Question for those who only shop with cash

npsmama

How did you decide how much to take?
And do you walk around the shops adding things up to be sure you won't look silly at the checkout?

thanks

Hardup_Hester

Hi
On a basic month, once all my direct debits have gone out I'm left with £100 to feed us for the month, I take £80 with me to do the shopping. The other £20 I leave in the account.
Hester

fizzel81

i take just under my weekly amount i try to add up in my head as i am going along, i round up so i dont have the problem of not having enough

inkie

I am not a regular 'cash' person - but on the times that I have done it, I have taken the calculator to the supermarket with me just to on the safe side! I have now started not taking my purse out with me at all, and that really stops the incidental spending!!

torbrex

I have a job that pays me cash so I tend to use it rather than banking it, I always have a float in my wallet of £40 and if I am going to buy fuel for the car I stick in an extra £40. When going round the shop I tend to add the prices up in my head as I am going along but that is more habit than necessity as I seldom spend over about £15 on groceries at any visit.

coffeeandfags

I try to write a list before going to the supermarket, then count everything on the list as £1......so if i have 30 items (doesnt matter what they are or how much they cost), i reckon on the shopping being £30, although i DO take a bit extra just in case!!However, im usually within a £1 or 2 either way off being right! Try it....it works!!

Justamum

I'm trying to get my bank statement down to as small a size as possible - hoping to eventually only have rent and bills listed on it! The system here is slightly different to the UK in that benefits are paid as cheques or (for child benefit) a voucher which is cashed at the post office. We get a benefit cheque each week, which is what I use for food. (The child benefit I divide into my "budget boxes" for various things such as children's activities, birthday/christmas presents, car tax, etc.)

I do budget for about £100 to come out of the account because the benefit cheque doesn't cover all our food, cleaning materials etc, plus I need to buy extras such as petrol, stationery/stamps, etc. For shopping I make a meal plan, list what I need and only buy that (though sometimes I do lapse a bit ). Last month I didn't use my debit card once when I went shopping, which I was really pleased about. I take a calculator with me if I want to work out cost per item/kg if it isn't clear (Tescos does it, but the other supermarket on the island doesn't), or if I'm really having to count the pennies.

Justamum

coffeeandfags wrote: »

I try to write a list before going to the supermarket, then count everything on the list as £1......so if i have 30 items (doesnt matter what they are or how much they cost), i reckon on the shopping being £30, although i DO take a bit extra just in case!!However, im usually within a £1 or 2 either way off being right! Try it....it works!!

I do this too! Because some things might be under £1 and others might be just over it does work out really well, and is handy as a quick reckoner if I'm running a bit short at the end of the week.

lamplady

I have a £120 housekeeping budget for the week. I don't go to the supermarket as it's too tempting, so I shop in local shops and it's usually £15 in the butchers, £20 in the grocer's etc so it's quite easy to keep track of. I try to only spend £70 on the week's food and any topups have to come out of the remainder of housekeeping.

On the odd occasion I've not had enough I just smile and say that..staff have always been fine, and if anything admire theattempt I'm making to keep control of my finances.

meanmarie

I just have been taking the 100euro I have been allowing each week, that is going to be decreasing from next weekend when my July challenge starts. I would always have my cards in my purse for emergencies but not to be used for food...I try to only shop once a week, OH does the milk and bread if needed during the week

Lists, meal plans and what is in your store cupboards and freezer will all help keep your spending to the bottom line that you have allowed yourself.

Marie

GreenNinja

I do one of two things,

As one of the other posters mention allow £1 for each item

or

Go on mysupermarket.co.uk and select all the items that I am planning on buying then print off on colour printer at work and take to sainsburys with me, as my shopping list, it tells you the value so you know how much its going to cost.