January 2014 Grocery Challenge

Mystikia

Morning everyone
Finally have a chance to catch up, lol, been a hectic week!
February's budget started yesterday for me, so I'm declaring £166.75 / £200 for the month So pleased with that, & thanks to everyone on this thread for all the inspiration & encouragement :T
See you all in The February thread

K9sandFelines

£5.45 spent yesterday in L*dl and the Co*p include including milk and icecream, though will need large RM Yorkshire puds for girls tea. No room in freezer to buy in advance, and no time to make from scratch today due to work. Will declare tomorrow.

dumpling

Declaring a whopping £254 over budget :eek::eek:. Honestly I thought I was being over generous with my original budget of £500 but I sailed past that well over a week ago. I know it's been a long month but I am really shocked by how much I spend on food. This may explain why I'm as round as I am tall . I worked out that over a £100 of that total was spent on takeaways so that is something I'm knocking on the head. Anyway, I'll see you all on the February thread and I WILL do better next month.

debtdawg

After thinking I'd spent everything I needed to spend last weekend, there were a few bits I needed to get in Lidl this week, so I ended Jan on a total of £268.38. My original budget was £240, which was roughly £60 a week, if I take my total for this month then it works out as an average of just under £62 a week, so I wasn't too far off. I should be able to stick to £60 a week in Feb, with a total of £240. Looking forward to the challenge!

mouche

Declaring at £173.41 - a shade under the budget of £175. Though I am within budget and we have been frugal this month, I am slightly shocked as I thought we spent much less than this! Still, at least now I know - see you in Feb.

meg72

Declaring at £50 very pleased as this included stocking up on 5 bottles crisp and dry, on offer £10 and 12 jars pickled baby beetroot £6.00 will probably last me most of the year.

Well done to all those who came in on budget and those who didn't, just keep trying, it will happen.

mrs-moneypenny

declaring £363.07 for january an underspend of £36.97 yay. hopnig that i can keep it tight in feb as well, the freezer and cupboards are still reasonable so ill try.

moving over to the feb thread now

Coxy11

Hi all,

Squeaked under in January by about £5. Off to the Feb GC thread now. See you all there!

Coxy

spendinglikemad

Yey made it to the end of January, DH bought some biscuits whilst I was away with work but didn't affect the budget too much, so came in at £238. Really pleased with that as my grocery spend was way out of control with lots of impulse buys. Joining the thread has really focussed my mind on what we need and planning meals better and not just meals the whole week of lunches and snacks etc.

Managed to stick to the meal plan for this week and we have everything in for dinner tonight. I think that has really helped the family just knowing what we were going to have has meant less work I think for me!!


Still to make (ingredients in stock):
Pea and ham soup (to use up the roasted ham Left overs)
Muffins/buns - as these get eaten quickly!!


Still have plenty of food in freezer and cupboards but I am very aware what we have in now so that really helps too. I am hoping I can carry on the good work in February as I had lots of Christmas left overs to use up and a £25 w@itrose voucher but I will do my best


SLM

Billie-jo

Been out to day to pick up a prescriptions (don't pay) been to the bank (paid in not out!) and that's it so a NSD.


January we managed to come under budget £184.15 so an underspend of £15.85 Not bad at all considering I did but some things didn't really need.


Off to make some pastry now - should be good at least my hands are cold enough!!!