December 2013 Grocery Challenge

frugaldances

Hello there I'd like to join this please for January. How does it work pease and is there a separate thread for January or does it carry on here?

just_the_two_of_us

Hi all - been awol whilst DS home for Xmas. Hope you all had a great time.

Back home now and just have to work out the December final total - we spoilt ourselves meat-wise so it may come over budget. I plan to check what is left over towards January though and offset that - hope it works. Has the January thread been set up yet please - haven't had time to look back yet. Will catch up properly with you all tomorrow. Egg chips for tea tonight!!! xx

meg72

frugaldances wrote: »

Hello there I'd like to join this please for January. How does it work pease and is there a separate thread for January or does it carry on here?

Welcome, There is normally a January thread up by now but for the time being we are carrying on here.

There are no hard and fast rules, you set your budget to suit you.
you can include whatever you want, i.e. cleaning, take away etc. or have a separate budget for these if its suits you best.
Everyone is different and adapt it to suit themselves.

What you will get is a lot of help and support if you need it just post, to me that's the beauty of this thread, lovely helpful and supportive people. The best thing I ever did was join this thread and I am into my 4th year now, theres no judgement, I think in all my time on here I have only seen one what I would call nasty post and that was soon deleted.

Edited to say the January thread is now up, see you over there.

Cheapskate

Hello all, hasn't time flown this year?!

I'd like to declare December as under budget for the first time ever - need a few bits tomorrow, but even with that I will be at about £275 - so pleased with myself!!! :j:j

Going to read the pages in this thread that I've missed, have signed up to January's thread, and intend to start 2014 with the right mindset. Good luck everyone, and I hope you all meet your own aims.

A xo

Soworried

I just got my best ys haul EVER
Hot cooked chicken thighs x 2 10p each
Hot cooked 8pk of chicken wings x 5 10p each
Smoked salmon 20p
Stir fry beef x 3 40p
A packet of 4 chicken breasts 40p

Now I thought that was brilliant until I pressed total. The beef was on a 3 for £10 deal and it still knocked £2 off.

50p for two bag fulls of meat:j:D:rotfl:

I'll update my signature with my very small spend

Bluegreen143

Hi everyone I can't believe this is my first post all month

"Real life" got away with me in December - I've never been so busy in my life. I've come to the valuable realisation that it ain't possible to work full-time, take on a little side-gig for extra spending money probably worked out an extra 25 hours of work over the month anyway!), plan a wedding, do Christmas and also the usual life, exercise, frugal meals and socialising. I was so tired and stressed in the run-up to Christmas it was unreal and something had to give - posting on this forum, blogging over the last 2 weeks and I've also not been exercising as much as usual :eek:

On the bright side, my side-gig has finished, Christmas is over (and I had a lovely lovely time from Christmas Eve onwards ) and I should have a bit more free time going forward so I will be posting a lot more. I have been reading as I could and I think I only missed one recipe on page 6 (wrote the page number down lol but can't remember what the recipe is) so will add it into January's index.

I don't actually think we went too far over budget but I'm not sure if we kept all receipts - I'll need to do a recce tomorrow and find out. I have been keeping the ones since Christmas though so I'm all set for the January thread

Hope everyone had a fabby time over Christmas and Nick, I'm so sorry to hear about your gran

marris

still under budget but my comp has died so have to buy a new one .have £0,36 to spent. will stay away from shops tomorrow.

Faete

Payday today so January starts here for me. I'm going for £350 this month. If I manage that, I'll look at whittling it down some more in February

Fae xx

Edit Just seen there is a January thread - see you all over there

Hollygym

Went to sainsbugs yesterday as we have friends over for the new year. I managed to spend £32.12 out of my £400 spend. Did get a bargain with a half stilton wheel reduced to £1!! I bought 3 and decided to freeze 2 of them for later in the year (steak with a blue cheese sauce, broccoli soup etc).


Hoping to keep out of the shops for the next few days..


Happy New Year everyone and here's hoping we have a good and economic new year!! :beer:

Billie-jo

Last spends today £9.65 bringing my total for Dec up to £135.73 out of a budget of £250 Well pleased with this.


2013 I have spent a total of £2301.42 and only had an overspend of the monthly budget in May. For 11 of the 12 months Fruit & veg has been the highest spends.


Hope everyone has done well this year and well done to everyone for taking part even if personal goals have not been reached. Good luck for 2014 and a Happy New Year to everyone.