November 2014 Grocery Challenge

Catcherupper14

I did my first shop for November on Friday. The total was £41.21 which included my meat and fish for the month, cleaning materials for the month and fruit and vegetables, dairy etc for the next few days. I've got a day of batch cooking to look forward to.
I decided to incorporate many more meat-free days into my diet so this will help keep costs down a bit.

Soworried

I have had my first spend of just over £18. This was in the short dated shop that is a bit like approved foods.
I do need to do a bigger shop today and I have a £3 off a £20 spend at MRT voucher so I'll go there at 2pm when they do the YS.

I've now been doing the GC for 12 months and we come out at £199 and a few pence every 4 weeks. I'm happy with that so I'm going to keep my budget at £200 every 4 weeks and see if we can hit that again

WantToBeSE

Caterina wrote: »

Hello Bobarella and WantToBeSE, W8rose is a mixed bag. If you hit the right time you can get a veritable jackpot, for example my local one reduces their bread rolls to 5p each at the end of the day, once I found a large batch of packets of butter reduced to some silly price, 20p or so, can't remember exact figure. Late evening you can get deli counter stuff reduced really low. Sometimes they have decent offers too.

Overall if you have a very tight budget it might not be the ideal place, their essentials range is more expensive than other shops, but if you want to treat yourself to occasional YS luxuries it is worth checking. Sundays at 5pm is a good time as they reduce most things very low.

They seem to have a good selection of vegan products in the chilled area but not always in the freezer. But I notice they stock the booja booja vegan chocolate ice cream (gorgeous, to die for!) which I bought, once, because it was on offer. I cannot comment on gluten free because I haven't had any need to look for it

HTH

Thanks Caterina I don't think I'll bother making the trip to Waitrose then, as its about a 30min drive away and in the opposite direction of everything else. Maybe I'll do a special trip just before Christmas. I have heard great things about that booja booja ice cream, so that's definitely on my list!

dingdongsaving wrote: »

So sorry WanttobeSE! I've not been back on to browse for long since you asked about my cash! We do a bit monthly shop at the start of the month (this month it was even bigger as we literally got everything we could for every meal)...then we get out "what's left" so we stick to it.
It means can see what we have to take each week as the month goes on & motivates us as we save anything leftover...we have a C* saving pot at home from Sept 1st-December...then in Jan. it becomes a summer holiday pot.
.

Thanks dingdong, I love that idea of a saving pot with the leftover money. What a great idea! I think your way of doing it is great.

lynnejk wrote: »

I buy my meat at the butcher (24 miles round trip so bulk buy) as don't think SMs is very good quality generally. Morrys is ok for legs of lamb and lamb chops (not often as expensive). Best buy I've found this year is Al*i for fresh chickens, breasts and thighs. They often have offers and it's quite tasty for the price, so tend to get a couple of packs when cheap and do a cook-in.
Lx

I get my meat from the butchers too and its so much cheaper than supermarkets. This month I filled my freezer for £48! Love it I have only recently started doing this, as I used to buy from the supermarkets, and its taking a bit of getting used to as I only go to the butcher once a month.
Every month they have different offers, so I cant go there with a list that's set in stone, I have to be flexible and see what they have on offer and then think about what I can make out of it.


I have £252.46 left for the rest of the month which is freaking me out. I am not sure why, as that is most peoples whole GC budget.
I think everything will be OK once the boys go back to school and therefore not eat me out of house and home all day long!

Bobarella

First spend for the coming week at £16.10. The way I shop is to do two £20 shops or try to split it that way. I am managing on foot at the moment and it's about the limit I can carry. Had my husband available today so went for the help option.
Our favourite butter was on sale 2 for £5. Having brand dropped literally everything else Lurpack & marmite are our only two luxuries. So the saving was £1.50 for buying 2 & that will last us 2 weeks of breakfast toast & packed lunches.
Mcdougals chicken & Asparagus pie is also on sale for £1 off in sainsburys. I cook from scratch 95% of the time so it's fab to have a treat like this for the freezer.
Back on the lunchbox trail tommorow so nice & ready for that.
Oh also found 2p on the way so knocked that off the total

WantToBeSE

Stocked up on the expensive items- Tea, Coffee, Cat Food, Coconut oil etc.


Although the coconut oil was not as expensive as I thought! I had seen tubs for about £8, but looked in the ethnic isle and got some for £2


Spent £36.

icontinuetodream

I have been away for a while but am back in for November at £300 please This covers food for 2-3 adults five times a week and 5-6 adults twice a week plus dog, bird and squirrel food!

I am undergoing a big lifestyle change at the moment which will mean I have a lot more time on my hands to do more cooking from scratch and meal planning - I have job lots of pasta flour which I will spend one day next week making into a variety of different pastas and I will spend as much of the month as possible running down my stores of their current contents I am hoping to come in under target

Smoosh

£23.39 spent today on 2 bunches of flowers (YS), 4 litres of Pepsi max, a Malaysian coconut beef curry (YS), a ham hock leek & potato soup pot (YS), chicken & mushroom with rice meal (YS), saffron pudding (YS), chicken fajita pasta meal (YS), pork & chorizo meatballs (YS), pack of "chedds" cheese nibbles (YS), pack of American pancakes (YS), 2 lemon & poppyseed muffins (YS), ratatouille (YS), 2x big trays of prepared fruit (YS), chargrill mushroom pasta (YS), 2x small trays of prepared fruit (YS), pack of new potatoes (YS), box of salad (YS), bag of spinach (YS), ciabatta loaf (YS), big tub of yoghurt (YS), punnet of raspberries (YS), some spring onions (YS), bag of milkshake doughnuts (YS), pot of berries (YS), 4 bagels (YS), big bag of baking potatoes (YS), loaf of bread (YS), bag of chillies, bag of cat litter (YS) & 2 weeks worth of cat food.

All the ready meals have been frozen and OH will take them to work for lunch. About to meal plan around what we have now

maria3104

2 great NSD.
Made 2 quiches to use left over stuff in fridge and AF flour 1 for DD and one for DS and 2 toffee and apple pies to go as well. Cost of all around £2. Thanks to AF. Had to squeeze a chicken to get enough eggs for the quiches!
2nd day of the month and £108 left. Lots of meat in stock and dried stuff. Should just need bread and milk and veg. Have fed 10 the last 2 days and cooked extras.

Caterina

Heading for a NSD. Unless I get a sudden raptus and order a takeaway or some crazy stuff online, I should succeed on achieving my first NSD of November.

franby64

Thank you again Zippy, Rosieben and Coxy for running the thread. Sorry I'm late!

Please could you put me down for £325 again for November. I'm really trying this month as the festive season is looming!

Better catch up with the thread...