February 2014 Grocery Challenge

franby64

Hello

I've had a tot up and a sort out and I'm going to have to declare tomorrow the first day of my personal February.

I'm still under my Jan GC budget but I need to do a big shop so the grocery underspend has gone to help offset my general overspend (grim) and I'm starting again.

Please can you put me down for an optimistic £300 for February.

My plan is to divide this month into three blocks of roughly 10 days, each starting with an A*da delivery (I've just bought a new 3mnth delivery pass) of around £40 (the minimum) and then have the rest of the £100 to last the rest of the 10 days.

Now I need to plan the first bit, I don't like planning but 10 days is not too daunting!

meg72

WantAnOrange wrote: »

Can you freeze HM coleslaw then?

I'm still wrapping up January but can you put me down for £290 please? I've gone over budget this month but there's less bulk buying needed for February, I've a couple meals in the freezer, no meals out planned and it's a 28 day month so hope it will be a bit easier. [/QUO

I wouldn't advise freezing coleslaw as when it defrosts the veg is soggy, I do freeze yoghurt to make it with though.

Florenceem

Hopefully be able to keep spends low this coming week.
We had turkey + roast potatoes/parsnips + stuffing + cabbage, cauli, carrots + gravy for dinner.

MissOrganised1972

Did my weekly shopping on Friday-Sainsburys & Aldi. Think I've got everything for the week. Spent £39.53 between the two SMs.

Plan was roast turkey crown today & pasta tomorrow. However due to an unforeseen change of circumstances, we will be fed tomorrow & were short of time today. So, we've had the pasta today & the turkey crown remains as a 'saved' meal in the freezer.

I usually meal plan for a whole calendar month but when this month is up on Friday, I think I'll try a week by week meal plan so that I can perhaps base it round YS things I find & the Aldi Super 6.

Have a good week everyone

BlueMoo

Hi, hope everyone had a good weekend.

******

Right, did my first trip to Costco this week.


Spend of £93 on food and groceries (£19 spent on other things which are not included in GC)

So TOTAL of 95.75 (ish) and my month lasts until 22nd Feb!!!

I think I am going to switch to Annual Budget, but keep my £100 a month as a guideline to ensure I don't go wild.

Managed to be really restrained and just spent money on stuff that was needed (no treats like 100 snickers!)
-Apples
-Mince (£20 worth!)
-Cheese
-Wipes
-Loo Rolls
-Pizza (for the OH)
-Breakfast Rolls

I did however stock up on some very expensive shampoo that in COstco deal was half price! So that was approx £13.48 on 6 months worth of shampoo. I have decided to include this in GC spend.


All that is needed now is Milk and some Fresh Veg.


*******

Dinners - Friday was pasta with a pecorino and sundried tomato sauce. Was out on Saturday so ate both meals out. Sunday was the lovely pizza from costco.

********

All in All a very productive weekend

joedenise

I haven't spent any money over the weekend from the grocery budget, although DH did pick up a few things but not counting those as he paid for them out of his own money! So I'm claiming 2 NSDs for the weekend! Today will also be a NSD as I'm not planning on going out.

Will add these to my signature shortly.

Denise

lushlifesaver

NSD for me on the GC front yesterday; yay!


Today I need to buy smoked ham and smoked cheese - will report back on how much I end up spending after lunch


Got to go to the bank at lunch so will have less time for moseying round Morries - hopefully that will minimise my spends!

mummygems

BlueMoo wrote: »

-Mince (£20 worth!)
-Cheese
-

I shop for myself and my mum in costcos and we buy the cheese and mince too (both of which are great). Its a bit daunting spending £20+ on mince etc but I find the tray of mince when portioned and frozen lasts us a good 2 months (depending on what we have). Their chicken breasts are really good too. My mum gets a lot of her meat joints from costco when they are on offer and she always says how good these are.

I had a £60 spend in MrS on saturday although some of that was re-stocking the store cupboard and washing powder (£7 for fairy tablets which was a shock as I last got them from costco about 6 months ago when they had a really good deal!). I need more milk and bread today when I finish work and will need to top up milk, bread, bananas, apples and carrots before the end of the week.

Meals this week:-
M - Pasta & sauce or cheesy pasta
T - Bang tasty chicken drummers (from the change4life leaflet)
W - Dinner @ inlaws as I start work earlier will prob be spag bol
T - Omelette & chips for DH/kids and a HM chilli from freezer for me
F - Chicken pittas and salad (from change4 life agagin)
S - I work a long day saturday so DH feeds himself and the kids chicken dippers, waffles and veg.
S - Tuna pasta and salad

My DDs got given a leaflet from Change4Life at school and they asked to help make some of the things so thats why we are trying those. Which has reminded me to go and marinade the chicken drummers ready for tomorrow night lol.

Although I have set the budget at £500 I would really like to be under this so am hoping for £80 or less spends each week between last Saturday (25th) and 25th February which is the next payday.

Cheapskate

Morning all

Please can I go down for £400 for February? Overspent in January, even though the month's not done yet! My February is 1st to 28th.

We have a fair amount in the freezers and cupboards, including a 3 bird roast from the land of ice (half price but then had a voucher so cost nowt :j), which will do at least 2 meals, braising steak, fish and chicken in breadcrumbs, odds and ends of Christmas stuff, and assorted veg and potato products, tinned and dried goods and so on, so if I don't come under budget this time I'm scuppered!

Good luck to everyone.

A xo

Beckyy

HI! I'm a newbie to the thread and struggle to stick to my food budget every month. I cook from scratch with a meal plan and we eat quite healthily, but I seem to end up spending the majority of the budget in the first half of the month then overspending when I need essentials towards the end. Hopefully this thread will help me stay on track a little better, and dare I say it maybe lower the budget eventually!

Could I be put down for £300 for February please? Already a bit of a challenge as this is the budget which I normally set, but overspend on.