December 2014 Grocery Challenge

Pandora_2

Hi everyone!! I get paid tomorrow so my month starts then and I would like to sign up for the December Grocery Challenge with a budget of £100!!!

It's just me and the cat so I include all my food, toiletries, cleaning products etc, the cat food and litter, and I will also be using it for all my Christmas food and drink.

In November I managed to stay under budget, but stocked up on cat litter and dry cat food so I won't need to buy any of that this month, although I will need a couple of boxes of wet food for her. I also bought most of my Christmas alcohol and a few treats, so just a few more drinkies to get and the food for the big meal.

My cupboards and freezer are still full to bursting so I will mostly be eating up stuff from them so there will actually be room in the freezer for Christmas stuff However, I've got no bread, only a dribble of milk and absolutely no fresh fruit or veg so I will need to get a few bits this week, but I will keep it to the very minimum and just get things to make complete meals out of whatever is in the freezer

Good luck to everyone else doing the challenge!!! :beer:

Coxy11

Morning everyone,


Budgets list updated to here


Welcome/welcome back to:
First_Trouble, wyrdsister and kathrynha


Good luck all.


Tesco delivery yesterday - was booked from 3-4pm. Got a phone call from the driver at 3.30pm saying he would be late as bad traffic, finally arrived at 5.30pm when I was cooking tea (stuff all over the worktops and cobbling something together as tea was on the delivery van grrrr). Not impressed, and I've told them so. Hardly every use the delivery service and now I know why.


Sorry for the early morning rant!!


Have a good day all
Coxy

CH27

I've spent the last two days making a meal plan for all December.

I've sorted my cupboards, fridge & freezer.

I've made a list of exactly what I need to buy from the farm shop on friday & I WILL stick to it

I've also out together a large bag of food for our local food bank as I do realise just how blessed I am.

pinkypig

Hello eveyone ! Back after a long absence although we have kept to our thrifty ways most of the time . Need to tighten our belts for the next few months though as income has been squeezed yet again.
Trying to be sensible and realistic I am going to go for £150 which will be a challenge but I think is doable:)

lushlifesaver

£27.81 being added to my sig today


Nipped to ASDA on my lunch to put my glasses in to get new lenses and whilst there want to get some of the beef that's on offer. It was £7.44 for the piece I got (smallest there) but I'm going to cut it in to three smaller joints for Sunday dinners so each time the meat will have cost around £2.50 and will do the three of us (2 adults and a teeny portion for wonder bairn) plus enough for a couple of sandwiches/lunches


Also bought some crisps (treat for lunches/trips), reduced salt stock cubes (on offer), stuffing, chocolate bars, jelly sachets [2x2sachets] (going to make some for wonder bairn and me rather than buy them)apples, instant mash, 2 carrots, bananas reduced to 20p per kg so 26p for 12!, and parsnips reduced to 5 p per kilo so 4p for 10!


Also bought a few bits from my personal budget but probably won't spend any more on 'me' until next pay day now (19th december - 6 days early due to Christmas but will run this budget until 25th as per normal)


I'm going to start giving wonder bairn leftovers/bits from our meals rather than jars and get nursery to move her on to their lunches so that's £6+ per week saved there on her cereal/jars (she has the same cereal as us but with whole milk).


I do feel like I've over spent to say I'm only 2 days in to my budget month but we have tons of meat etc so it is just fresh stuff now for the rest of the month


ETA: plan is to tell bf's parents we will serve stew and dumplings Saturday night after the Christmas lights switch on (I'll pop the slow cooker on that morning before we head out to the exhibition game then it can just chuckle away all day on low. should be ok - we'll be out for about 8/9 hours) and I'll buy a few dessert-y treats for afterwards with hot chocolates

Nix143

Hey.

I know this isn't the best month to join but I'm in shock. I live by myself. I drink some wine. I have the occasional takeaway. I eat well. I have people stay at my house occasionally when I feed them. And I've been wondering where my money is going. So I've just sat and totted up what I spent in Asda/Aldi/Just Eat last month


£436.99.

For one person.

I KNEW I spent a lot. I KNEW that I was generous to my friends putting on big breakfasts and brunches. But I also thought I was a savvy shopper. I love Aldi. I batch cook. I'm in shock. And disappointed with myself.

So, even though it is Christmas I am going to TRY to be aware of what I'm spending. I'm going to properly monitor my grocery spends and then see where this leaves me for January. Trying not to be too gutted and just be glad I've started to see sense. Hopefully. Let's see if I can get through Christmas and all the entertaining without going over what I spent in November

Bobarella

Hi All
I havent posted yet this week, but have been keeping tally religiously. A spend of £10 today on essentials (marmite, washing up liquid, bleach etc)
Im feeling optimistic that this is the month we really reduce our food expenditure hence why I've gone so low on our monthly spend this month. We have already managed to go from £260 to £215 in the space of 2 months so thats pretty good I think?
Good luck everyone.
Bob

scotmumof3

Hi everyone thanks for this new thread :T. Can you put me down for £390 this month. A few days left for me in November so I will be back soon

Mrs_Cheshire

Did a weekly shop in Mr M's today, spent more than I was intending as I managed to get loads of meat and fish reduced by 50%. Have completely filled the freezers so shouldn't need to buy much at all through December.
Spent £91.04
Been collecting the vouchers for the £25 off after 6 weeks, got 2 more weeks to collect, then hoping to get all my christmas food bits in the week when I get the £25 off.
Need to check out the recipe files for interesting breads as we have a couple of bags of bread flour that could do with using up!

JIL

£10 off a £50 spend at aldi coupon in today's daily mirror. According to the front page of the paper.