August 2013 Grocery Challenge

meg72

Puddickle wrote: »

I agree - it really is extravagant, and it is only when we both sat down and looked at what we spend that we realised just what our spending habits were like!

I actually cook all main meals from scratch... I always have done... in that area we are actually quite good!

However, I would pop to Tesco/Sainsbury's for treats almost everyday - and happily spend £15. It is not unheard of for me to go to Waitrose/Sainsburys and get £10 lunches while I'm at work. Then in the evenings, my husband would often pop out to the local Tesco Express and buy us more snacks/treats, and he also goes to Sainsburys every lunchtime for his food.

This is where we are going to be cutting back. We have recently started shopping at Aldi and already our regular shops have dropped in price. With a bit of work (and lots of extra snack buying at Aldi to make up for the treats!) I think £90 a week should really be doable!

ps - I don't actually think we eat that unhealthily as our snacks have always been fairly good... just expensive - and for the amount of money we consume a month we are both in pretty good shape (I'm pregnant and in size 8 maternity clothes).

I need support people... anyone out there think we can do this :T

I am more than sure you can do this love and we will support you up to hilt.

I* am not being judgemental at all but 10.00 for a sainsburys lunch for work you could get an MS meal deal for 2 for that including a bottle of wine. What did you buy for lunch. Sorry dont answer if you dont want I am a nosey old sod I know.

pinkypig

Hello:)

August officially starts for us tomorrow but I have done our main food shop today as I had to go in to town today anyway and it saved making a special trip tomorrow.
I used the voucher from The Mirror to get a months worth of coffee, juice, cheese, pasta, pasatta and tins, washing liquid and loo roll plus some fresh fruit and veg. I will use my second voucher next week to get a months worth of meat and freezer stuff. Total spend after vouchers was £36.02.
Good luck to all those starting your first GC. I am relatively new to this but the ideas I have picked up like meal planning and batch cooking have saved us a small fortune so thank you thank you thank you:A

PP xx

Puddickle

meg72 wrote: »

I am more than sure you can do this love and we will support you up to hilt.

I* am not being judgemental at all but 10.00 for a sainsburys lunch for work you could get an MS meal deal for 2 for that including a bottle of wine. What did you buy for lunch. Sorry dont answer if you dont want I am a nosey old sod I know.

​Of course - I can see why you'd be nosy :-)

I have had a craving for sushi (vegetarian one... no raw fish) this pregnancy, and have stupidly expensive tastes... so a waitrose lunch would often consist of one of their more gourmet salads (lochmuir salmon, boiled potatoes and green beans was one of my favourites) think they are about £3.50, then some sushi to snack on​, again this would be around £3. I would also buy crisps - I like their vegetable crisps... yum yum... but also the pricier ones unfortunately, so that would be another £1 or so I think. I also generally would treat myself to a rocky road style chocolate dessert... which are around £1.30 I think? Plus anything else that would take my fancy (generally something that I could snack on throughout the day like mini sausages, or something like that) So altogether that would be around the £10 mark, sometimes less... plus those prices are from my memory so may be slightly more or less... but are fairly accurate I think.

This week we basically ran out of money, and have shopped at Aldi, bought stuff for snacks and lunches... I've felt a bit like a dieter even though I've still been eating a lot of food as I am so used to popping out and getting stuff. We also used the veg from our vegetable box (I get 10 fruit and veggies for £9.95 a week which is I think cheaper than the big supermarkets, though possibly not Aldi).

We went shopping on Saturday, and tomorrow it will be a seven days that we have managed, and having made lunches etc we have got by spending £36 total.
This just shows we can do it. Hence why I am hopeful :-)

Puddickle

It was actually quite nice writing that out - it shows me just how ridiculous my spending habits have been. We don't have the money to spend like this... greedy greedy greedy.

Oh well... time for a change!!

meg72

Puddickle wrote: »

​Of course - I can see why you'd be nosy :-)

I have had a craving for sushi (vegetarian one... no raw fish) this pregnancy, and have stupidly expensive tastes... so a waitrose lunch would often consist of one of their more gourmet salads (lochmuir salmon, boiled potatoes and green beans was one of my favourites) think they are about £3.50, then some sushi to snack on​, again this would be around £3. I would also buy crisps - I like their vegetable crisps... yum yum... but also the pricier ones unfortunately, so that would be another £1 or so I think. I also generally would treat myself to a rocky road style chocolate dessert... which are around £1.30 I think? Plus anything else that would take my fancy (generally something that I could snack on throughout the day like mini sausages, or something like that) So altogether that would be around the £10 mark, sometimes less... plus those prices are from my memory so may be slightly more or less... but are fairly accurate I think.

This week we basically ran out of money, and have shopped at Aldi, bought stuff for snacks and lunches... I've felt a bit like a dieter even though I've still been eating a lot of food as I am so used to popping out and getting stuff. We also used the veg from our vegetable box (I get 10 fruit and veggies for £9.95 a week which is I think cheaper than the big supermarkets, though possibly not Aldi).

We went shopping on Saturday, and tomorrow it will be a seven days that we have managed, and having made lunches etc we have got by spending £36 total.
This just shows we can do it. Hence why I am hopeful :-)

Oh bless I had forgotten about pregnancy cravings:rotfl::rotfl:\its been 46 years since I had my youngest.

With my first,a summer babe I craved plums and the week she was due went to a farmers auction and bought a 7lb skip, intending to eat some and make jam. No chance 2 days later I had eaten the lot.
Now that was greedy :rotfl:

With my second it was fresh peaches and as it was December, No chance. So I settled (dont ask why) for really sour cooking apples;

My; then, OH had read up on cravings and told me I should be craving COAL; Did he think I was barmy or what'.

meanmarie

Can't seem to enlarge font or change colour anymore(??) so am registering at €180 for August budget....

Marie

meg72

Never ever thought I would say this but I am really fed up of strawberries and raspberries, have eaten all I can frozen all I have space for and just done a quick flit round the neighbours to give them some.

I dont ever remember such a good year for them and am praying that the old idea that a good year for berries means a harsh winter.

sugarpuss27

Puddickle wrote: »

Chocolatebum - if you have started frequenting Aldi, don't forget to buy the Daily Mirror today (50p), and get your £5 off a £40 Aldi shop voucher.

Thanks for the heads up on the voucher puddickle off to Aldi tomorrow so texted hubs to pick a Mirror up.:)

getting-sorted-sarah

Puddickle wrote: »

I need support people... anyone out there think we can do this :T

Of course you can! And then maybe even cut it further. What are you going to do with your new found riches?!! Hmmme, over £5K saved a year....

getting-sorted-sarah

I'm struggling to know what to aim for this month... I usually spend about £250, but I am away for almost 2 weeks of August, leaving DD at home for the rest of the time with DS who is away for one week. To complicate things further, DD is having an operation on her hands which will mean she can't do much cooking for most of the month!
While I am away I will have to mostly eat out, so that isn't really grocery budget... :huh:
Think maybe I should just sit this one out and start again next time!