February 2007 Grocery Challenge

mustafa_say_ving

Count me in

Last month I went way over budget by around £70:eek: ...in my defence I did bulk buy things like washing powder and coffee ( hardly comes up to £70 though, does it:rotfl: )

So again this month I'm going for £200 for the month .....wish me luck ....let's face it I do need it

brummiebabe

My 1st weekly spend is going to sound AWFUL.......but I did do a massive tesco shop online for ALL essentials etc for next month (including 2 x 16pks of loo rolls, baby milk, massive box of persil - which lasts me for 2-3 months, kitchen towels etc etc...) My idea is that then I will only need to buy fresh veg/fruit, milk and stuff for weekly meal plan - and that I can therefore do the shopping easily (and quickly) with DD as I won't need to buy much bulky stuff.

So...wait for it...my 1st weekly shop was £38.12 at Morrisons (fresh stuff, meat etc for the next week's meals) and £145.09 at Tesco (everything else..hopefully.)

With 2 adults, 2 DSs and 1 baby DD & a small freezer, I have to shop weekly..but hope this will be around £40 (MAX) per week.....should then bring me in under my £320 budget. Have not done it this way before, so will have to see what happens!!!

whatatwit

I am going to join in for this month, despite having lurked on here for a while, I still don't really know how much I spend on food each month.
I will set a target of £280 for February, that's for 2 adults, DD 13 and a cat.

Today I have spent £78.60, but I have bought lots of meat and fruit and veg, so along with the existing storecupboard and freezer, that should last for a while.

melldyson

Hope I can join in too this month. Have also lurked last month and learned a lot. Am putting budget at £60per wk this month for 2 adults - shameful I know, total £240 per month, but oh comes shopping with me and adds loads of stuff to trolley, incl. dvds etc etx.

How do I get spent so far information for the end of my post?

Thanks to everyone for all the inspiration and tips last month.

EagerLearner

Welcome whatatwit and melldyson - you may find it easier to monitor what you spend by etnering the figures into my spreadsheet (in my sig) - then at least you start to get an idea of how much you have spent to date - then you can easily update your signature.

For your sig, go to top of the page and look for the pale orange strip - says 'User CP'. Then go into that and on the left click 'signature' and edit accordingly.

Welcome to the challenge!

southern_chick

Hi I've just come in from doing my first GC shop, i'd budgeted £35 and only spent £23.80 :j , i can't tell you what a sense of achievement it is to come in under budget!!!

hope everyone else is doing well

deb_buffy

I'm in last month i budgeted £200 for 2 of us but was way under. So this month I am going to budget £150 which I think should be do able. I have just completed my first shop for feb and spent £23.11 which is great compared to what we used to spend.

EagerLearner

Our Tesco shop last week (£34.88) was for all the bulk and 'accompanying' foods like pasta/cous cous/tinned goods/long life milk etc.

I made our meal plan for next week (Mon-Sun) and only need to get chicken, pork, bread and some veg. This will come in under £10, for a whole weeks shopping, plus I will keep the change to one side for any extra bits I need at other times.

I am hoping to be able to keep it at £10 per week but maybe it will be £15 a week but still good. Plus need washing powder from Sainsburys or Sommerfield which will cost a lot.

WelshWoofer

Hello!
I have lapsed a little of late and have decided to get back on the wagon starting with the grocery challenge. I went to Tesco yesterday and spent £43 (did include £8 on flowers and a bottle of wine - now gone!).
I am aiming to stick to £100 for all toiletries and groceries and cleaning stuff for the month of February - have plenty of food with a full freezer, store cupboard, fridge and fruit bowl and am supposed to be on a diet anyway.:rolleyes:

So £43 down and £57 to go!

Anwen_2

I'm very pleased with myself, as I have managed not to go to the supermarket at all! (although I did get my friend to bring me a loaf of sliced white, but that's all)

Went to the farmers' market today for meat, I got mince, lamb cutlets for stew and a couple of lamb, rosemary and garlic sausages, plus a head of garlic, and splurged on a jar of bramble jam, plus two pots of organic guernsey yoghurt and one of cream. Total came to around £15, and I've another fruit and veg box plus milk coming tomorrow from Abel & Cole which comes to £80 so far this month. With what I have in now, I can make a big pot of soup for lunches, stew in the slow cooker for a couple of evening meals and some in the freezer, and a big spag bol for evening meals/freezer. I'll probably make more soup later in the week with a 50p chicken carcass from the poulterer in Borough Market and I've also got eggs and pasta, rice etc. I'm aiming not to buy any meat for the next two weeks, just to see if I can manage it. I want to stay out of the supermarket as well.