January 2007 Grocery Challenge

fairy3

Hi millionaire in training, please don't beat yourself up I have been reading all the posts on this thread and you are doing great. In a previous post you mentioned you had bought all your cards and some presents for next xmas (sorry can't do the quote thing) I have a separate budget for this so perhaps redefining what are groceries might help?

Although I have just joined the grocery challenge have been cutting back for over a year and some months can be totally wiped out by a blip or a takeaway, birthday or just temptation! It is a learning curve.

It is good that you know where the overspend went and can now do a stocktake and plan for the rest of the month.

Good luck

J
X

lil_me

My grocery budget is just that, nothing else, everything budgeted for seperately as then I can work out where I am going wrong easier. The only extra to come out of it is takeaways if we have one, as that is in a sense wasted money on cooked food, stops me from getting them as it has to come out of grocery budget maybe I should call it the food/drink budget. I think I am also lucky that I don't drink any more as don't buy any alcohol which would have bumped up my spending a few years ago.

spiddy100

I'm sure this has come up before, but do you get your other half to sign up to the grocery challenge too? I haven't really told my DH that I'm doing this, as I know he won't notice if we're eating cheaper food (though he'll notice the difference on our credit cards at the end of the month!!) but if I tell him he'll grumble about wanting more meat/brand name stuff etc.

The result was that he went to the supermarket at the weekend to get some milk and came back with £20 of 'man stuff' - frozen kebabs anyone? _pale_ You'll remeber that earlier in the month he went out to get some lunch and came back with crocodile burgers.

Anyone else have this problem? He reminds me so much of that character from the fast show?

'Did you get the milk dear?'
'Even better than that............'

EagerLearner

Very important to get the other half to sign up to this idea -Mr EL is all for it now, even if it's for a quieter life But honestly, we have saved so much comparing this last 6 months to the 6 months before that. Being more aware, you just don't do the takeaways and junk anymore - but it does take time and like any habit, I think they say it takes 30 days to get a habit and 30 days to lose one.

If it helps my spreadsheet below will add up what you spend on groceries as you go.

Good luck x

earthmother

Well, I've just done the receipts for last week and updated my sig.

It's very close - but better than previous months - looking at my receipts, I was on track until Friday.

It's been caused by advance buying for next month - taking advantage of various Boots offers for nappies etc, and a really good Ocado code for non-perishables, so I will go overbudget before the end of the week, but I'm not too worried.

lil_me

Spiddy my partner doesn't do shopping, at all. I have occasionally asked him to pick up bread or milk on the way home and he's forgotten it, so I have given up. He knows I am doing this, and that takeaways are off the menu, but that's about as far as it goes.

lil_me

Spiddy my partner doesn't do shopping, at all. I have occasionally asked him to pick up bread or milk on the way home and he's forgotten it, so I have given up. He knows I am doing this, and that takeaways are off the menu, but that's about as far as it goes.

shell2001

Well not the best of weekends as we blew £12 on a take-away on Saturday night - which left DH feeling like he was going to be sick all night (which I am pleased about in a way 'cos it may put him off wanting another!!). We popped into town to spend the girls vouchers at ELC so ended up getting a picnic style lunch from M&S so that was about another £10 gone. Also had to spend £4 in ELC as the amount written on the card was short of what was on the card.

On friday had to go to chemist and stock up of cold stuff for girls so that was £13 gone too. So now have about £15 left for week which is doable so have hit my target was just hoping to come in under it.

Next month I am going to get really strict with myself and determined to come in under budget!!

brummiebabe

Did a small shop at Sainsburys (most local supermarket) last Monday as a top-up until could get to Tesco on Friday - total spend on both shops is £119.08!!!! However, have £82.03 for the rest of the month so should come in under budget!!!!:j

BusyGirl

Woooooooooow!!! I finally did it! :j
This is my last week of the challenge and I managed to spend a total of £180 for the month, out of my budget of £200. This is for 2 adults and 2 children and includes cleaning stuff, loo rolls etc
I did start with a well stocked freezer and cupboards (mainly from xmas time).
My next target is to see if I can do it again next month! :rotfl: