January Grocery Challenge 2015

Snottycat

Time to fess up...

This is ridiculous to admit but I really think I have a problem with food shopping! I signed up to this challenge to get to grips with the money I am wasting on food and stuck to it for all of a week. Pathetic eh? I had pretty much decided to give up and slink off into the shadows as no one would miss a newbie. But, having been keeping up to date with other peoples posts I have decided to tot up just how much I have spent and try once again to reign it in over the remaining weeks of the month. I will be over spent but i will try again in February, and then again in March and keep on going until I have some control over shopping. I have cupboards, fridge and freezer fit to burst! In fact being snowed in (unlikely on the North West Coast) would be the best thing that could happen to us!

eastville1

2 NSD in a row and teenager back at uni so hopefully food will be lasting longer now but am short on a lot and want to wait until Thursday before shopping again- a challenge

BrassicWoman

Snottycat, no one learns from being perfect...!

Billie-jo

Greent - hope everything is ok and we see you back soon.
Snottycat - - you are trying that's the main thing and soon it will click into place. Once you have finished this month then just ry to reduce next months total by a coupe of £'s If you do this every time it will come down over the months. Not many succeed every time from day one so just keep chipping away at that budget.

Spends now total £36.44
Tried a new recipe tonight - Kentucky style chicken - it all got eaten so couldn't have been that bad BUT doubtful I will do it again as it wasn't right. We had it with a few thinly cut chips and salad.

fab_and_frugal

My total spend on groceries so far in 2015 is £124.10, including the pet food order for the month's food. I've also managed 6 NSDs so far, which I am pretty pleased about
I had to dip into the savings to replace the living room chair which broke (it was old and rickety for ages!) so hopefully that's my furniture spends out the way for a while!
Fab x

CountingPennies

Snottycat wrote: »

I have cupboards, fridge and freezer fit to burst! In fact being snowed in (unlikely on the North West Coast) would be the best thing that could happen to us!

This USED to be me about a year ago. It has taken a long time to get out of the habit of buying for the sake of it. My freezer and cupboards are quite full, but only of stuff like meat and tinned foods. I no longer but LOADS of packs of biscuits and crisps. If they are there, we will eat them. Since I've cut back to buying 1 pack of bourbons and custard creams a week I have seen a massive difference what type of stuff I buy and store now. Plus saved literally £100's a month due to a bit meal planning and using up what I have. It took me a long time, and I still have the odd crazy food shop, but I feel i'm getting there now. Don't give up. Its still early days.


Went to Mr T's as planned. Managed to get YS bread and buns @ 15p and 21p! :T Stuck pretty much to list and got 8 pints of milk, 2 bottles pop/juice, plenty fruit and veg, 2 packs oxo's (on offer too), some more packed lunch meats and even remembered the fabric softer I nearly forgot that I spoke about earlier (I used the vinegar as suggested after googling it, it worked ). Big bottles of softner I use were £1.50 or 2 of £2 so bought the 2. Spent a total of £17.28, however this also include a new biscuit canister that matches my kitchen down to £1 :eek: and a cake stand that I have been after for ages down from £15 which I couldn't justify to £3.75 so I'm well happy! :T Using it from grocery budget so will add it to total.


Hopefully I can keep away from the shops tomorrow making it the 1st NSD of the week. Managed 3 last week, would like to keep it up. Can't see any reason why I need to go. I did debate leave the oxos at Mr T's and going to Home B's tomorrow where I know they are cheaper, however I also know I would have just bought more stuff that I don't really need. It's so easy to spend £20 in that shop without even realising!

Anyway.... I'm rambling! Sorry! Hope you all have a terrific tuesday!!

CP xx

CRANKY40

Snottycat wrote: »

Time to fess up...

This is ridiculous to admit but I really think I have a problem with food shopping! I signed up to this challenge to get to grips with the money I am wasting on food and stuck to it for all of a week. Pathetic eh? I had pretty much decided to give up and slink off into the shadows as no one would miss a newbie. But, having been keeping up to date with other peoples posts I have decided to tot up just how much I have spent and try once again to reign it in over the remaining weeks of the month. I will be over spent but i will try again in February, and then again in March and keep on going until I have some control over shopping. I have cupboards, fridge and freezer fit to burst! In fact being snowed in (unlikely on the North West Coast) would be the best thing that could happen to us!

I have been not exactly snowed in, but when it snows and you have a young child it can be hard to get to the shops. It happened to me one year and my Asda delivery couldn't get through for 10 days. My neighbours husband walking to the nearest supermarket for bread for us all kept us going.

I realised late in December that I am still stocking up for the same situation but..... Child is now 10 and can be left alone for long enough for me to go for bread and milk if he can't be coaxed to come too. We have moved house so are now 7 minutes walk away from our nearest big supermarket. It would take longer in snow but you get the picture. I like to have a store cupboard but I did stop this year when I realised what I was doing and have been a bit more sensible.

K9sandFelines

K9sandFelines wrote: »

£30.98 spent at Mr T online. They didnt have the veggie sausages i like, so it would have been slightly more.

I've had a couple of spends locally since this date but can't find the receipts

K9sandFelines

NewShadow wrote: »

Delivery from 0cado today - £33.01, and had yogurt, UHT, bananas/grapes, frozen fruit and frozen fish fillets.

Nothing I NEED as such as I was suckered in by the offer of 25 off 60. should have been 35.60, but I rejected a couple of subs.

Should now only need to spend £7.50 getting breakfast for the next 3 Fridays with a colleague at work, £3.30 for 3 weeks of eggs with the egg man, and £2 on milk in the milk club for the month.

EDIT: Anyone know the best value place to stock up on tinned tuna? I'm reluctant to spend a pound per 200g tin, but can't find any striking offers and am down to 4 tins in the store cupboard.

Aldi tuna steaks in brine is 64p a tin and very good quality.

Mrs_Cheshire

Hi all, hubby went shopping for the rest of the bits for the week this morning spending £9.97. I sent him with a list but was expecting the total to be closer to £15 so was impressed, thats Ald* for you. We later realised we're out of night-time nappies for youngest son so popped into Ald* later to get some so another £4.49.
£14.46 added to my signature already and will only have to get extra milk in the week so it's going to be a fairly cheap week for me!