March 2013 Grocery Challenge

[Deleted User]

K9sandFelines wrote: »

Little spend of £1.00 today on milk, to see me through the weekend (hopefully). Signature updated.

I've pinpointed that i think i am obsessed with constantly buying stuff through habit and boredom- is anybody else like this, is it an actual recognised condition ? It feels odd to be coming out the shop with hardly anything; but i am sure i won't be complaining if it's extra money in my pocket. I am putting any extras in a pot to go towards paint for my room/furniture for DD's room.

My problem is i cant resist a bargain and im having trouble stopping myself. Theres only me here atm and ive got enough groceries, toiletries and washing powder for a whole army. I bought 750ml shampoo and conditioner for 44p each yesterday, but ive got loads of shampoos, conditioners, bath foam, shower gels lol. I dont need them though and enough washing powder to last a year. Admittedly it doesnt get thrown away, but im now getting fed up with too much clutter. I could probably stop shopping for a whole month (ive even got enough milk to last 4 weeks). But i keep thinking to myself well if its on offer/reduced etc and im going to need it/use it then why not. But when do you stop?? im sticking roughly within my budget and maybe when im away at the end of march itll give me time to think about reducing the cost of my spends and STOP and use what i have because i really think i have too much now. Infact im going to try and aim to save £10 out of my shopping money this month.

adysmum

Well, I'm sticking at £300 budget (doesn't need to be on the list). Thats for me, DH, and 2 DS's.

It includes breakfasts for us all - usually cereal during the week. Bacon etc at weekends. Lunches for me and OH every day - he normally takes LO's. And the boys have lunch at home 5 days - they spend an afternoon each week at each Grandparents and get their lunch and tea there, I drop them after DS1 finishes nursery and pick them up after tea. Those are the days we get to eat things that the boys wouldn't like - spicy etc. And 7 dinners for OH and me, 5 for the boys.

It includes everything that is bought at the SM.

Coxy11

Hi everyone,

Budgets done to here

A warm welcome/welcome back to:
bargainbetty, Michelle63x, Determined diva, smartcat04, becsxxx and couponchaos

First spent of March's GC today in A!di. I used the DMirror coupon plus another two money off coupons. Total of £49.55 spent.

Need to get some chicken breast as part of our meal plan. Really trying to avoid Tosco despite being able to see it's red and blue sign from our front steps Might try C**p later to see whether they have any Elmwood chicken that's decent.

DS2 has a friend coming for tea. He is muslim so to avoid giving something totally unsuitable, I am playing safe with pasta and veg sauce

Have a great day everyone.
Coxy

bargainbetty

I started on an inventory last night as advised, and marked out the contents of the freezer and got a vague idea of cupboard stores. I've got a fair stash of HM ready meals, and I do have a history of removing one thing from the freezer and then sticking six portions of something back in, so I'm going to use them up, along with the frozen veg. A pan of soup from the wilters at the bottom of the fridge will add variety to the menu!

My spend for yesterday, to provide what I needed to make up a week's meal plan, was £2.83 on cheese and potatoes. I was going to buy a loaf of bread, but I noticed a stack of flour in my cupboard, and decided to bake it tomorrow instead!

I hope to save money on cleaning products too, judging by the stash I have. I live alone. Why do I have five bottles of bleach?

Happy Friday, and thanks for the welcome!

XSpender

Just popping on to update my signature with the weekly shop spends from yesterday.

Aldee £58.76
sains £6.28 including the m1rror forthe voucher used in the aldee shop.

Apart from a top up of fruit and salad tuesday ish we DO NOT need to buy anything else.

DH and I are full of cold and have had no tea 2 nights and a chinese takeaway 1 night so i have lots of food left from this weeks meal plan to carry over to next week. This should hopefully stop us from buying anything extra. I have even bought DH wine to stop us entering another shop and coming away £30 lighter.

Comfort food tonight of M&S sausages, SW chips, SW fried eggs and beans:) Another switch to the mealplan:o

My total stands at £227.89 out of a budget of £380 with 2 main shops and 2 fruit/salad top ups. I am not sure if this is possible based on my usual spend. My problem is I spend the same amount of money every week even though we have lots in! I really want to stick to this budget as anything we save is going to OP the mortgage so we can move to a bigger house.

liz-paul

Can't remeber who asked about budgets but mine covers:
Breakfast for all four of us (DS1 & 2 are aged 6 & 3) lunch (packed for DS1 & OH if he's working at office) & dinner apart from the rare time we go out (pretty much stopped having takeaways last year). It includes all household products (loo roll, cleaning stuff etc) & all necessary toiletries (includes things like OH's expensive sensitive shampoo, kids toiletries that aren't on prescription, hair dye for me, anything that isn't a luxury in my mind!). OTC drugs/vitamins etc. Alcohol that we have in the house. Any ingredients for home baking. All snacks/most treats (occasionally buy treats like choc or party foods/entertaining from another budget if GC budget is getting low). All drinks like tea/coffee, diet coke etc. DS1's milk money for school (approx £3.50 per month) and DS2's snack money for preschool which is £3 per week. If we have plenty in the budget then I might use some of it for a non food treat item such as a DVD or flowers if I am in Tescos...

tessie_bear

hi i have been to waitrose and spent a cheeky tenner this morning....they have a third off some joints and chickens i got a chicken and a reduced birthday cake for dh...would normally make one but are really busy and all over the place this weekend so was glad to see it

off to costco tomorrow so will report spend then...i think it will be more than a tenner
happy march to all
tessa

thanls liz/paul i cant thank post as thanks button hasnt come up...my old computer

stafftopets

Just popped in to declare a change of plan - instead of having S**** deliver yesterday a month's shop, cancelled order and placed another order for weekly shop to be delivered on Sunday.

Spent £18.58 yesterday for some milk, bread etc to keep me going.

Will update after Sunday's delivery.

Spend so far £18.58/£200.

Rowan9

1st spend of £10. Need to get a chicken and some veg this weekend.

K9sandFelines

ImDoingItForMe wrote: »

My problem is i cant resist a bargain and im having trouble stopping myself. Theres only me here atm and ive got enough groceries, toiletries and washing powder for a whole army. I bought 750ml shampoo and conditioner for 44p each yesterday, but ive got loads of shampoos, conditioners, bath foam, shower gels lol. I dont need them though and enough washing powder to last a year. Admittedly it doesnt get thrown away, but im now getting fed up with too much clutter. I could probably stop shopping for a whole month (ive even got enough milk to last 4 weeks). But i keep thinking to myself well if its on offer/reduced etc and im going to need it/use it then why not. But when do you stop?? im sticking roughly within my budget and maybe when im away at the end of march itll give me time to think about reducing the cost of my spends and STOP and use what i have because i really think i have too much now. Infact im going to try and aim to save £10 out of my shopping money this month.

Sorry for long quote, every time i try and crop them i mess it up :rotfl:

My overspending used to be on toiletries. Used to be a sucker for the BOGOFS on Timotei, i cut it right down and have only bought one bottle of shampoo in the last six months and one large conditioner. Now my problem is groceries. Non perishables are in the spare room upstairs as an overflow, three bags full of mainly cereal, sparkling water, pasta and treats. The method in my madness is that when is branded cereal ever a £1 or just over for a big box? The same with most other things that have been unusually cheap. I'm slowly ploughing through it though, even though there are cereal offers on next week's shop :embarasse!