August 2007 Grocery Challenge

Phatmouse

I'm joining in for the first time this month our budget is £50 per week for 2 adults, 1 baby on formula and nappies and 3 cats. Just about to do a meal planner for the month to help me stick to it, trouble is being pregnant sometimes I don't want what I plan on having all day or just can't be bothered to cook, but I'm going to force myself. Also planning on a few veggie meals a week (at least 2 anyway) we have just started using butcher and he is pricey but tasty.

Fingers crossed x

yellowmonkey

Phatmouse wrote: »

we have just started using butcher and he is pricey but tasty.

Are you sure he is a butcher he sounds like a Male escort :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

ym

Magpye

I'm in for August.

Me and OH, 1 cat and 1 kitten.

Usually we overspend on groceries (okay, cat food) with the little darlings eating only Sheba finest while we eke out existence on Lidl's 19p noodles but we have a bad habit of takeaways... well it's not happening this month!

I have already bought the next five month's cat food quite cheaply (five months worth of cat food to store SOMEWHERE :eek:) which should let us concentrate on our budget and I reckon we can keep the spend below £100 so no more Indian meals unless we make them ourselves!

rosieben

Phatmouse wrote: »

... trouble is being pregnant sometimes I don't want what I plan on having all day or just can't be bothered to cook, but I'm going to force myself. Also planning on a few veggie meals a week (at least 2 anyway) we have just started using butcher and he is pricey but tasty.
Fingers crossed x

Leaving aside all thoughts of your tasty butcher :grinheart .....

I work on a weekly meal plan, but dont always fancy what's on for 'today', so will either swap days around or else maybe use the main ingredient in a different way, curry or spag bol instead of cottage pie for instance.

Re vegetarian meals - GinghamRibbon's veggie meal planners are really great, think there are 3 altogether. I love the cabbage gallete......

misery-able

I'll join in again, was pleased with last month (though a lot less than normal due to holiday). Anyway, this month am going for £240 and really hope to be less than that. Good luck to all with your aims.

Daisydoll

Hi, I am fairly new to all this. Have been reading posts for a while and have finally decided it's time to start watching what I am spending. Last month I spent £300 on groceries for me,dh and 2 kids oh and 2 cats! My budget this month will be £250 and I have already done my meal plan(something I have never done before!)

JAMIEDODGER

hi all:) well my new month starts tomorrow, have just added up receipts for july and have kept within budget:D i have really found doing an online shop a great tool in keeping it low!

also another thing i have found is... when i think of something i am running out of or will def need the next shop, i log into tesco and add it to my basket so i def WONT forget it, so when i come to do the actual ordering its usually just a matter of going through my favourites to see what i need for my meal plans:) i have found i am spending less weekly than budgeted so the following week i can order slightly bigger packs of things for example save a couple of quid off shopping, next week instead of 80 tbags i order 160 etc therefore reducing the following weeks as there are no tbags to buy:D

teedy23

rosieben wrote: »

Teedy, repeat after me - 'I must put a basin underneath'. 'I must put a basin underneath', 'I must put a basin underneath' ....

Been there, done that...... (not got the stock!!) :rotfl:

Felt such a fool. I,m too long in the tooth for this sort of thing:o

Magsbish

Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong??? In July for the first time I kept a check on my grocery spending. We are no in debt at the moment but heading towards it in leaps and bounds. I reckoned (me, DH and DS aged 11) £300 would be ample for the month. However, by the third week I was stunned to find I had reached £350 and that was only on main shops - not the odds and ends throughout the week that add up. At that point I couldn't bear to see it any longer so I stopped adding up, but I think it would be well over £450 for the month. This includes groceries and cleaning products, plus packed lunch for DH and just one sandwich per day for myself. It seems I can't go through those supermarket portals without spending at least £40 per visit!

Also, I noticed that I was going to Morrisons virtually every other day!

Surely £450 per month must be well above average. What do other people spend?

Help!!

Maggie

rosieben

Magsbish wrote: »

... I was stunned to find I had reached £350 and that was only on main shops - not the odds and ends throughout the week that add up. It seems I can't go through those supermarket portals without spending at least £40 per visit!

Also, I noticed that I was going to Morrisons virtually every other day!

I think you've answered your own question!

I only shop once a week. If I shopped everyday I would be spending probably 4 times as much as I do now adn probably wouldnt actually be eating any better!

You may find it better to do your shopping online, as many others on this thread do.

1. Make a meal plan for the week (dont forget to include breakfasts, lunches and snacks).
2. Write a shopping list for the things you need for that week;
3. Shop once a week and stick to your shopping list.

Impulse buying will ruin the best planned budget!