April 2011 Grocery Challenge

Tesco-shopper

Just popped in to say how I am doing so far this month as haven't posted for a couple of weeks. Am currently on target. Have spent £301.07 out of my £430 April budget, so am feeling pleased! Thank you so much for this thread and for helping me be accountable. It is making me think before I spend! :T

123budget

Jintyb, BaileysBabe, Sparkle76 adn Hippeechiq thank your for you responses and also to anyone that I missed! Still trying to get to grips with staying in/under budget but am definitely spending less than I used to. I have experimented with weekly/monthly meal plans and think that weekly or fortnightly will suit me more. Yes I also do a shopping list and go onto my supermarket - then do @ldi first then T***o this has really reduced it down ( a lovely way to spend my only afternoon off work):). Do tend to stick to debit card but I think I may draw out weekly cash and see if this works out any better. I have set up an Excel worksheet (after much playing around) which I log everything into - Direct debits, Grocery and anything else and have become very good at updating it every day so that I can keep track - Its amazing how much 'other stuff' money seems to get spent on has really opened my eyes to where I can cut back a little more - WILLPOWER IS DEFINITELY NEEDED - I did the money quiz too and came up as a SPENDER:o I definitely get that thrill when I have bought something but then the guilt afterwards - am beginning to change though.

sparkle76

123budget I have the 'Tightwad Gazette' books which although USA and old now, are very useful and I love to read them time and time again.
In there the author mentions that weekly cash/monthly cash or set lists / menu planning might not always work.
Now I'm a menu planner kind of girl so this shocked me. However, I can see her point.
If you are too strict on the cash or menu planning side, you can miss out on deals, so she recommends shopping to stock up your pantry, rather than menu plan.
I can see her point, so some months we spend more - like when we see canned tuna on sale (currently £2.99 for 4 tins at Sainsburys), or offers on fresh salmon for example (we have enough salmon in the freezer now to last us for the next 3 - 4 weeks).
However my problem is lately that I buy the offers, then next month don't spend less, especially hard in Summer when there's less chance to batch cook.

That's why we're having lentil & red bean casserole tonight with rice & peas - healthy, uses freezer chicken stock and beans, should teach me that May is a new beginning...

Living_proof

I have now spent £40.34 out of my £50 budget. I am doing this to use up store cupboard and freezer items so I have more than enough food. What amazed me was how difficult it is to remember all the little items - like rhubarb from a car boot sale, cakes from a hospice charity, etc. You think you are spending next to nothing and then hey presto! your budget has almost gone.

I managed to get five meals for two out of the Dine in Rotisserie chicken, and I still have a frozen carcase for stock when I can get around to it. It was an especially big one, but even so. My shopping list for this weekend is so small it is hardly worth doing, but the real problem is avoiding the temptation to buy more whoopsies and offers.

sparkle76

We avoided temptation too luckily, Easter is a time when the supermarkets really want you to spend and 'treat' yourself... I bought some hot cross buns, that's all they will get out of me! Hopefully on tomorrow's big shop we will resist being too bad too.

tessie_bear

hi...braved asd$ today....blimey food floor to ceiling...people buying it like the shops were shutting for a month...i got milk and coffee and dishwasher tabs

also popped to lid£ and got some of the bacon on offer...it looked ok but havent tried it yet...

i got a whoopie pie in in lakeland yesterday so i am looking for a recipe if any one knows a good one:A

happy easter
tess

Rebekah24

Thanks Hipeeechiq for your help

Think I will gently speak to OH today about it. If he is happy to order his online and I will do mine seperately. Just dont want to start paying for his shopping, its getting silly!!

Lovely, will stick to cash I think, and keep a close eye on things. Thanks so much guys ready for next month

jintyb

123budget wrote: »

Jintyb, BaileysBabe, Sparkle76 adn Hippeechiq thank your for you responses and also to anyone that I missed! Still trying to get to grips with staying in/under budget but am definitely spending less than I used to. I have experimented with weekly/monthly meal plans and think that weekly or fortnightly will suit me more. Yes I also do a shopping list and go onto my supermarket - then do @ldi first then T***o this has really reduced it down ( a lovely way to spend my only afternoon off work):). Do tend to stick to debit card but I think I may draw out weekly cash and see if this works out any better. I have set up an Excel worksheet (after much playing around) which I log everything into - Direct debits, Grocery and anything else and have become very good at updating it every day so that I can keep track - Its amazing how much 'other stuff' money seems to get spent on has really opened my eyes to where I can cut back a little more - WILLPOWER IS DEFINITELY NEEDED - I did the money quiz too and came up as a SPENDER:o I definitely get that thrill when I have bought something but then the guilt afterwards - am beginning to change though.

Glad to be of help 123. Sounds like you are on the right track anyway. It takes a while "fine tune" things to a way that suits you and your circumstances.
I also am a keen fan of the spreadsheet - I have one for my bank spends (i.e. everything;)) and one for grocery budget. I find if I use cash it's a real incentive not to go over as I hate the thought of getting to the cash desk and not having enough.:o I try shop according to what I need rather than what I want - doesnt always work though!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

quintwins

spent £1.61 on a loaf of bread!!! i really need to stop going to the filling station, i'm off to tesco abd iceland tonight for bits for a picnic tomorrow, i have a £20 dtd voucher and a £4 off £30 spend so i'm hoping to only spend £10 or less in tesco and £5 in iceland (going to grab a few fridge packs of coke at £2.50 and maybe some soup if it's still on offer) going at half 7 so hopefully it will be quieter then

Nimeth

Popped out to do my weekly shop today, took OH with me as he's off work. He's nosy, he wants to see what I get up to when I do the shop.:rotfl:

Dropped into A!di first, spent £29.13. The only thing that really annoys me about A!di is that they don't sell any bread flour, so that required a trip to Morrison$. Spent £12.54 in there. Total spend today £41.67. It would have been less if OH hadn't decided he wanted an After Eight Easter Egg.:D Ah well, it's easter and it's only one egg for both of us.

Also spent £1.29 in the Sp4r down the road yesterday for butter.

Total spent so far £196.35 with one more spend to go!

Had 5 more NSDs since last update.:cool: