November 06 Grocery Challenge

pollyanna24

I've already spent £27 on this month's groceries and we haven't even shopping yet. That was stocking up on a few BOGOFs that ran out before 1st November!

I like to do a huge shop on 1st November, but I have a load of £5 from Tesco throughout the month, so I have to try and limit tonight's shopping to about £50 so I can use the other vouchers throughout the month.

Problem is I don't know what to cut out and save to buy later! Doesn't help that bf just tries to chuck everything into the trolley!

tallullahbelle

Ok, I'm in too! Along with the £1024 challenge this will hopefully spur me on to save some money in time for Christmas.
Last month I spent over £450...but a lot of bulk buys so I'm aiming for £350. Fingers crossed...

Cheapskate

I've tried (unsuccessfully) to do the challenge a few times, but I gave up my main job a couple of months ago & financial reality is now biting, so I have to do this properly!
On October bank statement, I'd spent over £300 in supermarkets & that doesn't include the times I spent cash - there's only me DH & DS (14) so what did we buy?!
Setting an optimistic budget of £250 for food, groceries & petrol for me (DH has company car). I've already got a Christmas fund I started saving earlier in the year (£195), so will now start using it for pressies, plus nearly £170 in supermarket stamps for food etc during December.
Car in for service today, so not counting cost in budget, but means I'll really need to keep to budget for Nov.
When kids were small, I used to draw out a set amount each week - it did work, 'cos if you hadn't got it in your purse (& you leave bank/credit card at home!) you could only buy the things you really needed. I'm going back to this to see if it still works.
Bargain of week = pack of 10 really big chicken breasts for £10 (local source), 4 or 5 meals for Nov.

pudding06

Hi folks,

ok this is my first ever grocery challenge, but seeing as I am in such deep doodaa so to speak my budget for this month is the grand sum of .......

wait for it.....

£140.00 to feed 5 adults, oh and a cat and a dog.

its not a lot so I'm also going to do a storecupboard challenge to go with it

and making the most of free food whereever possible - like using the seeds out of a pumpkin where we'd normally throw them out etc.

I'll keep you posted.

pudds

PONDSAVER_2

This will be my first challenge too starting from today - I have a freezer full so hopefully will make it.

I have 2 adults 3 kids and 2 cats

I am hoping to stick to £200.

stevenshell

Hi
New to the boards, and we're trying to sort our shopping budget out, so think this is a good place for us to start! We spend easily about £75 a week on shopping, I've lived very frugally before, and I'm going to try again, so aiming for £40 a week... only £160 a month for 2 adults, 1 fussy 7 year old and a cat!

toria27

Hi,
Well I only made my budget of £160 last month because my mum bought me loads of stuff. I am really determined again this month though but was after some help.
I have done my big monthly shop online which came to £73! But this weekend I will already need to buy some more fresh fruit & veg. I have looked online to price it up. I am going to be away from home so shopping somewhere different than usual.

Shops available are morrisons & Asda, there is one grocers but

toria27

OOPS pressed send by mistake.

I shall continue: I don't know what the grocers is like.

I need:

melon
bananas
tomatoes
cucumber
peppers
cauliflower
brocolli
parsnips
lettuce

Iv'e worked this out as coming to £8.08 and I really can't afford this but don't want to have to skimp on fruit & veg for my family there is me OH & 1 year old DD. Any ideas how to get these things cheaper

Thanks in advance

cheerfulness4

Well November will be my third try and I'm really hopeful this time. We aim for £35 per wk and Septembers budget went over by £15.24 in total and Octobers by £3.61.. so nearly there!

Looking back over my lists I realise that I spent too much in the early part of the month and was literally eating rubbish by the end because nothing left in the pot. Also bought lots of cheaper/reduced foods that were good value but we hated and so wasted a few things, which you can't afford to do on a weeny budget. So...... lessons learnt, will resist massive shop in first two weeks and try to keep my ear to floor for really good bargains and lovely recipes. Oh and learnt the blessings of bulk batch cooking. Such a time and money saver.

November budget 3rd - 30th £140 Bring it on! :T

tryhard_2

why does this thread move from being a sticky to a non sticky?