August 2011 Grocery Challenge

CupOfChai

Hi everyone . Can you please put CupOfChai down for £80 for August? Even though I'll never manage it, oh dear.

I've had my big Asda delivery and done a little shop too, so am £54.32 into my target amount so far. Asda were shockingly on time and all present and correct this month, I nearly fell over! They did substitute one bottle of wine with another that wasn't in the 3 for £10 deal, so I sent all three back rather than pay the full prices. Should be able to manage with what I've got in anyway, probably a good thing in the long run that I didn't get those bottles. Don't see why they couldn't have substituted with another one that was in the offer!

ETA Can't remember if I'd said already, but I ducked out of the July challenge as I was away at a festival during that month which completely messed up my grocery spending. Simply couldn't be doing with working out what I'd spent on normal things and if/how to separate out the holiday things, then working out how I would keep track of food bought while there. Anyhoo I wanted a holiday and couldn't be bothered with the faff

hedgesparrow

Spent 11.83 at Coop on milk, spread, 2 blocks of cheese, mayo and potatoes. Mr Hedgesparrow did the shop but forgot to use the coop voucher. Can't have a go at him though, he did buy everything on the list and we are both knackered at the mo. That should hopefully last us the week as we have allotment veg and lots of meat in the freezer. We have heard from our free range farmer that some bacon will be ready soon so will buy some of that for the freezer this month.

TheBees

Right - does anyone else have the same problem as us?

For years we've been buying all our food and groceries on our credit card on which we gain points which are converted into vouchers which I save for spending at Xmas. Of course we pay off the credit card in full every month so don't rack up any interest but we are always working a month behind on the grocery front. This also means that I very rarely shop at Lxxdl or Alxi because they don't take credit cards (only debits) and if I did pay using cash or the debit card it messes up our funds for the current month ! Is this making sense so far? :rotfl:

Well my idea to get back on an even keel is to take our budget for groceries out of the savings account this month (£400) and use cash in August. Then when we get paid at the end of the month our credit card bill will be £400 less so I'll pay back the savings account.. :T
Will I need to keep doing that every month or will it gradually work out? This is where I get confused?

mandco

KolaKube wrote: »

Morning all!

I need some advice. I have never known a bunch of people who eat so much. My brother (aged 22!) especially has eaten his way through 3 blocks of cheese
KolaKube

try grating the cheese I find they tend to use a lot less this way if I leave it in blocks i'm lucky if it last 2 days as they cut huge wedges

could you put me down for £350 again this month must really try harder and gotta get it lower but the kids are home and eating for england honestly I dont know how such small people can eat so much :huh:

already spent approx £75 though on what I'm not totally sure coz I didnt really get a lot of proper food why is it when you take the kids you end up spending twice as much with less to show for it?
did manage to get some of the 3 for 1 cheese at mrT and picked up a few extra packs of cereal bars the kids like as the offer finishes tommorrow on them.

thanks to everyone who keeps this thread going and goodluck everyone

69chick

Hi all, I have decided that I am going to change my GC month to a calendar month, I am going to stick with the budget of £360 and change my sig to a zero spend (as I havn't spent today either)...

Good luck to everyone for August

CupofChai what I would have done with the wine issue, is taken it in then phoned customer services, I am pretty sure they would have adjusted it so you still got the 3 bottles for a tenner (this happened to me with the meat 4for £12 thing)
KolaKube I realise you are doing your bit for the family for helping you out accomodation wise, but with regards to the cheesemonster (and I have one of those too!!) I would have to say he should buy his own cheese/yogs/milk really...Good luck by the way regarding the house, we are in a similar boat in that me,dh, ds and twin dd's are all living at my parents house since we relocated back down south and are in the process (very very slowly) of buying our own house.....

rising_from_the_ashes

TheBees wrote: »

Right - does anyone else have the same problem as us?

For years we've been buying all our food and groceries on our credit card on which we gain points which are converted into vouchers which I save for spending at Xmas. Of course we pay off the credit card in full every month so don't rack up any interest but we are always working a month behind on the grocery front. This also means that I very rarely shop at Lxxdl or Alxi because they don't take credit cards (only debits) and if I did pay using cash or the debit card it messes up our funds for the current month ! Is this making sense so far? :rotfl:

Well my idea to get back on an even keel is to take our budget for groceries out of the savings account this month (£400) and use cash in August. Then when we get paid at the end of the month our credit card bill will be £400 less so I'll pay back the savings account.. :T
Will I need to keep doing that every month or will it gradually work out? This is where I get confused?

I'm the same, everything goes on the cc & cleared in full each month - meaning very little left so have to use it again the next month - I'm stuck in the same boat as you.

However, if it helps, "Lxxdl or Alxi" both take cc's (not sure if they always did, but certainly do now).

emmad5689

I have the same problem as you but I am managing to put a little cash to shopping and buying things that are really good from ald*, for example we drink loads of juice and it is £1.49 a bottle in MR A but 0.99 in Ald* therefore a good saving on every bottle.

At the end of the month your credit card would be £400 less but you would need to put that £400 back in your savings so you would be in the same boat for the next month however if you save money by shopping at the other places and you don't then spend what you have saved on extras then you become a little better off. Example by shopping in cash only shops you spend £370 in a month instead of £400 then you have spent less so a bit better off by doing it but you would still be lending out of the savings until all the money saved ie £30s add up to enough money for your monthly shopping. Hope that makes sense it does in my head lol!

Took my little girl to hospital appt today and been told to put her on probiotic drinks for a month, hadn't factored that into the budget so not a good start to the month. Spent £6.46 on her drinks, milk, juice and salad today but should have acoupls of NSDs now I hope.

TheBees wrote: »

Right - does anyone else have the same problem as us?

For years we've been buying all our food and groceries on our credit card on which we gain points which are converted into vouchers which I save for spending at Xmas. Of course we pay off the credit card in full every month so don't rack up any interest but we are always working a month behind on the grocery front. This also means that I very rarely shop at Lxxdl or Alxi because they don't take credit cards (only debits) and if I did pay using cash or the debit card it messes up our funds for the current month ! Is this making sense so far? :rotfl:

Well my idea to get back on an even keel is to take our budget for groceries out of the savings account this month (£400) and use cash in August. Then when we get paid at the end of the month our credit card bill will be £400 less so I'll pay back the savings account.. :T
Will I need to keep doing that every month or will it gradually work out? This is where I get confused?

CupOfChai

Thanks 69chick, I didn't think they would because it wasn't that the offer hadn't come off where it should have done, but the substituted bottle was definitely not part of it. I might contact them and ask what they do in such situations though, so I'll know for sure next time!

Didn't want to just take it and risk them not agreeing to honour the deal, as then I'd be stuck having to pay a lot more for it than I like to!

PaddyPaws

Well, first spend of the month, £92.14 (was £94.14 but A$da are refunding me £2). First time I've done an on-line order with them, usually use mr T.

Had 3 substitutions, nothing that was a problem, and did quite well on one of the items. I'd order pork loin steaks at £4 as one of the items on buy 3 for £10, the pack was 660g. It got substituted for a 1kg pack of pork loin steaks which should've been £5 but I got it for £4, bargain! until I realised I'd not got my 3 for £10. I rang customer service and they've refunded me £2

And was quite an MSE shop as I'd gone via topcashback so should get £5 for that to go in the mortgage op pot :j

Better go and update my sig now
PP

millionaire_in_training

Hi £200 for me this month. I'm making this quite low as I am away for a week and will use another budget for that so really only for 3 weeks. Also kids are back at school so shopping budget should reduce somewhat