Grocery Challenge - February 2012

bodmin789

Well, I've just had my first trip to Ald*, and have to say I was really impressed. Only prob was all the other non food stuff was very tempting:D.

Well, my £50 budget has nearly all gone but hopefully I'll only need to get milk during the week, and just worked out that over £12.00 was on the cats:eek:, gets quite scary when you break it down.

Well, off to my knitting club now for a bit of a natter with the girls:j

Ninno820

mumwithamission wrote: »

Oh dear, haven't done as well as I hoped this month disappointed after a successful first attempt in Jan. Think, like some others have noted, that doing a biggish, and not quite as careful, shop at the beginning of the month, after a very tight last week of the month got me off to a bad start.

Don't be so hard on yourself. You did fantastically well in January and then, according to your signature, you tried to drop £100 in one go - a tall order by anyone's standards.

I think that the bigger picture is reflecting on how you are changing your mental outlook on the shopping and how little your total is compared to before gc. I also agree about blowing the budget in week one - I had to restrain myself from buying the paper midweek to get the aldi voucher. Even more sadly I am twitching today (almost like an addict) wanting to nip to the sm (its my first week of the march budget). I do have to go later on to get four items but really miss the "big shop". However I also know that I don't need the "big shop"!

Living_proof

I agree with Ninno - you have to change your attitude to accept just how little you really need to spend. If you gradually start introducing the tips and tricks you will learn on this forum you'll find that by planning ahead a little goes a long way. I still miss the big shop and the 'fridge groaning with fresh food but it's just not necessary and whether you desperately need to economise or not, it's good no know you can not just survive, but live quite well on not a lot at all.

This is me declaring all done for February and I will adjust the budget down slightly for March or it won't be enough of a challenge to make things stretch!

NickJW

Hi All

Yesterday was a NSD - I used some leftover chive mash from Thursday evening with the leftover defrosted bolognaise for lunch. Housemate cooked burgers and wraps in the evening.

Today started off well - I took some sourdough bread which my housemate bought for an extortionate amount (well to me £3 for a loaf of bread is!) from a farmers market last weekend, to work (only worked a couple of hours - had some stuff to catch up on). It was fine but he was going to chuck it because it was 'too hard'. Sourdough is supposed to be quite solid I thought and it was fine when put in the toaster - yummy!

Then I went to the gym for a couple of hours - finished and thought I may as well go to Mr T to see if I could use my Mr T voucher.

Well - I probably broke every rule in the book! :mad:

1. Because I had been to the gym I was tired and also hungry.
2. I didn't take a list.

I DID have a list, but then my flatmate threw the plan out of the window because he bought a reduced lamb hot-pot from Mr W yesterday. It was frozen originally but he defrosted it in the fridge so that's what we have to have tonight. I get a bit OCD with planning what I have for lunches and dinners and it doesn't help because I always have to plan just in case he has leftover things he would throw away. Then I need to find a way to use them up before he bins them!

Because I didn't have a list I couldn't think up costs and ended up grabbing a few bottles of wine because I knew it would add the price up. In total I spent £33.38 - £6 voucher = £27.29. However, only £23.03 is grocery money. The wine will come in handy for evenings/weekends where I want to stay at home instead of heading to the pub.

I certainly don't miss the big supermarket shops though. Because I don't drive I can only buy as much as I can carry. I wanted to get a big bag of potatoes for instance but knew it would be too heavy alongside everything else. Online works for me better I think - less temptation and easy to manage/deduct/change things!

I also don't really rate Mr T that much anymore - I don't think I got any particular bargains and I know I spent more for the sake of it.

I hope everyone is having a good day, and good luck to all those paying off their debt. It's such a good feeling paying it off and seeing the balance and interest going down and once it's gone - even better. Now mine is paid off I find myself looking at online banking/printable mini-statements more often. I have a an ideal target for each stage of the month which I never let myself go below. Each month I try to better it by being in credit an extra couple of quid at the same stage as the previous month. It's working so far, but I know it's a bit sad and anal! :rotfl:

Oh well - sorry for the essay! I'm over budget so it's damage limitation now. Off to update my signature

mummyyof5

Not yet caught up with thread do sorry but it moves sooo fast xx

Just ordered an Asda shop to be delivered Monday...came to exactly £71.00...In town today spent £5 in £land..about £5.00 in MrWs and £20.50 in MrTs...did include 3x£10 in meat..2 lots of mince and a chicken for tomorrow..reduced lamb nince..gone in freezer for a curry..eggs and Snack a jacks for DGD..so the basis of at least 5 meals there.Also got reduced spring cabbage for Sunday dinner too.

That lot will really push my spends up this month but everything will be used x

Catwoman103

Final shop of the month came to £113,19 whcih included three birthday cards and a mother's day card. That makes my total for February £113.19! Hurray.

Budget for March is £150 as it is 5 shopping trips. Really enjoying doing this.

DundeeDoll

Now I only have just over £20 to last till the end of the month getting very protective of it So this afternoon I washed the car using the 2-bucket method I read about on another board here (for those like me who hadn't come across it, you have one soapy bucket, one just water and you rinse your cloth in the clean water each time before putting in the soapy bucket. Obviously neither stays clean for long, but the theory is a lot of the grit comes off in the water before you put the cloth in the soapy water. Wasn't going for perfection, but quite pleased with my efforts, and £21.78 still in tact. Well done to all you declaring. We don't get paid till the last work day of the month, so I'll be here till the bitter end.

lisakay_2

Right, I'm declaring February to be a total wipeout!!!!
But because DH has now stocked the freezer I'm lowering my budget still further to £150 for March.
I should have enough bread, eggs and milk for 3 weeks, it really should just be fruit veg and salad.
I don't need to be included in the front page list if that will make life easier x and thanks again for running the challenge x

sistercas

2 NSDs and tomorrow should be too , taking DH out for a meal for his birthday tomorrow but thats from a different budget

not had chance to catch up with the thread yet will try and catch up later

Gorgeestwo

Oh dear there really should be a law against taking your DH and children to the SM only needed to get milk and peppers from Mr T's today, spent £45 :eek:
Really want to get in total control of this as its great seeing more money in our bank account than has been in there for a while and its all down to spending less on our groceries