January 2012 Grocery Challenge

cw18

prepareathome wrote: »

My income is likely to be halved in the New Year ( I am transferring from IB to ESA but reading how they are not giving those on deaths door I know I am unlikely to receive it) leaving us with an income less than if hubby was unemployed and claiming for both of us.

I assume that you're aware you can claim for a top-up if (as a family unit) you're earning less than you'd get in state benefits and don't have more than the maximum allowed savings? We did this for a while in 2007/08, and also got our Council Tax and mortgage interest paid for us at the same time (mortgage interest was fast-tracked due to hubby's condition meaning he got DLA at high rates).

mrs-moneypenny

i went totally off the rails for the last 1/3 of the year but have done the annual budget review this morning and worked out what we can spendo n food each month so im back in again and aim to do it properly in 2012.

please put me down for £400 for january

the freezer and cupboards are pretty full so should start the year ok i aim to not use my card to draw out my money and stick to it. any savings can be used to buy bulk or bargain items as they appear. so hoping to start the year tight to build a reserve of spare cash. well thats the plan anyway.

nsd and hm leek and potato soup at lunch time to use up some veggies and cream that were still in the house.

minipenny_2

sent oh out to do the first grocery shop of Jan ( I know its not yet but this comes out of the budget for Jan anyway) I wrote him a list of all the things and their prices and bless him he found better offers and managed to save £2.82! he got himself some market value fishfingers instead of the birds eye and said "if we're gonna do this money saving thing we may as well do it properly" :rotfl: makes me feel so much better and more optimistic to feel supported by him like this as usually its just me worrying about money and going mental (and grey!) so it feels like huge weight shared now :cool:

So first shop which should last till 6th Jan= £17.90

SueP19

minipenny wrote: »

sent oh out to do the first grocery shop of Jan ( I know its not yet but this comes out of the budget for Jan anyway) I wrote him a list of all the things and their prices and bless him he found better offers and managed to save £2.82! he got himself some market value fishfingers instead of the birds eye and said "if we're gonna do this money saving thing we may as well do it properly" :rotfl: makes me feel so much better and more optimistic to feel supported by him like this as usually its just me worrying about money and going mental (and grey!) so it feels like huge weight shared now :cool:

So first shop which should last till 6th Jan= £17.90

Can you send him to give mine some lessons, OH seems to think that brand names are a show of wealth :mad: I keep trying to tell him its the wealthy who penny pinch but he just gives me a withering look :rotfl:

minipenny_2

SueP19 wrote: »

Can you send him to give mine some lessons, OH seems to think that brand names are a show of wealth :mad: I keep trying to tell him its the wealthy who penny pinch but he just gives me a withering look :rotfl:

Its so true! I know a few people who have more than I can ever dream of in the bank......every single one of these people is a penny pincher lol.

Foodwise noone else knows what brand is on the plate so what does it matter lol you should buy own brand stuff then sneak it into the old branded packet....he'll prob not even notice!!!

My oh is better at not doing impulsive spending than I am. I am trying hard not to and 2012 is my year to really test myself. I'm hoping to only spend money on Food, toiletries, petrol and car costs and presents (bday and crimbo only) and thats it!
no books/magazines, no dvds, no toys for the kids (they get plenty bday and crimbo), no clothes (everyone has enough) and absolutely no bloomin house stuff (my weakness lol) here's hoping all goes to plan :beer:

Gorgeestwo

Have done my first Jan shop, came to £80.36 :eek:, £40.66 of that was on pet food :eek::eek: but the rabbit food and cat food was on offer, so we've got enough to last a couple of months (hopefully!!) Got enough groceries in Mr T's to last until next friday at least, if I stick to my meal plan only got a couple of extra things that weren't on my list too :j

SueP19

minipenny wrote: »

Its so true! I know a few people who have more than I can ever dream of in the bank......every single one of these people is a penny pincher lol. So true

Foodwise noone else knows what brand is on the plate so what does it matter lol you should buy own brand stuff then sneak it into the old branded packet....he'll prob not even notice!!!

My oh is better at not doing impulsive spending than I am. I am trying hard not to and 2012 is my year to really test myself. I'm hoping to only spend money on Food, toiletries, petrol and car costs and presents (bday and crimbo only) and thats it!
no books/magazines, no dvds, no toys for the kids (they get plenty bday and crimbo), no clothes (everyone has enough) and absolutely no bloomin house stuff (my weakness lol) here's hoping all goes to plan :beer:

He had very little as a child and I am sure thats why, I never knew what we had, brandwise, as a kid and I don't have a problem with it. It has taken me having a row over tomato sauce to get him to change to value brand, he was going through a bottle of Heinz a week!!!:eek:

Good luck on the cutbacks:T

minipenny_2

SueP19 wrote: »

he was going through a bottle of Heinz a week!!!:eek:

Good luck on the cutbacks:T

:eek: surprised he hasn't turned into a :heartsmil (best smilie I could find to represent a tomato!)

Good luck to you too! :T

helen_jelly

Post 268 - budgets done to here

Helen

moneysaver13

Hi, this is my first post though been on these forums daily since losing my job in September. Firstly, I would like to say how much I have enjoyed reading all the different forums, and I certainly saved money over Christmas with different codes and tips on where the best buys were. In fact I feel I might have become a little obsessive in how often I check them and the urge to visit my local supermarket at around 5pm to check what food is reduced even though we are not struggling at the moment I find it quite enjoyable when I find a bargain (filet steak for two people = £1.90 being my best buy so far).

So time to join the 2012 challenge I think. My OH gets paid on the 22nd so my budget for this month will reflect 3 weeks so I will take a guess at a budget of £150. We are a household of 2 adults with a son that arrives back from Uni for each half term. He is here until the 13th but seems to have curbed his love of snacks so not costing me as much as I had imagined! But I do send him back with a student food box and he needs a new quilt and wok. I did keep all of December's receipts but its not a normal month so I will see how this goes.

Going to find out where to add my signature and look forward to looking after my pennies.