June 2007 Grocery Challenge

rosieben

katzen wrote: »

Will continue with the market for fresh stuff I think, it is sooo much cheaper, will just have to be careful that I pick the good stuff I guess

I think I read somewhere on OS forum someone cooks and freezes excess veg for use later. You could maybe do this with things that arent lasting well?

katzen_2

That's a smart plan! Though it is mostly things like lettuce, which you always want to be fresh & cricsp if you're using it in salads-otherwise I'm not averse to chopping off the mouldy bits & chucking the rest into whatever I'm cooking. Glad to know it's not just me who suffers from it anyway. Thanks for the tip!

icecubequeen

ive decided to join in with this mth

I'm already at £56.59, out of a £100 budget

But i did a big online tesco.com shop to stock up everything I need to start OS cooking this mth, gonna make everything from scratch and bulk cook to freeze stuff.

Im feeding, 2 adults, 2 children, 1 cat and 2 fish, on £100 a mth. (including househould cleaning, and baby stuff eg nappy pants and baby)

I think I will actually be able to stay under target (fingers crossed) my cupboards and freezer are stocked and been out today and got fresh veg. Only need to get more fresh veg later on in the mth and things like milk and bread

lemanie

Hi everyone,

Hope it's not too late to join in the June challenge. I have been browsing the forums, mostly old-style and debt-free for a while now and have made a few changes already.

However, have just started spending diary for real and did all of May's and was horrified to realise that groceries, including all toiletries, we had spent £514.80, not including £42.60 for DH beer and £81.25 that couldn't be accounted for (so probably spent in green-grocers, corner shop etc):eek: .

You all seem great and really supportive so I was hoping you would help me? Need to get spending under control as this is the difference between just ticking along or really truelly being debt-free. What do you think about me setting £400 for June - unfortunately have already spent £159.55 but we are fairly well stocked up.

This spend is for 2 adults, 3 children (1 still in nappies), 2 goldfish and a budgie (or should that be a partridge in a pear tree?)

Thanks in advance,

Mel

rosieben

Hi Mel and welcome to the challenge!

If you've set yourself a £400 target this month, see how you go and adjust for next month as you can. Remember to keep all receipts to do a tot up at the end of the month.

What helped me most was meal planning and then shopping according to that plan. But it took me a while before I came in on target and my situation is much simpler than yours! So dont be too harsh on yourself if you go over budget, best to go for a little improvement at a time.

I'm sure lots of more experience OS'ers will be along with more advice shortly.
Good luck with your first month! :dance:

Angelraesunshine

kiwi88 wrote: »

Just a thought Angel but do your nieces family help re funds or food It's just you have them a lot so maybe they could pay a little or bring over bread, milk, breakfast cereal? Sorry if I'm treading on toes and I know it's difficult being family but as I said it's just a thought.

Other than that the meal planning and bulk cooking will really help.

Thanks Kiwi88

Yes sometimes my sister does bring me a box of cereal or a carton of milk but she is more hard up than me hence i am helping her where i can. She does try to give me a bit of money at the end of each month but most of the time she is borrowing that from someone else to give me, and it is not very much so i try to forget that i have been given it and put it away. At the moment i put any money she gives me aside and its going towards my holiday spending money. Also i feel guilty that she gives me any at all so i feel by putting it away that if she ever needs helps and needs some back i can give it to her.


Yes the meal planning might be working :j I have sat and worked out a meal plan fo rht ewhole month and what else i need to buy, will be putting it on the tescos online shop today to be delivered next week and be using the £15 off voucher too as i think it will only be just over £100 then apart from the odd bread and milk etc thats it my groceries shopping all done ( ooo i do hope so means i may have got it down from over £400 to around £200 this month )

kim1478

Hi, I've been reading the shopping challange and would like to join you all for June(paid on 15th). I will have £250 to spend for the month for 2 adults, 2 children aged 7 & 3, also 2 cats. This amount is for everything. I have tried in the past to cut back but spend a huge amount every month, BUT we now have serious money trouble so I need to keep to my budget. Please can you advise me on whats the best places to shop and some cheap meal ideas. Sorry if this is in the wrong place, but I thought you all were the best people to ask. Any advise would be apriciated.
Thanks.

redsquirrel80

katzen wrote: »

Is there anyone else on here who lives alone? I started this week really well, cooked up a storm to fill the freezer over the weekend but am now bored of the food I have to eat all week How does anyone else overcome this?
Also, I try to shop for fruit & veg at the local grocers but sometimes I find that it just doesn't last as long as the suprtmarket stuff, and that's even being careful not to pick the old stock off the top of the pile-anyone any ideas?

Other than that, budget is going well this month, I'm learning some really valuable tips from all you guys and about myself, which should help me do proper budgets over the coming months/years so- thanks!

Me too, and yep I do get a bit bored with having a lack of variety due to having to use things up. I've started trying to keep a few bags of different veg in the freezer (e.g. buy peppers and chop them up then freeze) to use in pasta dishes etc, so I'm not eating the same type every day for a week. Also try to buy meat when it's reduced and freeze, so have a bit of a selection to choose from - when I remember to take it out in the morning to defrost I tried meal planning this week, to remind me to take something different out each day, and that's worked quite well for me - might be worth a go?

Linda32

Hello all,

May finished up at £267.93

I shall aim at £260.00 for this month, finish date 27th June,
Previous £24.33

Plus £17.26
Co-op £10.19
Co-op £9.91

Total £61.69

Just checked receipt - make that 70p less for newpaper so £60.99

mikeD

Well! He's done it again! If you remember back in January the first Wednesday that Mr T delivered my fortnightly shop, my DS (48 year old) cheerfully said "I'm of to the States for a fortnight, cheeryby" So I could not believe it when he did the same thing yesterday. I know you may say that in the long run that it should not matter but I needn't have got the special things that he only has.

Had to go to town today to visit the bank. Wandered into M&S (as you do)which is right next door and found myself trancelike in the food section. We often used to shop in M&S but I haven't since joining the monthly challenges. Result of visit was:

Haddock (Icelandic) £7.76 :eek:
4 Unwaxed lemons £1.29
Punnet of strawberries (1/2 price) £1.99 :j
6oz pot of cream £0.57

Total £11.61

There is a reason though. DW has not been feeling well for a few days, although she seems to be better today, and there is serious illness in the family so she is feeling pretty depressed about that. I thought that some of her most favourite food might cheer her up. Bought her a nice bouquet of flowers too because :A