December 2014 Grocery Challenge

Coxy11

Hi everyone,


Thank you Solstice_3 for doing the recipe index - much appreciated


Budgets list updated to here


Welcome/welcome back to:
DawnW, dramarama, Pepperoni and dizzyditzy


Please can anyone posting their budgets do so in big and red so I can spot them - thank you


Our December GC started at the weekend with a £50 shop in Asda. I bought one of their beef joints on offer, which we had yesterday - lovely! Tesco delivery coming tomorrow afternoon which should have (hopefully) cupboard essentials for the month - we shall see......


Good luck all
Coxy

Billie-jo

Still in November as do calendar months.

Can I set my December budget for £280 please We are going to daughters for Christmas day with mum but we will buy most of the stuff. Beef this year for a change so need to get into A$da soon and get one of their joints whilst they are on offer however if I forget I am sure Morry's or elsewhere will have them on sale before Christmas. There will be 7 of us to feed and the children eat more than anyone however they love their veg as well so not a problem.

Crowdpleaser

Hi all. Back on thr wagon for me...

Can I go down for 400 please. I dont intend to spend anywhere near that but be good not to worry. Were having beef on xmas day and I already have a small ys joint in freezer. It's only me dh and dds so don't need loads. Planning on lamb for ny though so will need to buy that. I dont drink but dh would like a few beers so will buy those.

Am considering a jaunt on xmas eve to local sainsbobs to see what ys there is. Its only round corner.

Oh I am looking forward to xmas cheeses n pates. Its my xmas treat to me! Lol

Xxx

dingdongsaving

Thank goodness I put the Christmas money in with our December budget "just in case" even though we've made savings in Nov. & have lots in for Christmas already! Last night MIL & FIL called with an idea (which we loved!) & booked surprise tickets to come from America in time for New Year! :T

It'll be an wonderful Christmas with lots of action now! DS is SO excited, & I know it'll be magical with it being DD's 1st. :rudolf:

My mum & partner are coming to stay from the 23rd to 26th, my sister & BIL are coming Boxing day to the 28th & then M&FIL fly on the 20th until the 10th of Jan!!!

Thankfully, with the big budget I put down we should still be fine for the challenge. Fingers are now crossed! :rotfl:

[Deleted User]

Hi
Can you please put me down for $500 for December.


Christmas is huge here, family arrive with partners, kids, my 95 year old mother, and various tents which they erect on the front lawn and move in until the New Year. Usually about 20 of them, although the numbers fluctuate during that time.


Catering is a full on affair, usually plenty of bbq's and easy meals, this year I will be sitting back and letting the girls take over.


Baking is done and in the freezer, cattle beast meets butcher next week, ham, pork, fish, chickens and sausages are also in the freezer. and have just swapped a weekend at my lake house for a complete (butchered) lamb.


Gardens will be in full production, so spends should be minimal.


All I need is for the weather to be fine, but regardless we will have a great time.

meg72

kiwiblue wrote: »

Hi
Can you please put me down for $500 for December.


Christmas is huge here, family arrive with partners, kids, my 95 year old mother, and various tents which they erect on the front lawn and move in until the New Year. Usually about 20 of them, although the numbers fluctuate during that time.


Catering is a full on affair, usually plenty of bbq's and easy meals, this year I will be sitting back and letting the girls take over.


Baking is done and in the freezer, cattle beast meets butcher next week, ham, pork, fish, chickens and sausages are also in the freezer. and have just swapped a weekend at my lake house for a complete (butchered) lamb.


Gardens will be in full production, so spends should be minimal.


All I need is for the weather to be fine, but regardless we will have a great time.

Sounds magical Kiwi good idea to sit back as you don't want to tire yourself out, hope you have a fabulous time.

First_Trouble

I have been reading the November GC and have decided to rejoin for December. I used to do the challenge earlier in the year but my laptop went to silicon heaven and since then spending has changed slightly not sure for the better or worse but hoping that the challenge will help keep our spending in check.
Please put me down for £150 for the month (this is for me and the DH all pet food get bought separately). I have already purchased most of our xmas food and booze which has been hidden in a cupboard but there are still a few little bits to get.

wyrdsister

Hi everyone, I joined this site years ago but have fallen by the wayside lately and I really need to get back on track.

I'd like to join this month with a budget of £200 this is for me, my hubby, our 6 month old girl and our GSD Zac. I am feeding baby myself but she's now on solids so she will be eating into the budget a tiny bit This is for all our toiletries etc.

Hoping to get this amount gradually reduced. Don't need to spend any money on Chrimbo dinner this year as we are going to OH's parents.

Looking forward to the challenge again

kathrynha

Okay, I'm new to this, and not totally sure if December is the best month to start, but as it's the worst month for overspending maybe it is.

We are a household of 2 adults, an 8 year old and a cat, and I'm mainly an Aldi shopper with a bit of Morrisons and Asda.
We have no Christmas dinner to cook, as we are at mum's for that, but we have evening buffet, couple of events we have to take a dish to, I do homemade food hampers and all off work/school over Christmas so at home more to eat more.

Not really sure how much to set my budget for but thinking £350, but I would like the "normal" groceries to be nearer £250 which is about what I think my normal spend is.
Next year I would like to get down to £150-£180ish over the months.

lushlifesaver

First spends to report:
£10 in PoundWorld on bf's treats,
£3 in Poundworld on other bits (toothpaste etc)
(also spent £4 on stocking stuffers but different budget)


Yesterday at Tesco I spent £27 but a bunch of that came from other money so I'll just add a spend of £15 to come from December's budget so £28 spent already. Hoping to go on my lunch break one day this week to do a better shop as on Saturday we have to go to an exhibition game with bf