as I hate supermarket shopping) because they have seen that if it isn't there it won't be replaced until next shopping trip, whereas before it was a quick trip out to the garage to get another carton of juice etc, so we ran out of everything so much quicker (or so it seems).

So I think I need to resign myself to a quick sprint around the shop once a week with a list and a pair of blinkers!!!:rotfl:

HomeJames_3

Well this month I managed to do it 3rd time lucky my budget was £200 and ive got £4.36 left not a lot but im still under budget roll on Friday for next months groceries challange i feel im on a roll now!! weve still got food in the freezer and some tins in the cupboard so my im going to set myself a budget of £200 again for next month and anything i save will go into the christmas food savings tin! Good luck everyone for next month

Murtle

I've trained OH to bring back the receipts from his shops to give me so I check how much he has spent :J :J

ok he's done it once - but that is a huge start.......

Feebee_2

Kept within my budget but it wasn't a very ambitious budget looking at what some of you guys here are able to manage on.
I don't seem to be able to live as cheaply in Hampshire as I did in Lancashire. Anyone else noticed a North / South divide or is it just that I don't know where all the bargain shops are? Going to bring budget down again next month.

Anyone made their own crisps? Was going to try baking them in oven but if anyone can give me a steer might save a few potato 'casualties'

Thanks all , wishing you a cheap October :rotfl: