June 2007 Grocery Challenge

Pink.

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the sixth Grocery Challenge of 2007.

Another new month is about to start for most of us, while some of you are already well into things.

As always this challenge is to reduce your own grocery budget to levels that you will be pleased with, not forgetting that we always recommend that you stay inside your own comfort levels and take things gently one step at a time.

If you are new to the challenge I have quoted the advice from Galtizz below which will help you get started.

Please post into this thread for help and advice and support at any time. Good luck to everyone taking part!

Galtizz wrote:

I have said this before, but for all the newbies to the challenge;

For the first month I took a guess at the budget but I really had no idea how much I was spending.

I found the best thing is to have a guess the first month but SAVE ALL OF YOUR RECEIPTS (and yes, that does include the ones from the local shop when you run out of milk ), then at the end of the month add them all up and have a look if you were on budget, if not, it doesn't matter because your budget was a guess. For the next month you can use the total of your receipts and take a bit off to get a realistic budget, just shave off as much as you think you can, it could be £1 a week or £20 a week.

If you are currently spending £200 a month don't suddenly drop it to £100 - you'll never do it but if you cut £20 a month off for a few months you'll get there eventually without feeling you're missing out on anything.

You might think you've done everything you can in the first month but someone always comes up with a new idea and, if you try it you often find you save a bit more (unless you are SarahSaver who is an expert at this and could only save more if she turned her back garden into a paddy field and lived on rice ) In the first month I thought, I'm planning meals, I couldn't possibly save any more, but then I started double cooking and freezing, and making soup instead of buying it in tins.

I've been doing this since Feb but only saved ALL of my receipts last month, it has given me a much better idea of where it is all going. Budget for next month is £80 for 2 of us, I'll start on 30/4. I could probably save more, by eating different foods but I can afford to live on £80, I have saved a lot of money since Feb. and I don't waste food or money any more. So I'm happy with my budget.

I hope it's a good month for all of you!

Pink

slowlyfading

I have always seen this in signitures, but never signed up before, so here I am! I'm going to put my month's budget at £100. There is only me so this should be plenty really!
sf x

EagerLearner

Welcome SF - it's a great thread and good to see ya on here - June *should* be a good month for us as May we haven't (yet) gone over our budget...

razra

Never signed up before either but willing to have a go as June will be a tight month for me (road tax due! groan)

Ill be trying for £100 as its just me on my own and the freezers nearly empty so i'll need to stock up more than normal

lil_me

Seeing as we're away for 5 days I am setting £250, with my fingers firmly crossed!

Shortie

Hi all

Guilty as charged, I started my June Challenge today, 4 days early. Oops

In my defense I was feeling AWFUL, threw a massive strop at the cat for being too lazy to use the catflap and he used the house as a toilet, I burst into tears and poor DS1 (4 years old) was trying to cheer me up until DH got home 10 mins later. I wouldn't have reacted sooo badly if I hadn't had my 4th night of broken sleep from waking up with pregnancy cramps that seem to have now started in my back. Luuuuurvely

So when DH came home I needed some retail therapy and as I can't buy any clothes right now as I'm a beached whale, we went to Mr Ts.

Sorry 'bout that I feel tonnes better now it's off my chest! :undecided

June's target is upped to £120 as I've realised £100 is too low for us at the mo. It's for 2 adults, a toddler and 2 cats. To include food and drink and cleaning bits, plus the occasional treat. Doesn't include eating out / take out

So our shop to Mr T cost £35.72 and included amoungst other bits:

Months worth of porridge for compote, months worth of Mr Ts weetabix
Months worth of tinned catfood and cat biscuit
Months worth of rice and pasta
Months worth of bread for the freezer
A weeks worth of oranges, apples and carrots

Other bits bought too and we have store cupboard stuff left from last months HUGE shop.

The rest of the month *should* just be meat, cheese and fresh fruit and veg (and a few treats hopefully). Remainder after today is £84.28

shell2001

Well my June budget started on DH pay day which was friday. Mr T delivered some stuff so £50 spent all ready! My allowed food budget is £350 which i want to drop but as I have my mum visiting for 2 1/2 weeks I think I will aim for that amount as i like to spoil her! So its normally just me DH and a 3 (nearly) and 4 year old.

I do have quiet a bit of stuff in the freezer that I plan on using up before doing another shop so £300 left until last friday of month.

redsquirrel80

I'd like to join in on this one - I usually spend about £10 a week at supermarket plus a few extras during the week but this month I've decided to keep all my receipts and work out exactly what all those extras add up to! My month runs from 23rd (payday) so my budget from 23rd May to 22nd June is £60 - just me, includes food, toilet roll and any cleaning stuff, doesn't include any meals out or occasional lunches in work canteen, they come out of my weekly bits & pieces budget!

I've already spent £25.48 :eek: But that did include big bags of pasta and rice which should hopefully last me all month, and some spices and sauces for the storecupboard. I also splashed out on some steak and some seafood as a treat on payday as I'd been on a very strict budget for the last week before

So lets see if I can last out another three weeks on £35!

Solwaykid

I'm in again. My month doesn't start 'til Friday but I'm squeaking the last drops of food out of the cupboards and freezer so no more shopping for me in May.
I've hatched yet another shopping strategy for June.. I'm going for one big shop on Friday, already started my list based on this months meal planning, say £70 and the remaining £40 I'll put in a 'shopping only' purse for week to week fresh stuff.
I'm knocking £10 off the usual £120 this month just to see if I can. There's just me and two moggies. Am pleased to say I've got both of them onto canned food instead of pouches!
I'll post on Friday when I've done my big shop.

Good luck to you all!
Solway.

juliapenguin

Hello OSers - I'm new to MSE but really keen to join in and get to know you all. I'm going on a self-catering holiday for a week in June with my OH (my DS has just flown the nest and his DS and DD aren't coming) so I'm going to give us a generous £200 for the month to allow for holiday treats.
How do you do the signature thing at the bottom of your posts?
Julia

Miss_Cinnabon

Never done this before, so am going to start for june, set a budget of 55 pounds a week, for family of five, so roughly 220 pounds a month:j

Kyle