October 2012 Grocery Challenge

cherie1122

Can you put me down for £250

I've just been made redundant so we will really need to keep an eye on our spending from now on.

Mrs_Addicted_to_Spending

happy_chick wrote: »

So (hanging head in shame) I've massively fallen off the wagon in September. Just this weekend I've spent an extra £30 already on goodies - it's all lovely food but mostly unecessary.

The problem is I'm back at work, rushed off my feet and exhausted so reaching for convenience food so spends have gone up. Went shopping hungry last night and since then I've eaten the better part of an entire tub of cherry garcia just because of being so tired.

Really worried about letting this cycle continue but also I'm so short on time that I don't know how I'm going to find the time to prepare cheap food at home. Feeling a bit lost really!

Can you put me down for a budget of £200 for October please and I'll try again (she says with uncertainty!)

I must admit that when I finish my degree and get a job next year, I'm a bit worried this will happen to me. I'm going to get a slow cooker and am thinking that this will help as we can prepare it the night before and it will be ready when we get home. I'm not into batch cooking so that's not something I fancy.


Welcome to all Newbies! Having followed the advice on this thread, I've managed to save £20 a week .

I've spent £71 so far this week but have nearly everything I need including 2 loaves of Warburton bread reduced to 20p each - now frozen. Hopefully this means I'll keep within budget like I did last week.

vanoonoo

hmm - that didnt go too well! did the shop for the week ahead ie first week of oct and somehow managed to spend 86.21!!!!!! husband snuck in a few extras and I had to buy some dairy free stuff for a lunch we are off to tomorrow (so not officially in this month but will have to be counted!) and we bought the dog and cat food for the month but even so - nearly two weeks budget gone! Just did a quick check on the receipt and more than £30 of this spend was stuff that wasnt on the list I'd put together based on the meal plan I'd already done, so it goes to show how much those impulse buys knock you about!

SO I've done another stock take of the freezer and worked out a meal plan for the next three weeks which will run down the freezer and allow some space for bargains in the run up to christmas and new year hopefully! the larder/pantry/doomsday prep cupboard is pretty well stocked so hopefully the next two weeks will just be milk, bread & pop type spends.

Nicky_Noo_Na

Well I managed to come in just under for Sept - not bad for a first attempt and a five week month, it did open my eyes to spending unecessarily though, not often but I do do it.

Going for £160 again please, hoping to come in a fair bit under that as its a 4 week month but who knows!?

Starting off with a £14.64 stock up shop in Mr Ts. Should be a NSD tomorrow and then continuing properly on the 1st till the month end!

Good luck everyone xx

Coxy11

Budgets done to here

suzybloo

Can I join in for October too - September was a major disaster! October has to be a tight month - no option as we have to replace the felt on the roof at the end of October, so we will be living mainly out of the freezers. My budget for October will be £250
this is to cover all additional food/cleaning purchases. My month will run from Today until 28th of October.

Fingers crossed for this month!

camNolliesMUMMY

EverTheOptimist wrote: »

First spend of Oct budget today. Attempting another new approach. Have got a budget of £150. Have taken £140 out of the bank. Have split this into 2 x £40 and 2 x £30. (have left £10 in bank as back up) I have never attempted a weekly grocery budget before as i always thought one biggish shop and smaller weekly top ups works best as it keeps me out of the shops, but never get enough stuff to last the month so end up going back to the shops and going over budget. As i spend £80 - £100 in the first week then the £50 never lasts the next 3 weeks.

So started this week with a £40 budget, have spent £21.18 including 2 x sat papers (not cheap) and extra lotto ticket for the roll over. well you never know.

Making tuna pie today to freeze for the week, have salmon and chicken in the freezer, so going to see what i can make with chicken breasts that isnt curry.

Sorry for the ramble. but if its in black and white i am more likely to follow it, rather than just some random thoughts in my head.

I too behave better when doing a similar thing to this.
I have bought enough meat and frozen it and veg that will get used and frozen and ill top up weekly on things needed only for the menu plan etc.

I hope this goes well for you as I over spend getting one whole months worth of stuff.....I don't know how but it just happens??

lovelife79

Another Nsd 4 me! Made my bits n pieces soup that turned out to be rather tasty, got 4 portions in the freezer 4 work this week!

Just had some chicken cassoulet n mash potatoes wi dumplings 4 dinner. Very tasty! homemade really is best isn't it?!

cowboymum

Ok got myself completely confused:cool:. Seem to be paying for everything from my grocery acount as I've got nothing left in any others! This includes money for a toddler group snack (I get this back but only half termly), my grabbit purchases (must stop spending generally) plus the bits of spending money that I get out of the cash machine.

Hum.

Seem to have £100 left in grocery account. Sure its all going to work out but seems v tricky! Am going to boost my grocery budget soon though as I get money for food for childminded children, and I'm going to separate this and put it into grocery account.

FranBean

Shopping for the week done today and a little more than I hoped, but it includes all our household stuff and toiletries for the month (hopefully!!)