December 2010 Grocery Challenge

Rowan9

Sorry I'm late this month - could i be added for £160?
I just might manage this month since I haven't been to a supermarket since November! Couple of small shops only. Milk, ham,sausages, toilet roll and some stuff from the bakery. I'll say £20 spent which will easily cover it.

Long_tall_sally

I spent nearly £40 between Morrisons & Aldi. I do feel a little cross wih myself as some of the things weren't essential. I bought two Fairy Liquids for £2 even though I still have half a bottle, some chocolate bars, some flowers at £2, some biscuits & some prawn pasta salad. Then got home to see a voucher in OH's newspaper for £5 off a £30 spend, valid for the next week at Lidl. And I didn't stick to the meal plan again tonight!

Hippeechiq

Flat_Eric wrote: »

I have just done my home delivery xmas shop and the total of my basket makes me want to cry AND this is after I have emptied the basket of my non essential store cupboard basics!

I'm being resolute though. I'm not cooking on xmas day - and there will be lots of visiting with everyone else putting on the food and me simply taking wine :beer: so I am stocking up so I have plenty.

This xmas spend is going to mean I am going to go over budget this month but its not as bad as I fear because some of the bottles of wine I have ordered are for xmas presents and since we try to give up alcohol in January, I am sure / hoping the beer I am getting will last until Spring :rotfl:


In my mind, I am borrowing from the January budget so January is going to be a very frugal month !
how do others manage with their budget and their xmas shop ?

Hi hun - I've kept mine separate. It was the only way I could see of keeping control of what I spent, and making sure I don't go overboard, as the money simply isn't there to go overboard with.

So I've kept my usual budget, for the usual stuff, and then I have saved odd amounts of cash from the GC during the year (I was doing the challenge before I started posting on here) and we've been cutting back where we can. So I have whatever is in that pot to spend.

I'm hoping it wont all get spent, but it's frightening how everything adds up, isn't it?!

Everything I buy is added to a document in Notepad which enables me to see what I've got, what is still needed, and how much I have left to buy said items with. It's a bit like a virtual supermarket trolley, in as much as I can see what I already have in my trolley, what I would like to add, but what I actually can add with the money that is available to me.

Also, instead of doing a big Christmas shop, I have been - and still am - buying odd nibbles and tins of sweets and things like Ba!leys, G!nger Wine & Sherry and a Turkey Crown as and when I've seen it/them on offer, so that I get more for my money, and so that it's not so daunting.

That said - I do realise that being at home all day gives me the time to shop around, and not everyone has that luxury.

Hippeechiq

wmf..... WOW!! - well done at not having been into a SM since November :T

Long_tall_sally wrote: »

I hada NSD day today. I went through my freezer & store cupboards Sunday & made a list of all the contents. I then sat down & made a meal planner for the next 9 days which I was quite proud of doing but have deviated from it already. I find them such a pain to do. I have to find out how many people I have for dinner each night as OH's boys come 5 out of 14 days but not always the same days, then consider whether I am working on that day & then what sports activities I have to take my son to. We were meant to have fish pie last night & the leftovers for the kids tonight but ran out of time yesterday so had it tonight & last night we had chicken curry instaed of chicken enchilada that we supposed to. Must try harder for the remainding 7 days!

Long_tall_sally wrote: »

And I didn't stick to the meal plan again tonight!

And you missy, should cut yourself some slack! You hardly have what you could call the usual family set up at meal times - do you?

I think you do damned well to even attempt a meal plan when you don't know who or how many you'll be feeding on any given day of whatever week! If you manage to do one a week I'd consider than a result. It must be a nightmare to plan and budget for, so stop being so hard on yourself

boultdj

Spent another $10.30 in coop.

de1amo

i am keeping control of Mrs De this month after last month's revelation! we have only spent 52,65 so far and its a third of the way through the month. We are going to the Turkish version of Tsco today to buy me a new computer for work and we will look for any discounted items we need for the forthcoming weeks--its the only shop that does any discounting and we dont often go out of town to shop.--i will keep her on a lease(sp)!!

kippers

Flat_Eric wrote: »

I have just done my home delivery xmas shop and the total of my basket makes me want to cry. how do others manage with their budget and their xmas shop ?

