January 2012 Grocery Challenge 4 June 2011 at 12:19PM edited 27 December 2011 at 2:52PM in Old Style MoneySaving 3.3K replies 330.7K views

medsdemon

Another NSD today..yay:j. My budget is looking okay with exactly 2 weeks to go of January I SHOULD make it under budget for the first time ever and in a reallly long month. I think this is due to us not buying or drinking as much alcohol and me not obsessing about having insanely full cupboards and also our joint more sensible shopping including managing to get most of our fruit as whoopsies.
Will need to buy milk possibly tomorrow or try to eke out to wednesday, and also shampoo/conditioner for my DD as well but I will sit back and bask in the feeling of not spending any money in a supermarket.

We ended up having lentil bolegnese with fusilli and salad for dinner and have enough left for OH's lunch tomorrow and freeze a dinner for 3 of us for next week. Tomorrow I am at my zumba class straight from work so I will get a pot of Split pea and veg soup on in the SC so everyone can help themselves when they get in. That reminds me I'd better get the split peas in to soak.

SpagBol

Oh no! I'm over £270 already!! This has been such a good exercise in seeing how much we spend on groceries :eek: I'm looking on the bright side in that it was my birthday so I included in my spend about 5 bottles of wine and nibbles for friends coming over...we are now detoxing for a LONG time until financially we are straight or maybe valentines day for a bottle of vino I have also included all toilet roll, bleach, washing powder etc so am determined that next month I can do £270!! Even including cleaning stuff!!

Thank you so much to this thread!! :A:T

SpagBol

Oh, and we have enough lunches and dinners for another week or so...

debbiedeejay

Another couple of GC spends to declare.

One tonight at local shop for breadmilk and painkillers - £2.74
And one from Sat night when I helped out a family members pay for shopping (did have a couple of things of mine but mostly theirs) -£18.56. Not sure when I will get the money back for their part so thought take into account in my budget and if and when I get it back- that's a bonus.:o

Although that shopping did include use of coupons,2-4-1's,whoospsies etc- when we got back it would have cost over £45 so not bad going.

Anyway of to update signature now

rising_from_the_ashes

Meant to ask this earlier but forgot:o

So, after another trip to the dentist and yet another clean / filling, I asked my dentist if an electric toothbrush would make a difference (it was a yes).

Popped to B**ts and got one 1/2 price (and some extra heads which should last out the year:)) ..... which budget would you take it from?

I include toiletries in my grocery one, and toothpaste a "normal" toothbrush would usually be taken out of here but ...... not sure if it should come out the "anything else" budget?

Any thoughts appreciated!:)

blackandwhitebunny

carolinerunner wrote: »

B&W bunny (I have one of those!), what kind of Dorset Cereal? Not listed on the B&M website... I have a weakness for it...

Its the honey and pecan one, they've had it for a few weeks now.:D

mumwithamission

Was very nearly another NSD for me again, but just thought I'd check our local Mr T and Mr S for whoopsies when I collected DS1 from tennis tonight. Was very pleased to purchase £19.30 worth of food for £8.31! makes up for it not being a NSD. Worried I might get addicted to whoopsie hunting though. DH very impressed.

Spiggle

MiniPenny wrote: »

... Does everyone have a seperate budget for toiletries? I don't but I'm wondering if £250 for toiletries and Groceries is realistic?

Getting nervous about Job interview tomorrow ...

Hi minipenny,

I include all toiletries in our budget. The first challenge I joined on the site was the 'No Buying Toiletries Until My Stash is Used Up' where new joiners were advised (but didn't have to) to do a stocktake of all the stuff you had in. I'm ashamed to say I had two sides of A4 paper full of the stuff I had in! :eek::o My friends and family had been ribbing me for a while before that but I was on holiday in Egypt - in denial. That was the spur I needed and stopped buying there and then. Now I only buy stuff when it's run out or got just one use left. You'd be amazed how much I've saved and I even now avoid buying BOGOF and other offers unless they really are very good prices. Oh and the storage space you regain is brilliant too.

I hope the interview went well and you are celebrating.

Thanks PennyGrabber and tigerfeet, ys makes total sense now!:beer:

ClaireT look after that wrist, sounds painful.

Bunbun2, I'm looking forward to you joining us for february. Glad you're enjoying the thread already.

Thanks rosieben for adding the Milk Jelly to the recipe list. :A

NeedtosavE, my spreadsheet already has each month set up in it. I have allocated out the monthly spend and have that as a total for the year. What I've done with my (shame faced ) loo roll stock up is allocated £6.99 the cost of a pack to each month to come. So for instance if I look at June now I have already spent £6.99 of that budget. By having the annual total in the chart that allows me a little flexibility to do stock ups when there is really good deal on. And there will be months where the whole budget won't be spent and that's when the stock ups get covered.

I'm sure I've missed someone else I was going to reply to but getting heavy nagging from OH to have my supper so better be off. Oh, War Horse was brilliant by the way.

See you tomorrow evening,
Spigs

Suffolk_lass

Save_Dosh wrote: »

Meadows & Sproggi I never thought about freezing when u just CBA, and my mind is now ticking over with the stuffed cabbage, thanks very much.

Ixia it doesn't matter if you don't come in on budget, you haven't lost, at least you bothered to try.

Oh yes and also had a white cabbage, half of one has been made into weightwatchers friendly coleslaw, which was surprisingly quick to make and works out at about 2 points for a large container, using lighter than light mayonnaise

I make coleslaw with pizza express light salad dressing instead of any mayonnaise and add one or two very finely chopped little red bast**d chillis for a bit of a zing :rotfl:

Suffolk_lass

kerri_dfw wrote: »

I need to ask a question, do I include my second purse spend in this months grocery or do I start to include it when I use it?
I bought 24 loo rolls for £6.99 today but I don't know which budget this goes towards. I'm assuming I deduct the £6.99 from the 2nd purse fund, then add £0.42 to my grocery spend everytime I use a loo roll? Is this correct?

Yes and the original guide is from Mothership in one of the really useful guide posts at the beginning - #6 - well worth reading for a truly inspirational set up. :T