January 2014 Grocery Challenge

Nikkiclaire

abbylou wrote: »

Hi all I would like to join the Grocery Challenge this year for the first time if I may. We have had a monthly shopping budget of £300 for a while now (2 adults and 2 children) but seem to drift over it every month.
My target to start with is to try and stick to the £300 but ideally I would like to get it below that if I can.
I know I need to start saving all my receipts so I can see where the little extras are coming from. I meal plan already but need to stick to my shopping list more strictly.
I am also doing Slimming World so an interested in any cheap, SW friendly recipes if anyone has any.

Im also trying to do slimming world and today have batch cooked with quorn, very cost effective and healthy. We are also very lucky to already have an actifry ( chips with no oil ) so very easy to make very cheap healthy meal. Today I made tuna and sweetcorn fishcakes with homemade breadcrumbs. Cooked them in the oven and they were fantastic. Made 6 and cost 90p to make 6 and we had them with salad yum...

angelatgraceland

I have my new spending diary and I am very pleased that from 2014 my daughter is going to start using one too! I bought the diaries a while ago as she always asks for one so now she has 2 in different sizes-one for appointments and one for spending. I have the same. The smaller one in my bag I can always note things in and transfer it later to my big one. I will be setting up my new spreadsheets also and listing all of my accounts etc to keep track!

Nikkiclaire

Sorry technical question, but I'm sure you all know the answer as you all have it on your posts. How do I get the section at the bottom to track details like how much spent - I assume it's on my profile, but can't find it. Sorry not exactly related to challenge but will help me track things. Thanks

Soworried

I didn't see the new thread up. Thanks to everyone who sets it up.
I hope your well zippy and I hope your job is safe x

I just posted this on the December thread

Soworried wrote: »

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 all

I've just posted in the December thread apologising for my absense - real life (wedding planning, work, a side-gig, Christmas etc etc) totally got away with me in December!

I'm all refreshed and de-stressed now though and ready to get back into the GC

Coxy - can you put me down for £165 in January please? Lowest we'll have gone but we do seem to have a good bit in...

I've had a decent start to frugalising the last couple of days - got half-price cream at Mr Ms (no 10% YS for us, it's rubbish for reductions ) and made butter for the first time then turned most of it into homemade ghee to keep better. Used the buttermilk to make scones.





Today I used some YS plums, one punnet to make some gorgeous spicy, sweet and sour plum sauce (for stir-fries/having with crispy duck) for the freezer and two punnets to make hopefully enough plum crumble filling for 6, as we might be having friends round at the weekend.



Also used some very dodgy-looking puff pastry (defrosted a few days ago and never used) and leftover saag aloo from last night to make puff pastry curry parcel type things - very very nice, I must say.

angelatgraceland

Nikkiclaire wrote: »

Sorry technical question, but I'm sure you all know the answer as you all have it on your posts. How do I get the section at the bottom to track details like how much spent - I assume it's on my profile, but can't find it. Sorry not exactly related to challenge but will help me track things. Thanks

Click on User CP near where you sign in. Click on Edit signature.:cool:

frugaldances

Just did the weekly online food shop and came in on budget at £32.06! Woooo GC for jan is £130 so divide that by 4 and we saved £0.46p ha! Woooooo

fingersxed

Hi can I join please. We are a family of four. With 2 dogs n 2 cats!! I am guessing £400. Hope to defrost freezer sometime this year so shopping should be cheaper??

Ali-OK

I'd like to join in too please :j

Just me and DS (13) with £100 budget for January.

Lots of treats from Christmas to satisfy the sweet tooth, plenty of meat in the freezer and stocks of staple items and toiletres/laundry items are good, so hoping to come within budget.

Let's see how I go!

MrsCautious

Hello, thank you Zippychick for thinking of this when you have been poorly and worried about your job, I very much hope things come right for you.

Thank you to all who run and contribute to this thread, I would like to join for January with a very thrifty head on. I'm armed with a slow cooker, a bread maker and a, um notebook to see me through...and I've only ever used the notebook.

I also have £43 in nectr points, £12 in luncheon vouchers and £45 in Sainsbury vouchers so that adds up to £100. I'd like to use these in January to reduce grocery shopping costs, so my planned budget for this month is £100that's on top of all the vouchers etc, meaning I can spend £200 really -- hope that makes sense, it does to me. . . I'm trying to keep costs down, I think I could go a little lower but don't want to feel too restricted and end up splurging.

This is for me, two teenage daughters and a dieting Jack Russell. It includes all cleaning and household supplies like foil etc. I'm going to be meal planning and making most of YS bargains, would like to give more baking a try but will need to plan time better.

Touch wood I have been managing easily on £200 in this challenge up to now, didn't do too great when I tried to get it down to £150. Lost track a tiny bit in December, having doubled my budget, didn't think I was too far away though.



Good luck everyone, happy new year x