January 2007 Grocery Challenge

moggins

Last shop of the month has come in at £4.55. So that makes my total for the month £72.66 including the £10 I spent down the high street.

I have come in £127.34 under budget this month Which considering how much stuff I had left over from christmas is not really suprising.

shell2001

Well done Moggins!!

Well I have about £6 left in my purse. However, tonights tea in marinating in the fridge (BBQ chicken, with HM EF Rice and Veggies). Tomorrow will either be something from the freezer (curry, lasagna or burgers) as DDs at Nannies for tea. Sunday will be Home cooked gammon ham, egg and HM Oven chips. Bought ham today from market for £6 just got to cook it off now. Monday will be pork meatballs, tuesday toad in the hole (but after watching you are what you eat not sure I can bring myself to eat the sausages!!!), Wednesday Spag Bol for girls and me, lasagna for DH - eating what is left in the freezer from batch cooking. This means that I will have got 5 extra days from this months budget so pleased with that!

Next month I am gonna get tough and try to knock £70 off my budget. It is do-able, I just need to mix cheaper meals into the weekly plan.

Sorry waffle over.

brummiebabe

:T Well,final shop of the challenge done today - came in at £71.55!!! This means I'm under budget for the month by £10.48!!!!!!

Other good news is that we've been taking out our budgeted money for petrol/other items at the beginning of the week and not using our cards all week - this week we've still got £15 (my petrol money) and around £25 of spending money left (allowance is £50!!) DH is now going to take DS1 to the footy with this money tomorrow - I'm so pleased that we're not overspending at the moment!!

Looking forward to February's challenge already!! (Am I a bit sad???? )

thriftykatie

brummiebabe wrote:

:T Looking forward to February's challenge already!! (Am I a bit sad???? )

Well I am too, so that makes me a bit sad as well! Actually, not sad at all because although I came in over budget, it was alot less than usual and I did buy some toiletries, (expensive!) battery for my alarm clock, extra washing powder etc and lots of reduced pickled onions and gherkins(!!) etc so not too worried. It made me think about how much I spend on food - and how much I love shopping. It is really difficult for me to go into a shop and just get what I need but I am thinking before I put in the basket/trolley now. On more than one occasion something has gone in the basket, then been taken out, then back in.... shopping can take some time

Payday was today so I have started my new month today, so can't wait until the February's challenge is posted.

redspot24

I too am looking forward to Feb's challenge, although more because I'm hoping it will give me chance to bring my overspend from Jan back into line.
The really sad part is that I've got a night in on my own tomorrow and I can't wait as I'm planning to do a stock-take of the cupboards and freezer then plan Feb's meals! What an exciting Saturday night... I can't wait (although might treat myself to a bottle of wine while I'm doing it!)

thriftykatie

Well I think that sounds a great way of spending a Saturday night - to be honest at the moment I am so determined to cut down my costs and pay as much as I can off my debts that any steps towards that make me feel great and really positive.

I did the freezer stocktake earlier this week and started February's meal planner. I found alot of unlabelled things lurking so there will be a few surprise meals! I have now bought labels and have done a list on my computer of what is in the freezer (when I could identify it!) and will delete as I use things. I have put in some leftovers this week and made sure they were labelled and added to my list.

Just a thought - maybe you should save the wine for a treat AFTER the stocktake or it may affect the stocktake:rotfl:

EagerLearner

I can imagine the cans a-multiplying and the wine a-dissapearin' - that's my gal :beer:

csarina

My first month on the grocery challenge has not gone too badly total £75.88 just £4.12 left from my £80 but I still have £20 from my allowance so that will go into the holiday account.

So next month will again have £80 for the month and its a short month, so it should be fine......not sure if we would get by on much less!!!!!!!!!!!!!

redspot24

Good point - maths isn't my strong point at the best of times! Maybe I'll just get by on the excitement of the task and not need wine :rotfl:
Am also thinking that would be a more MSE way of doing it as I actually need to go out and buy the wine but I'm a bit short on spending money this week - entirely my own fault - sometimes my social life and my thrifty streak don't match up!
Have also just been reading the 'Cheap Meals' thread on here, so am inspired with some good new meal ideas for next month :j

LJM

am i still being thick is the grocery shop just that grocerys should i count my cleaning stuff and toothpastes etc in with the food shop,its late and im tired,so im probs just a bit stupid atm