November 2011 - Grocery Challenge

[Deleted User]

Having a bit of a chill out today. Have cooked up some stovies to have over 2 days (Sat and Sun) and have a steak pie for Monday so pretty well organised. Still need to do a proper food plan for the whole week.

I too have a store cupboard full of tins so I am aiming to use them up over the next month - plenty of beans, chopped toms, pears, mandarin segments and pudding rice.

Good luck with the challenge everyone.
Allie x

prepareathome

I have to hang my head in shame, I ended up spending £204 in sainsburys on-line delivery, I kept going back and adding things for stocking up - the actual food to eat for the month is only about £78 so blown it before the month even starts. So only thing I will not count this for November and start properly on Tuesday Ist as I should not have to buy anything except fresh milk and veg as my store cupboard for emergencies will be overflowing when delivery arrives. That was the last money from our inheritance that has gone - we have a prepaid credit card and we put most of the money on it, so now back to living on our actual income. One plus about the prepaid credit card is at least everything actually paid for no bills to worry about coming in.

I wanted to ensure we did start off when that money was gone with plenty of stocks not just for winter with having the chance to do that and to many years since we had the money to actually do it. So sticking to £150 for November for everything including petrol, I will need a couple of taxis to get to dentist 3 times in the month ( 4 fillings gulp) that will be £35, but will not count that nor will include the gas and electric ( we went on prepaid about 30 years ago when hubby went on taxis as money was daily and I never wanted to worry about big bills, yes paid more but we never did without, and couldn't face a big bill now so used to buying as needed. Will need to go to cool trader some time in next few weeks to get some frozen bits - and teabags ( no one else sells the ones we like anywhere near us) and Iceland for the pizzas for granddaughter, as that is all she lives on but they have to be from there.

Right lets hope I do stick to my budget now, well must really as no more spare cash, all gone and so quickly and have to save for wedding in Australia now.

redkids1972

Hi all

well October was a good month even if over budget £330/£300 as it is the closest I have been to budget for a while. Im hoping the trend will continue and next month will hit the £300 mark.

So declaring £330 for October and be put down for £300 in November thanks.:beer:

Have made a start on Novembers budget already with a stock up at Tesco m&s and a few other shops yesterday to utilise the Mocs I had left before Tescos change of policy on conditional spends. I now have enough cat food for the next month (3 cats) and washing powder to last the rest of the year. My freezer is still full of meat from my M&S shop from last week so gunna use that before I go shopping again.
So should be able to come in within budget with luck which will be fab and will approximately have halved what I was spending each month 2 years ago. I think this shows with a little thought and some forward planning big savings are possible. Probably the biggest change for me is that I very rarely buy takeaways now and prefer to make more roast type meals which my kids all prefer anyhow and which is more healthy for them. I always now use MOCS and will try to continue with this still. Of course the main reason my spending has dropped is that I now record my spend and consciously record and consider all spends so this board is a great help
This week I have also bought some tea, coffee and Hot chocolate form the staples glitch which I have not yet recorded as spends but once I have received them I will add the £12 onto my spends but these will see me through till next year:T
Will check in next week to update my spends:j

pennywisepoundstupid

Well i managed a massive overspend for october, but does mean freezers and cupboards are bursting so this month i'm going to try aand stay out of the shops and use up what we have.

Please can i be put down for £150 for november.

Today i will need to buy a loaf of bread as kids are back at school tomorrow and have packed lunches, took out of freezer a small gammon joint last night so thats tea tonight sorted having it with rst tatties, peas and carrot and swede mash, hoping that there will be enough meat left for sandwiches tomorrow.

Mrs_De_Bris

Having blown the budget last month I will give it another whirl in November: please put me down for £300.

Spent £42.00 yesterday in supermarket.

Won't be spending anything today so hopefully off to a better start this month:)

GreenSaints

Did my first week of the challenge - £39! I did manage to downshift while I was wandering around, but had to pay more for some items because they ran out of stock on the cheaper items I budgeted for.

Either way, it was a success. Just need to keep it up for another 3 weeks!

ms_night_ryder

Recording my first proper spends today, i have been out on the highstreet, after managing to put my fridge freezer outside for collection and managing to get my neighbor to help me (bless him)

So went to stock up an bit as i have a brand new fridge freezer to fill.

Went to my neighbors butcher shop, its one of those old englishy ones, wanted some ribs, ended up getting 8 lovely pork sausages, they are big and my neighbor wrapped 4 in each package, so have put one in the freezer, also got the ribs 2 racks, some free range eggs and some chilli oil, spent £12.26, but can portion ribs into 3 and i like the quality of the meat, its the finest, and helping my neighbor.

Also went to sainsburys for some chicken for a morrocan chicken receipe and some green bottle, chips etc using mocs, spent £19.74 on that little lot, so thats spends of £32 so far and 50p frm quaker porridge, just £17.50 to last me the month, will be searching out whoopsies and i have loads of sausages, bacon, pork mince, ribs, chicken mini fillets, salmon trimmings for meals, as there is only me, that along with rice, pasta, veg etc will go for quite a few meals.

Will update sig.

Picklepud

Hello this is the end of my first week ! of trying it weekly... and have spent £114.56 which is well over the 100 I was going for and annoyingly I could have not bought some stuff to take me over however i had to go out for a visit with work which meant paying for breakfast and lunch which was a 10 that I would not normally have spent and I will get it back on expences so maybe I am only £4.56 over. So for novermber now that I have had my trial week am hoping to do it!

I have done things havent done in ages this week made home made pizza, remembered to take things out of the freezer and am looking forward to next week and am determinded to come under. I am looking forward to next week and trying to keep under budget.

Have a good week everyone going back to read from last night to now.

Islandmaid

Hi all,

Spent £13.24 today on 2.5 kilo of cooked ham and a huge pork joint - they were less than half price at the local wholesalers:D

Ham sliced and frozen, pork in sc for pulled pork and some to be frozen for later in the month:T:T

Hope you all having a good day x

budget_babe

Hi,

Could I join in please, I have been lurking for sometime and really want to stick to a budget this month on my grocery shopping.

There is myself and Dh so will have a starting point of £275, I aim to do £250 but don't want to crash and burn before I start.

I have just done an Ocado shop at: £110.56 and an online organic meat order which is to be delivered on Friday, the meat order is: £63,50. (Though they do owe me free of charge as well, a joint of beef, a minute steak and a rump steak, due to missing these off a previous order).

I have all weekend been defrosting my freezer/fridge which are now bare. I have also cleared out all of my cupboards.

My aim is to stock up and then meal plan around what I have.

My main expense seems to be organic meat but I was a veggie for 5 years, until last year.

So good luck to everyone and at least I have a target to aim for.

Take Care
Budgie x