November 2011 - Grocery Challenge

CompBunny

Adding £2.23 for sweeties. Lots of sweeties. Ssssh don't tell anyone!

Living_proof

Welcome Thorndrop. You will see once you have been doing the challenge for a couple of weeks that you begin to be more critical about what you are spending, and where and you'll almost certainly get more organised about your shopping activity.

I have updated my sig. by £11.53 and that was milk, flowers, couple of veg and half an M & S meal deal for £10 (sharing with a friend). I have next week off work and will be away luxuriating in an hotel for a couple of nights, with meals out and altogether a bit of a cheap treat. It means I only have one more shop in November and as I have no room whatsoever in the freezer I can't think I will be buying much so should come well within budget unless I get carried away on my week off.

I went into Lakeland today and whilst their goods are so attractive and their customer service policy, I know, is excellent, what a price!!! I found myself wondering round their gadget sections wondering which goodies I will pick up in the spring in a charity shop or car boot.

We are having a very low key Christmas again this year, maybe a few treats, but on the whole pretty much what we normally eat. There is a limit to the number of goodies one can consume!

tigerfeet2006

£6 in MrT today for washing powder and dishwasher tablets not doing to bad this month only 3 spend days so far.

Had a good day today, we joined the National Trust this year through topcashback.com and have been to quite a few properties already including a local one which regularly holds things for children which we go too. They did a hibernation trail today which the kids loved, running around the grounds and woods etc. I took a backpack with drinks and fruit and stuff in it so I didn't have to buy anything at ridiculous prices. We then went back to town and looked at the Christmas lights that were switched on yesterday. Then a dash in and out of MrT leaving DH with the kids in the car so I only spent what I needed. Then home to dinner from the SC. So a good day all round.

Meant to say the salmon I did yesterday was a whoopsi from Asda nearly a year ago that I thought I ought to get round to using. There is another pack in the freezer as well to use up.

SpikyHedgehog

Today's lesson - check your receipt while still in the supermarket...

Went to M0rris0ns last night to get ordinary groceries plus stuff for DS1's birthday, the lady said £100 something & being depressed about this I stopped listening after £100 so didn't know what the something was, just stuck my card in to pay. Updating my spreadsheet tonight of how much I've squandered away on stuff (still feeling depressed about it) & went through the receipt to see what wasn't on my shopping list.

I bought 1 butternut squash... it went through as 100! They'd also put through 3 pizza bases instead of 2, giving a total overcharge of £100.44! Phoned them up & they knew about it - well, I don't suppose they had 100 butternut squash to sell - & said it will go back on next time I go in. Which will be tomorrow.

Still spent too much really even with the £80 I've actually put down as my grocery spend - he only had 4 of the 8 friends he'd invited, & they didn't eat all the food or even half... Will get mini pizza bases next time & ignore what he says, not that they had any. Off to record my estimate of what I've thrown away tonight now.

WelshWoofer

Did the supermarket shop on Thursday this week - went to B&M and Mr T - spent £32.50 and £13.48, a total of £45.98:eek:

In my defence I do have visitors this weekend and have had to restock the freezer a bit.

Hopefully, next week will be just fresh stuff and dog food - famous last words:o


ETA - just one more shop of the month to go now so should be well under budget

moonflower_2

Hi I am new and want to reduce my food bill I think that it is about £200 a month for 1 adult and 1 teenager.

How much should I reduce it but at first? I do want it to be achievable. Any help would be great. Thanks

Moonflower

mooomin

I spent £5 in Poundland today on soup, crisps, ketchup and some freezer bags. I also spent £32.46 (!!) in Aldi. I had used a £5 off voucher for spending over £30, so original price was £37.46 which I thought was quite a lot for an Aldi shop.

I now have enough dry catfood for the month, loads of cupboard supplies like tomatoes/kidney beans and have bought veg to chop and freeze tomorrow. I've got three packs of peppers and two of mushrooms to cut up tomorrow :eek: :eek: I did buy some treats too - ground coffee, some posh ham and a packet of chicken breasts. Tomorrow I'm off to Morrisons to get the stuff I couldn't get in Aldi, although I'm hoping to get it under £25. I do have to buy cat litter though and as Catsan doesn't seem to be on offer anywhere, that's going to be a big part of tomorrow's spend.

Thorndrop

meg72 wrote: »

I think you have done very well to only spend £23so far. There is no set rule or good bad amount to spend,everyone is different and have different needs and tastes. Set your budget to what you can comfortably afford,then it becomes a fun thing to shop around, get
whoopsies and offers etc.If you set your budget to low it can be a real misery trying to achieve it and make you feel a failure when you are not.

Good luck wil llook forward to your posts to see how you are doing
please if you have the time could you post a vegan meal plan for a
couple of days I already do vegetarian days and apart from raiding the fruit bowl 3times a day dont have a clue about Vegan.

Thanks.
Meal plans are one thing I've not tried yet, but it'd probably be a good idea. Where should I post these? That being said, my cooking is pretty simple by some standards.

lilrahi

I want to join this. I need to refine my shopping habits. I tend to go to buy one thing and come with huge amounts of stuff. Seeing it in black and White (or red as it were) will be the shocker that I need to change.

Put me down for £100 until the end of the month. Next month I think I will do £400 and go from there.

I have started saving my receipts so hopefully it will all be there.

quintwins

hi all went to makro today cause fil needed dgo food, while there a spent £12ish the kids were asking for smooties all morning but strawberry ones, so a bag of frozen strawberries is much cheaper than fresh at £3, then a huge punnet of clemintines (was 3kg and so yummy there must be 30ish in them) for £2.75, 2kg of onions, and a huge bag of apples, oh and a tub of jelly snake things for the kids, managed to talk hubby down from 3 diferent boxes to 1 since santas coming soon and we brings so much junk food with him anyway, then fil treated us to fish and chips (using a tastecard we converted everyone to these ) but me and hubby also had friend chicken dinner im still not with it i'm gonna abandon my budget for this month but i'll still keep a running total so i know how much i've acually spent, i need spuds and milk this week aswell