December 2014 Grocery Challenge

Bobarella

Logging final spend within December as I am getting paid tommorow. £5.34. Which went on a YS whole chicken at £2.60 two packs of chicken breast sandwich meat at 20p each!! And some salad.
That makes my grand total for December £182.34 limboing under my total by £22.66

I am amazed. Anyone just starting these challenges. I have saved £80 this month compared to October's £260 I could not do that without the ideas, wisdom, & support available on these boards. Thank you everyone.

joedenise

Like Bobarella above I have come in under budget by far more than I have any other month. I think it's because I did a full inventory and made use of food I had in store when I made my menu plan rather than guessing what was left in the freezer!

My shop today came to just under £30 so total for the month is £185.12/£250 so that gives me £65 to put into my "bulk buy" savings for next year.

Thanks to everyone on the thread for giving encouragement and ideas throughout the year and thank you to those who run the threads every month, without you it would be very difficult to stick to budget.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone.

Denise

just_the_two_of_us

Hi - I don't think I joined the December thread!! I have been spending like mad stocking up on household cleaning stuff whilst on offer.
Could I please ask those of you that have separate budgets for food and cleaning stuff how you decide what to spend on each. I am trying to sort it myself but would appreciate some " expert" opinions.


Thanks.x

miss_try_to_save

hi everyone ok had a spend of £51.00 on Christmas bits and last night oh informed me that at his work they were all taking buffet food in tomorrow so have to get extra for that which is included in the £51 this makes me a total of £511.00/£450 I have worked out how much I should spend tomorrow which is £16.00 and I am sending dd2 to get it as I have to go down town to get last minute pressies for ds and my brother as oh gets paid Christmas eve also need to get some brie from m and s to take to my sis s on Christmas day as she is ill with flu and cannot go out fingers crossed shes ok by Christmas day or at least feeling slightly better lots to do and running out of time

Billie-jo

Finished all the shopping today and spent £67.96 Have got to pick up some rolls etc in the morning but these are paid for. Nothing else needed until at the least 27th and then should only need a couple of things.
Last bit of wrapping up to do tonight, some baking tomorrow and preparing the veg etc then that is it. Good job we started to prepare and get things early as neither of us has felt too good (general aches and pains due to flu bugs) plus mum taking up more of our time.
Three sacks of presents ready for the grand children, one will get taken tomorrow evening and the others we will take up with us on Christmas morning after we have been to take flowers to our daughters grave then picked up mum.
Just in case I don't get on here again before 25th I wish you all a very happy, peaceful and lovely Christmas. xx

DawnW

Right, confession time - I have blown my budget

My challenge ends on 26 December, but anything I don't have now we will do without till after Christmas. I can't face the shops again :eek:

I have spent a total of £114.03 on final bits, which added to my running total equals £510.09, so I have overspent by £60.09

Well, with lots of visitors expected (starting yesterday when my brother arrived - he will be here till 4 Jan) it was never going to be easy, but I really should have been able to do it. I spent too much at the beginning of the month.

Oh well, I have signed up for the January challenge, and should not need to buy much at all for the next few weeks, as I have stocked up more on 'ordinary' things than treats for Christmas.

In the meantime I hope everyone has a great Christmas

Off to update my signature....

Solstice_3

Time to declare:

Total £399.62 so £29.62 over, not too bad though really

Happy Christmas everyone :xmastree: see you all on the January thread ^_^

Mrs_Cheshire

Another £5.23 to add, grabbed some reduced priced bits in Her*n foods,

dingdongsaving

Just home from a lovely meal out with my mum et al. :beer: Christmas has started here now we have visitors! :rudolf:
We stopped at Ts on our way home & that's our groceries done until the end of the month now. (Will update sig tomorrow as I can't bring myself to get up & check the exact amount, but we've managed to stay under budget!) :T Haha...thank goodness for our extra Christmas grocery buffer...it saved us this month. A nice amount from Oct/Nov/Dec has rolled over to make little pot of cash for the January food sales too. I'm quite excited to re-stock the freezer with Christmas leftovers & bargains galore. We're going to try for a record low January & February grocery challenge (for us) as it's the end of my maternity leave & we always naturally cut back after all the festive eating.

Talking of eating! We boiled our ham today & enjoyed it in sandwiches for lunch. Wow I love real ham and real butter in a sarnie. We don't usually use butter/spread but at Christmas I know I adore it in ham/turkey sarnies. I've just popped a nice veg soup (made from said ham's boiling waters)...ready for that less indulgent January that seems so far away at the moment when I open the cupboards & fridge! :rotfl:

Merry Christmas eve eve! :xmastree:

scotmumof3

£13.10 for me at tesc* today
Getting a little close to my budget but I am hoping I will be on target or just a little over