January 2012 Grocery Challenge

ClaireT13

Hi Everyone

After watching the November and December Grocery challenges for 2011, I've decided that I'm definitely in for January. :j This is just what I need to make me more accountable for our grocery spending - I think it is the one thing that gets out of hand.

Can I be put down for £300 for the month? That will be from today to the 31 January. This needs to do all groceries and toiletries for me, DH, DS4, DS3 and dog food for 1.

Thanks!
Claire

determined_new_ms

Hi I'd like to join this challenge please. I'm going to set my budget for £200 in Jan but hopefully will be able to skim some off of that. Currently have a freezer full of food, so that's a good start! Will need to get some store cupboard bits today or tomorrow. I am determined that I will no longer throw ANY food away. Really annoying when its my money being thrown down the drain!!! There are 3 adults in my house - ds is 19 - and dd comes for dinner a couple of times a week.

Greying_Pilgrim

Please may I join the challenge?

I'm pretty used to budgeting the grocery/household spending, but as i seem to be surrounded (in RL) by people who still 'spend,spend,spend' it can sometimes feel a bit lonely trying to be budget concious/frugal. Also, there is no one to chat to when you find out something you bought for 99p last week is now £1.49!!!! (Flora spread - in a discount supermarket!!:eek:), whereas on here I know others with be equally annoyed and have already sussed out a new source for the original price! :rotfl:

So please can I be in at £140, this is for 2 adults and includes food, drink, all household (non - food) and erm, a haircut (doesn't fit into any other heading on my budgets . To run from the 1st to the 31st of Jan.

Thanks to all who run this thread and contribute to it. I'm hoping to get my mojo re-ignited from such like-minded people.

Greying

XSpender

DH wanted a chinese takeaway last night but, feeling poorly, I said he could have one but I didn't want one and I would cook sausage and mash. He decided just to have leftover snacks from Christmas and I had something from the freezer. Maybe this is how to avoid spends on a takeaway in future? Tell him I don't want one? Most of the time I don't and even when I do I don't enjoy it.

While rummaging in the kitchen freezer for some qu0rn sausages last night for my tea I realsied just how much food there is in there (but no qu0rn sausages:rotfl:). I have a not quite so full freezer in the garage too:eek: Once I am out of my sick bed I need to do a full inventory as I am sure we could live off the contents for the rest of the month.:T

The only positive about being stuck in bed ill is that I haven't spent any money on food since 23rd December:D

DebtFree2012

Morning all,

after setting my target (remanining as paid 16th Dec to last until end Jan) for Jan, I made my weekly shopping list which always has the same basics on and was always around the £15 mark. I've not looked closely at it since begin of Nov and last night realised how much things have gone up since then!!!! Ypgs 27 to 33p - kids yogs 44 to 50p - malt loaf 24 to 28p - what's going on!!!! Going to have to shave off elsewhere

xxx

mooomin

I'm heading to Aldi and Morrisons today to do a topup shop. I've taken an idea from the Frugal Living thread and have started a notebook which I'm using to write my shopping lists every week. I am then going to note down what I paid for each item, so that I know what I've paid for things. That will hopefully help me to identify bargains when I see them and I'll be less dazzled by supermarket signs

mummyyof5

Not including these in my Jan budget but got good whoopsies in MrMs yesterday...packs of cocktail sausages (ideal for my 2 littlies dinner or pack ups) 19p per pack...best crumbed ham 9p a pack (got 4)....War**tons bread for 19p...got 3 (would have got more but freezer full)..and 4 cooking apples for 29p..was really pleased with these as seldom get any bargains in MrMs. Also got 2 bread and the apples for my Mum....was glad I did as she gave me the rest of her turkey..there is at least half a large bird left..and she was just going to throw it away as she couldnt be bothered with it :eek::eek:

russetred

Okay the end of the year and my annual GC total is £3845.77/£4300. I managed to come £454.23 under budget which I'm very pleased about. Now for 2012......

Helen please put me down for £3800. This is for 3 adults and 2 kids (14 and 12). I will include all non food household items, alcohol and any spends for the garden as well.

This GC challenge is the best way to reign in your spending. Over the past years I have gone from over £6000 down to under £4000.

It can be done and the best advice I would pass on is USE everything, every leftover has another life, be it soup or pasties. Keep checking in on here the help you will get is gold dust.

Here's to another fun filled frugal year for all of us! :T

spendaholic

aberdeensaver wrote: »

Also looking for any advice from cat owners. I have two cats, and currently spend £35 a month feeding them, thats based on two pouches each a day and some dried biscuits to tide them over!

I have 2 cats and they have biscuits for breakfast (Go Cat is their choice) and a pouch each for tea (Whiskas or Tesco Natural Fish). I'm currently spending between £3 and £3.80 per week on a box of pouches, depending on if there are any offers, but when I'm really broke, they get tins, because 1 tin of Whiskas gives them 4 meals between them, and this works out a lot cheaper.

They don't get treats and they're not overweight, although the one that adopted me 3 years ago was very VERY fat when she showed up and she has a lot of empty skin now. She's like a pelt.

Hope that helps.

I have a dog too. He gets biscuits for breakfast as well and half a tin of food for his tea, both currently puppy food. He had gastroenteritis recently right on the back of a bad infestation of round worm and had to go on a prescription diet for 2 weeks. That was VERY expensive.

WelshWoofer

I know its not January yet but I may as well add today's spend on to the January total - a massive 45p on reduced mushrooms and 49p on 2 bananas from the local Spar.
So I'm up and running with a total of 94p!

I've started SW again today (Xmas fatty!) and although I have full freezers and cupboards I do need some F&V - will write a list and pop to the greengrocers on Saturday. I'm hoping to spend less than £10 next week - I have plenty of dog food, toiletries and cleaning products so its just some fresh bits and pieces to get.

I have a budget of £150 but would love to keep it to more like £100 - doable? I don't know but I'll have a good try.;)