August 2007 Grocery Challenge

Lizzieanne

Count me in again! My budget for August is £400 again. If I spend no more money until 1st August, I will be in under budget by just over £20. I did plan to reduce my budget month by month, but I've now decided that anything I spend under budget will go into my mortgage pig, "Edward".
Hopefully, Edward will get more money each month. If I reduce my shopping budget and put the money into Edward first, it just feels like it will be less of a challenge - clear as mud?! :rofl:

Cazzdevil

I've been trying to stick to the grocery challenges for the last few months, and although OH and I never spend a fortune in the shops we're eager to find out exactly how much we spend so we can make efforts to reduce it even further (at the minute we spend about £100 a month for the two of us but ideally I'd like to get this down to £80 if not less).

So I've stuck an envelope on the front of the boiler in the kitchen with "food receipts" written on it, and ANY food receipt from August is going in it. We have to know exactly where every penny is going because we're saving up for a new car.

Pink.

Cazzdevil wrote: »

I've been trying to stick to the grocery challenges for the last few months, and although OH and I never spend a fortune in the shops we're eager to find out exactly how much we spend so we can make efforts to reduce it even further (at the minute we spend about £100 a month for the two of us but ideally I'd like to get this down to £80 if not less).

So I've stuck an envelope on the front of the boiler in the kitchen with "food receipts" written on it, and ANY food receipt from August is going in it. We have to know exactly where every penny is going because we're saving up for a new car.

what a great idea! Good luck with saving for the car.

Pink

jcr16

i'm in.

my month started 23rd of july. but not done anything yet as i only have £80 for the month for 2 children, 1 is 3 and 1 is 2, hubby , myself and 3 cats. most of budget will be taken in cat food i think.

reason budget so low is because i've had to have some medical treatment costing £80 .( had to go private) but all the treatment is paid for upfront. so hopefully nothing more to pay. and also have already spent £50 in vets last week and on monday have to pay another £300 + as all 3 cats are due their annual jabs , lukeimia(sp ?) one , plus getting the flea jab , worm tablets and 2 of them are getting micro chipped. but hey it only yearly so not a prob. but i forgot about it being this month.

BUt although it a a small budget i have loads and loads in. i could prob last easy for a couple month. ( meals would be interesting be end of months tho) The only thing i need to buy is bread , milk , veg and fruit. i think i have about 5 or 6 bags of chicken breasts diced up in freezer each bag is about 2lb worth. i have about 4 bags of minced beef , 3 bags of minced lamb , 3 bags of 3kg pasta , 2 bags of 2kg rice , 15 + tins of toms , loads of frozen sweetcorn , peas , sausages , whole chicken fillets , fish fingers, whole fillets of fish , pastry , plus antoher whole freezer full of well i'm not too sure tbh.

think maybe i need a storecupboard and freezer challenge.

my son has started taking an interest in his potty , so maybe might be using less nappies .

but if i do get desperate i do have some money in another account i can use . ( got about £200) i think. but i'd rather not touch it as i'm getting a new car end of month( fingers crossed, a rather yummy ford focus yippppeeee) so i need to save every penny i can. if it meant to be i guess it will.

Solwaykid

I'll be in for August too starting on the 1st.

July wasn't too bad £101 from £110 budget for me and two moggies. I've technically gone over July's budget as I've just spent another £18 on food for weekend visitors who are no longer coming (grrrrr) but I think I'm going off-set the extra £10 from the August budget. So I'll call it an even £110 for July and £100 for August. I know what I mean!

Anyhow, no food shopping needed until at least the 5th when I'll be back to see how folks are doing. Good luck and welcome to Newbies giving it a whirl for the first time!

Cazzdevil

Pink-winged wrote: »

what a great idea! Good luck with saving for the car.

Thanks, we have no choice sadly, this one's living on borrowed time now! It's mass-ebay flog/quidco everything sign-up/bank charge reclaim time now. Full steam ahead!

dawnylou

Ok - I will try this again! lol
Last month I overspent - but we spent a ton on spirits to make cocktails as we were on hol.
So I will aim for £200 again - wish me luck everyone!!!

Really need to get my spend down - but may be difficult what with f&v prices rising!

Moniker

I'm in for August too. Budget is £300 for self and OH for food and household items. We have visitors mid month but we are away for a weekend too, so perhaps it will even out. I have decide to take the money out of the bank in cash and pay cash in the supermarket as it concentrates the mind when you see real money going out rather than using the plastic! I am counting the month from Monday (July 30th) and will finish on Friday 31st which is five weeks! Hope I can keep to the budget - good luck everyone!

meanmarie

I'm in again for August, helps to keep me on the straight and narrow (ish). Had the huge sum of €11.13 left from my July budget, so have dropped to €340 for August...still stuff in freezer which has not been identified so we may have strange meal combinations for the month, can't be helped as both freezers need defrosting...one in utility room needs replacing if I am honest, but not buying anything until I have saved the money, even if I have to do without...not really money saving I suppose as I am sure it is costing me extra electricity.

Started the month's shopping to-day, hopefully that will do until next weekend.

Marie

Garnet_Gem

Has anyone got a method of keeping to their monthly budget? I thought I could budget quite well but so far I've never been under budget or even close. I'm one of those people who can't come out of a supermarket without spending more than I should. Even if I take a list, I still spend too much. My desperate idea for August is to have a budget of £5 per day for everything. If I need petrol, I'll need to use 10 days worth of £5s if you follow what I mean. No debit card because I use it as a back-up too often.