I buy things over the year, starting with my xmas puds and anything else i can get in the January sales (but you do need to check sell by dates). I get my frozen turkey crown from Aldi in Oct (£8.99 this year). I do make my own mince pies and xmas cakes which are far nicer than shop bought. I wait for Jacobs crackers for cheese to be on special offer (usually in Nov)...and they always are.

I have been very careful this year not to buy things we don't use and buying things like cheese selection when they are on special offer, i bought tesco classic cheese selection yesterday for £3 (usually £6).

I look on xmas dinner as just a 'poshed up' sunday roast and this way i don't get stressed and don't spend too much.

Hope this helps

[Deleted User]

Well I have hopefully no more shopping to buy at all this side of Christmas ,maybe a little veg perhaps,but I am very well stocked in the cupboards and from Christmas Eve until New Years day I shall be switching between my two DD's houses as I am away for most of the time.So really only have two weeks at home before then, and next week end I shall be away for two days so only 12 more days actually at home this month..I have plenty in the freezer, and the fridge is quite full as well so its shopping from my stores again for a few days.I don't mind as this time of the year its all pushing and shoving in the supermarkets so I am pleased to be out of the rush.I am hoping that the next time I go will be perhaps New Years day or afterwards.I do have three more small presents to buy but I can get them from small local shops in my area.I like to support local small business if I can.I hope everyone has a good time and can keep a rein on their cash as the shops are doing their best to make you part with it.I usually come back from DD's with lots of left over bits after the holiday,pickles,cheese biscuits ect which all helps out with the very loooong month of January.
Good luck with you food shopping for Christmas everyone.
Cheers JackieO xx

Spiggle

Flat_Eric wrote: »

I have just done my home delivery xmas shop and the total of my basket makes me want to cry AND this is after I have emptied the basket of my non essential store cupboard basics!
... how do others manage with their budget and their xmas shop ?

Hi Flat Eric,

We are being really stingy with Christmas this year and we have been reducing it for a few years now. We used to do the buying of loads of things and we'd still have them in the cupboards come Easter and in some cases summer! We have only bought a couple of extra goodies so far which are guaranteed to be eaten/drunk and I have listed the spend on those separately from my GC spends.

If we were going to be at home for Christmas lunch (been kindly invited out for this year by a close friend) we treat it in the same way as kippers above but with far more expensive meat in the turkey and usually rib of beef and a ham. Obviously presents come from a different budget. Hope that helps a bit.

Hippeechiq, you poor thing you have so been through the mill recently. My thoughts are with you and sending you hugs. :grouphug:

I've had a hectic week this week so have managed to read but not get my head into gear to post. Unbelievably we haven't shopped all week. :T Every day I kept thinking I'd go and get some things from MrT after work but just too late and too shattered to do it. We will be getting some things in later today though. I'll update the sig in a minute to account for the NSD up to yesterday.

I'm so glad its warmer today. The frost looks lovely but the cold just makes me want to curl up under the duvet and do nothing but I couldn't. Hope everyone who's been having a bad time in the snow is seeing a little bit of thaw and is able to get out now.

Ok, I'll post again later once I know what the damage is.

Take care all,
Spigs

Long_tall_sally

Hippeechiq wrote: »

And you missy, should cut yourself some slack! You hardly have what you could call the usual family set up at meal times - do you?

I think you do damned well to even attempt a meal plan when you don't know who or how many you'll be feeding on any given day of whatever week! If you manage to do one a week I'd consider than a result. It must be a nightmare to plan and budget for, so stop being so hard on yourself

Aaaww, thanks hun, you're very kind!

Should be a non spend day today.