July 2011 Grocery Challenge

looie

I won't have any more spends now until August so I'm going to declare at £90.79 for July.

Just timed it right for the reductions in mr a last night - got a nice turkey breast joint for 70p, 2 big packs of roast beef for 50p each, a turkey stir fry pack for 40p and some packs of quorn deli meat for 20p. All now in the freezer.

Mrs M can you put me down for £100 for August please ?

espresso21

Could I please have an August target of £310.


I have been using up the things in my freezer to keep costs down, and also visiting my local market to buy veg instead of buying them in the supermarket. Unfortunately my market isn't actually very good and the veg is often not great quality but if I choose carefully there are good deals. I am shocked at how much things seem to be going up though - my local Co-op had bread at over £2 a loaf today!

espresso21

Woops, sorry, apologies - I didn't realise my last post was going to come out that big!

Sue14

WelshWoofer wrote: »

I have just had my first ever reduced sticker haul!!!!:j:j:j
Was so chuffed that I had to tell you all!

I managed to get over £17 worth of fresh stuff (that can be frozen) for just £4.37!

That's brilliant, well done you! We got a great bargain today too. OH came home from work laden with boxes, and I thought 'what the heck has he bought now?' LOL! It was seven boxes of cat food, (Purina One Natural Balance), which he'd got for 25p per box of 12 sachets! Just looked on my supermarket and it is priced at £5.48 in Mr S (where he got them from), so for £1.75 we got cat food which would have cost £38.36! He didn't have the cheek to use his discount card, lol, otherwise we would have saved even more. Our cat wolfed down the first sachet earlier this evening, so that's a good sign as she is very fussy, but unfortunately she will not be getting it at full price so she'd better make the most of this lot, lol!

Not done so well this month, as we are already over budget and the month isn't finished yet, lol! Since my last report I've spent £8.00 in i*eland, £31.54 in Mr M's and £1.75 in Mr S.

annem38

hi all, well up to 288.17/250 and STILL not quite ready to declare :mad:, but at least i have stocked up freezer again (HM lasagne, burgers,meatballs, curry and some very nice bargains thanks to mr wait***e), annoyed that i have come in over target, but dread to think what it would have been if i hadn't had a budget i was trying to stick to!

i also blame myself for treating myself in Wate***e to that ice cream sandwich thing that heston is advertising at the moment, think it would have been cheaper to eat at this restaurant, even though the stuff was on offer, scary, but will report back and let you know if it was worth it

well my month will start again on monday and i will be aiming for £200 for a 4.5 week month, hoping to go on holiday beginning of sept, which is really a money saving opportunity as i won't be tempted to stock up, and therefore more to spend on sangria and tapas (holiday spending comes out of an entirely different budget thank God)

anne

millionaire_in_training

my month starts again tomorrow so I am declaring £351.29 for July. I am setting a budget of £200 for August as I will be away for a week and that will be from a different budget. Also kids will be back at school on 18th so they will stop eating everything there is in the house

CRANKY40

I crashed and burned in July, lol. Ok, it was less than £7.00 over, but I blame taking the small person with me when I did the last shop of the month! August should be interesting as we are away here and there, but I'll try and stick to the budget. Could I be put down for £200 for August please?

MummyEm

I haven't done the GC for quite a few months now and spends have started to creep up again :mad: We really need to review this as the OD has been taking a battering and I would really like to get it cleared as it stresses me out!!

Please can I be put down for £450 for Aug? Ideally I would be spending half this but I need to put down a realistic target or will get v. depresses if i fail!

This is for DH, myself, DD(4) and DS(2). This will include all meals, snacks, toiletries, cleaning products and food out. We used to spend a shocking £600+ per month (and even more before having kids!!) but spend much less now. We budget for £450 per month but do eat very well with this. If I can spend less than this for Aug then the OD will look a bit better, fingers crossed.

I must stay away from bulk buying offers as these tend to be my downfall in blowing the budget. I have lots in the freezer, especially lots of weird meat cuts I've not tried before so have been avoiding, must use these. I think a monthly mealplan is in order!

Good luck to everyone

emmad5689

Hello all, I forgot to add that I did soke shopping last weekend so another £23.48 there and then £1.89 on bread and milk through the week too. I am going shopping shortly which is mainly things I need for the coming week so will be used in August but as I am buying them today (can't go on a weekday) I will count it towards my july total. Will check in later with my final figure I am guessing I am going to be around £60-£70 over budget but it gives me a starting point.

CRANKY40

69chick wrote: »

my ds is a nightmare at the moment with constantly looking for something to eat or drink, I only wish he would eat fruit as I wouldn't mind that but he is always looking for rubbish, I don't like him eating loads so I end up feeling like I am constantly telling him off

Could you make him a daily box? Something like a rectangular box with his daily allowance of rubbish in it - some sweeties, a cake, maybe crisps, a biscuit? My ds won't eat fruit at all (don't panic, he eats veg), but maybe if you put a banana or suchlike in there he'd eat that when he runs out of other stuff. When he's eaten what's in there it's done for the day and he gets nothing else. It would give you a better idea of what he's eating too, instead of random cupboard picking.