August 2010 Grocery Challenge

youngmum_2

Hey everyone

I'd like to join in for this month please. All settled in my new house and time to focus on counting the pennies again. My wage has a long way to stretch in August (big family wedding, back to school stuff, 2 x big birthdays, general school holiday costs etc) and so really need to stick to a budget with my groceries.

Can you put me down for £200 please?

Thank you.

Herbyme

Do you count grocery spending on holiday in your montly total? Going to be abroad for 6 days in August, we are hopeless at controlling spending on holiday - it's a case of 'oh go on, we're on holiday, let's not spoil it by pennypinching'... any alternative angles we could take?

notjustlaura

~moneysavingnovice~ wrote: »

Does anyone have any ideas for cheap lunches to take to work?

I am thoroughly bored of my pasta with sauce/ham sandwich, so much so that today and yesterday I resorted to buying it from Mr S which was naughty.

Couscous salad?

~moneysavingnovice~

Have taken inspiration from the brilliant posters on this thread again and got plenty of cous cous for next week's lunches. Will defo try the puff pastry soon too!

Spent £63 in Mr S tonight, which is the week's food plus £10 on alcohol and plenty of food and treats for pup so I'm fairly pleased given that my budget is £70 a week.

Downsizing__for_sanity

Please could you add me to Aug?

Downsizing for Sanity - £220 for Aug 2010

This will mean I'll have to be a bit more "creative" with meals to use up stuff in the freezer and fridge, but baby no 2 is due !st of Oct and I'd really like to make space so I can have a freezer full of HM ready meals for after the birth!

I looked at making my budget £1 per person per meal per day - which would be £279 for August - but that's far too much, bearing in mind we often have porridge for breakfast and boiled eggs from our hens for lunch/high tea.

£220 works out at 78.8p per meal, so I'll go for that. This included cleaning stuff, (but not any luxury toiletries - saving my Boots points for them!) toilet roll, and stocking up on a few newborn nappies and wipes depending on what coupons I get sent, hoping to be using reusables by about Christmas time.

Good luck everyone - another shiny month!:T

DFS

MindaJ

Hi! I've been reading the grocery challenge for a few months and I think I'm ready to join in. Can you put me down for $50 for the calender month of August please. This will be a one off target for me, it's less than half what I normally spend, I just want to see how I go living out of the pantry and freezer.

I've been thinking about it for a couple of days, and I've stocked up in preparation. Sounds kind of silly, I know, but my stores were running low and my unofficial challenge is to not spend anything, so I needed to be well stocked. I managed over a fortnight of not spending last month, so I'll see if I can stretch it a bit longer. I'm planning on only spending my $50 on reduced meat (I'm keeping my eye out for mince because I know I only have one packet left, enough for a lasagne, and I don't see it reduced very often), reduced stir fry noodles (again, not something I see very often), fresh veg for meals I decide to batch cook and the too good to pass up offers. I will withdraw the money on Monday (payday) and only use it. I usually spend cash anyway, but if there are offers that I don't have cash for I break out eftpos. None of that this month!

I shop for myself; I live at home still but I buy and cook almost all my own food. Milk, potatoes and carrots are shared usually. I have chickens and a garden so eggs and fresh fruit and veg are plentiful. I have more oranges and lemons than I know what to do with. I work in a cafe/bakery and I'm allowed to take some things home from there (I call it rescuing things from the bin, as that's where they end up) so I don't have to bake or buy my own sweet things. A shame really, as I love baking.

One thing I am going to do is continue to budget my usual amount for groceries every week. I use the envelope system, so buy putting aside my usual amount every week I'll be able to restock at the end of the month. It'll hurt less than withdrawing all the money for a big shop at once. And if I realise that I really don't need to spend that much money it's off to the bottle shop for me!

I think I'll leave the essay there. :rotfl:

MadamMim2013

Thank you very much for your hard work MrsM, Pink & Rosieben :T We'd be lost without you and probably a lot poorer!!

Sorry to hear of your loss Rosieben:grouphug:

Hellooo to any newbies (quite a few so forgive if I don't name you all!) good to have you on board

Hoping for a no spend day but we shall see......

Wssla00, your scone recipie sounds yum, may try this afternoon!! :cheesy:

suzybloo

Hello folks Can I join in please - I have lost my way considerably over the last six months or so but really want to and need to get back on track, as you never know whats round the corner. I am appalled at the amount of cash I have frittered and wasted. This month I am giving myself £450 for everything, which I usually had £175 per week for everything in the past - I will reduce it gradually to get things back down to the £350. I am away to pick up berries today to make jam so that will cost a fair bit, but will save in the long run. I have bought a new academic diary that starts now and will note everything religiously in it.

idea for lunch - scotch egg? Hard boiled egg wrapped in sausagemeat, dipped in egg and rolled in breadcrumbs baked in oven or deep fried with salad - lovely and costs about 40-50p

Good luck to everyone for August
Suz

looie

hi all, first spend of the month £7.40 in Mr T. I'm going shopping with my sister and mum today only need milk and yoghurts so I will update my sig later

highland_fling_2

Good morning everyone,
welcome to all newbies. Nice to see lots of new people joining us.
re packed lunches: I have a small vacuum flask that I would be lost without, I carry hm soup to work. If you have a microwave at work you could also perhaps make scrambled egg.
hm savoury muffins are also nice.