February 2013 Grocery Challenge

lbnblbnb

Whoops, didn't mean to shout!

ruby_eskimo

Hi everyone, going to be starting over here on the 1st and would like to set a budget of £200 for the month (1st - 28th).

minicooper272

I've just finished January, and my new month will start on Thursday. I love that February is going to be a 4 week month, and so I'm going to aim for £80 again. I'm definitely going to take out my budget next month and keep it in a separate purse as well.

I've got my mum and my sisters birthday this month, and think I'm going to make them some home made infused olive oils, so have to buy those ingredients within the food budget this month - don't know what flavours I'm going for yet though...

gien

I did my first big shop of the month today so I spent 156.17 €, which should I hope see us through to the end if next weekend.
I still have quite a lot of stuff in the freezer and staples cupboard to work through - i want to get the cupboards sorted so we might have some odd meals!

Verityemilia

lbnblbnb wrote: »

Can I join in here please? My target is
£150 19th Jan to 18th Feb (payday to payday).
This is low for two adults, two kids, a cat, two guinea pigs, lots of chickens but I have used £40 of Nectar points I am not including and it HAS to be low this month.

Good luck ... With some good planning I think you will do fine

tessie_bear

hi...had a cheeky spend in lidl today...but got loads so that is good...off to aldi next week to stock up on some of the super 6...also need to doa bit of menu planning and keep going with my quest to see the bottom of my freezer....was doing well with that until lild had reduced choc pastries

tata tess

Florenceem

mrsdwhite wrote: »

Put me down for £200 for the month please. Should just about de do able...:o

Already had my first shop for Feb as I was paid on Friday. £57.59 so got a bit of pulling back to do.
I really do need to start organising everything with inventories and meal planning. Does anyone have any tips on getting started?

Just spend a bit of time on the computer - write up meals to make - work out what you have in already first - check freezer and cupboards.
I do a word document for the meal plan. I do my spending plan in Excel. I will post my meal plan when my month starts tomorrow.

Florenceem

Roadside wrote: »

I would like to join in as well. Just myself and OH at home now, plus Satan's Little Helper, aka Stanley the dog.(Do still find myself feeding kids and grandkids several times a week)
Could you please put me down for £170for the month, I will be starting from 25th, payday thank goodness, January is so long.
I am fed up with all the wasted food we have had in the past, I need to get out of the habit of cooking for an army, and I seriously need to put some money by for things that desperately need doing around the house, and to save for newer car and a washing machine.

I cook for an army - 2 of us here. I am so used to cooking in bulk after bringing up 6 children and being a host family to foreign students. I freeze all the spare meals.

Florenceem

Scuff wrote: »

Hi! Tried in December and failed so miserably I gave up count (later I discovered, ahem, £339/£150, + £130 takeaways ... ) Think maybe I set the limit too low, so trying again (and succeeding!!!) with £200 , starting today!

How much in takeaways? :eek:

Florenceem

Lovethenight wrote: »

I had considered doing the same thing and pricing up the meals I cook most frequently. How are you planning on working out the cost? Are you taking an average price of the ingredients from all the big supermarkets, or do you shop at just 1 store?

I think it would be really interesting to do this. Apart from the fish I buy which is quite expensive, I've never really though much about the cost of the meals I cook - just the number at the end of each receipt!

Working out the cost of meals really makes sense.