June 2012 Grocery Challenge

sonastin

I think meal-planning is a bit like quitting smoking. You can have the best intentions and you can keep trying to do it. You can quiz everyone you meet about how they manange to do it. But it won't work for you until you're ready for it to happen.

I spent ages thinking I was planning but it was always a bit vague and incredibly fickle. Suddenly, about 3 weeks ago, it just kinda clicked! Started working out what I wanted to use up out of the freezer, planning a meal to use that ingredient up, making a list of what else was needed to go with that meal and voila - there was a weeks meal plan on my blackboard in the kitchen and a much more organised shopping list. It has made a huge difference to the spending but only now that I'm ready to do it properly.

I had a small spend last night in sainsbobs. OH complained that I'd left him the merest scraping of marg for his lunch (I had thought he might make use of the butter!) so while we were out, we popped into MrS to pick some up. OH also treated himself to a couple of YS pork pies. Can't stand the things myself but if it means I don't have to make him sandwiches for a couple of days, I'm happy. There's a fair bit that we need but I didn't have my list and didn't want to trail round an unfamiliar SM with OH so didn't go looking for any of it. Need to go to A!di tonight for a proper stock up now that I've made my list.

So £3.40 spent last night and we're now up to £129.88 / £200 for June. We're away at the weekend (eating out is a separate budget) and half of next weeks meals are planned already so I really don't see how I can spend £70 in the next 9 days. Famous last words? :rotfl:

savesummore

SusanP wrote: »

Right, I have decided to try and join in for July, if that is ok?

Normally we spend just under £500 a month, that is 2 of us but it's everything, lunch boxes, meals, toiletries and sundries like cleaning products...

I need to try and get that down I think, starting by a minimum of £20 this July, I'll start on 1st...

Today therefore I have been sat with a note pad, pen, calculator and the Internet trying to plan all the food I need for July, including meal planning...

It seems harder in practice than it was in theory?!!

How do you guys do it?

Once I've worked out food, I can figure out sundries.....

Thanks for any advice you can offer...

Im new and tied myself in knots trying to meal plan!! What I did was make a spreadsheet with the first page all the meals/receipes I like to eat/would like to try then I have a new tab/sheet for each week write in the day, meal and any things i need to buy. Once you get started it actually isnt too bad

Probably will have another small spend for June tonight- need to buy my tea

I get paid tomorrow so my new budget for July will be £300!! The same as this month but this month I failed miserably :rotfl:
This is for 2 adults and one cat and includes all food, eating out, cleaning and tolietries but not booze

I will update in my sinature

little_miss_moneysaver_3

SusanP welcome!

Before you plan your shopping, it may be worth looking in your freezer cupboards and see what you already have in. From that you can get some ideas of meals that you don't need to spend on.
I have a list of our favourites meals and ones that I can prepare/freeze in advance. Although I'm off work now, I did shifts so for me I had to juggle a meal plan around a non routine work pattern. I don't know what you do, but if you're doing a month plan maybe write in all your activities now. Like this day meeting someone for dinner etc. like Thursdays we go to MIL and Monday's FIL for dinner. Not sure that helps.
But theres lots of recipes at the beginning of the thread. Some days we might just have a toasted sandwich rather than a "proper" dinner. Doesn't always have to be meat and two veg. I also add veg, tinned toms and lentils to stretch it out so 1lb mince might do 8servings. Although OH would prob eat the whole pot! If you can bake things like quiches can be easy and cheap. Slow cooker can use cheaper meats, although its much easier in the winter I find to cook stews and warming foods.

I have a list of things I need every month (or most months) like squash, couple of bottles of pop, toilet roll, s/w meat. Also a weekly list like milk, fruits, veg -this can be vague depends on what main meals we have or what is on offer on the day

Another rambling post from me, sorry!

cleggie

No doubt the kids will be saying they are hungry this evening, so i am making a lemon and banana drizzle cake. Will be making more of JJ herby/cheese bread tto, asi t was a huge hit all around last time!

Helen_Maxwell_Dickinson

Can anyone help me and link me to the page that shows all the printable money coupons please?

cleggie

Helen_Maxwell_Dickinson wrote: »

Can anyone help me and link me to the page that shows all the printable money coupons please?

i think this is what you are looking for?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3840565

jumblejack

Cheap dinner again!!

This is the £1 turkey joint that I bought reduced last night. Plenty left for tomorrows sandwiches! Sliced it with my new electric meat slicer to get more for my money:j

The Yorkers are my own so cost pennies to make. I used fresh sage so they were extra special.

The snap peas were reduced to 30p last night.

There is swede and potato mash. I used the rest of the swede (reduced last night to pennies) in the oven roasting with my potatoes. I used my own rosemary on them :T

Nom nom.

I cooked the rtc sausages whilst the oven was on and used the rest of the stock for tomorrow's sausage casserole.

No cooking now tomorrow :j

MrsCD

SusanP wrote: »

Right, I have decided to try and join in for July, if that is ok?
Normally we spend just under £500 a month, that is 2 of us but it's everything, lunch boxes, meals, toiletries and sundries like cleaning products...
I need to try and get that down I think, starting by a minimum of £20 this July, I'll start on 1st...
Today therefore I have been sat with a note pad, pen, calculator and the Internet trying to plan all the food I need for July, including meal planning...

It seems harder in practice than it was in theory?!!
How do you guys do it?
Once I've worked out food, I can figure out sundries.....

Thanks for any advice you can offer...

Hello SusanP - Nice to see you here. Just take small steps at first, and you'll soon see how small changes to your shopping can make big savings. Have you tried downsizing? HTH

Another NSD for me today :T

JJ - Your dinner looks gorgeous!

Barbeduk

Hi, unexpected extra child for tea so have just made Helenjelly's all in one apple cake. Ooh, it is lush! Used up all the apples that were looking a bit sad too.;)

Hi SusanP, I can recommend using cash only for the spends in the first month, kept mine in one of those little bank bags. It really hurts seeing the money go out! Managed to get my monthly spend down from £500 + for four of us to an average of £260 a month but we have cut back hard on the alcohol and I price up everything!:p

supersally01

Mmm, that dinner looks lush, and money saving too!!

Lost the plot of June GC, OH was home and he is not OS!! Then we were away for the school holidays, and I have failed to keep receipts since then.

Will have to start a fresh in July, pay day tomorrow, so may I be put down for £220?

Hope all are doing better than me, got a few MOCs for the weekend, so will post after then!!

Sally.