June 2014 Grocery Challenge

Make-it-3

I'm hopelessly over budget £234.02/£200 - have friends for a BBQ this weekend and completely underestimated how much the spend on meat and alcohol would be. I still have to buy fruit and salad on Saturday and do a weekly shop next week.

So just going to have to start with a clean slate in July and try again. That's two months in a row I've gone over, think I'm slipping back into old ways.

elsiepac

Hi all

So as usual my month has descended into chaos

However I have made masses of progress sorting out my finances as I was starting the downward spiral again. Now all sorted out and no more chases from utility companies, council, DMP and all direct debits sorted for July, most at higher amounts, but that's my price to pay for getting myself out of control.

So more important than ever than I have my GC sorted.

As it stands, I have done a meal plan for July, but it's coming in at about £130 and I barely have £100. However a lot of it I have assumed no stock in cupboards, and looking increasingly like I will have a fair bit of staples so hopefully may get mitigated!

As for this month, I definitely went over, I think about £100 spent. I have £2.02 in my purse until payday next Thursday, but I walk to work and I have dinners already batch cooked and frozen in portions, plus should be able to make basic lunches for next week out of various beans and grains I have, just with frozen veg rather than fresh as usual which is a bit annoying! Missing fresh veg right now!

I'm going to try joining the flylady thread too to get organised around the house as quite frankly my place is a mess. I seen to have lost all motivation recently and really need to try and get this sorted.

I have been reading though, and thank you for all your great posts

LC x

nannygladys

Hi everyone

Thanks for the congrats it just goes to show how much food I have in my cupboards, and I haven't made much of an impression yet, but I do miss shopping even for food.

£0/£20.00 (carried last week's £10 over)
8/14 nsd (carrying these forwards to see how long I can go)

Yogurt now made and looks OK, so that will last me at least this week. Taking packet rice and crustless quiche to work the next two days and have plenty in to find something for dinner. Tonight I'm having veggie sausages, mash and broccoli and the rest of my fresh fruit and yogurt for afters.

I started this challenge on June 13th to keep my grocery spending under control and I reckon I'm doing that so far!!!

Anyway DD1 has just come with the dog, so I'd better put the kettle on (I'm dog sitting over the weekend.

Nannyg

Treadingwater84

Another week down.

I finished without extra shops last week :j

My freezer will be empty by next Friday :T . Due to a poor week at work and bills I only had £40 for the food budget this week. Normally I have £60 per week. I came in at £41.26.

Hoping next week we will be back to normal and saving money!

XSpender

£27.28 spent in Mr S on fruit, pots, veg, bread, GF bread, crisps and water for a picnic, milk, baking marg and not much else.


Target was £265 actual £350.03 excluding booze but including toiletries and cleaning, not that I have spent much on those this month:eek: This is the first month in a while I have tracked my spends religiously and it is eye wateringly bad! Planning a tiny budget next month as we are away 2 weeks and I am going to use up my freezer as it is fit to burst. The biggest expense will still be the fruit we eat.

she_who_can_not_cook

cw18 wrote: »

Even without work and a family to run around after I find batch cooking is the key to it, as I have plenty of days when I really can't be @rsed to cook from scratch.

So when I make chilli or bolognese I freeze about 8 portions as well as using 2 or 3 on the day. Stews or casseroles use 2 or 3, freeze 1, 2 or 3 depending on what I was making (I only feed 2 or 3 people at a time, and it's useful to have odd portions of things for DS1 as he won't eat fish which I enjoy). Then all I have to worry about is the carbohydrates and rice / pasta are quick, with jacket potatoes taking not much longer in my combi-oven.

Here here I also find when I do thing s like stew if the oven on and you are dicing veg why not DO TWO

supersaver1000

Ooh dear. Lost complete track of spending. However have done fairly well overall and on track to pay quite a lot off at the month end.

Keep it up everyone, I will be joining in properly next month.

Happygreen

Dear all,
I also feel like a failure this month, I can't really figure out how I managed to go over budget this month already without any extras like wholefoods wholesale order or approved foods...I must say though, that the freezer is full but I've also thrown stuff out, which is bad....mainly cooked leftovers from the fridge though - still bad

Florenceem

NSD here.
Not planning to spend anything for the next two days.
We had HM wedges + herring + salad for dinner.

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supersaver1000

I didn't menu plan for week 3 and so have been dipping in and out of the shops all week. Also needed to bear in mind hot weather and not wanting to cook. Hope the last week will be better.

I don't think I've done too badly as I bought a dehumidifier, paid for an osteopath appointment and .... bought a handbag. I'd hoped to have a bit left over for 2 new tyres and a tax disc but I will have to buy those next month.

Main thing is our payments are all still on track and the balance is heading in the right direction.

You aren't a failure Happy Green, we are trying, don't give up.