January 2016 Grocery Challenge

jlhmd666

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

Post 10 of this thread contains a heading of Mothership's second purse system and the linked posts under that heading explain several people's use and variations of the second purse system.

I use a 13 month system instead - with my month 13 being my store-cupboard. In my case my annual budget of £3000 is reduced to £230 instead of £250 and I aim to use the "extra" month to buy things like laundry detergent, toilet rolls and tinned things like tomatoes only when they are on offer. It means my normal weekly shops are fresh produce and dairy only. I do it this way to stop my stock-piling tendency - only having £230 for the year works well. I used to repay myself when I used stock items, to replenish the amount but I kept forgetting because it is a recipe thing rather than a shopping thing. I aimed to then used the replenished £230 to pay for the extra luxuries at Christmas but now I just set aside the money I don't spend in my two months when I take a holiday. I found my system easier to keep up on a simple spreadsheet but you will need to find the system that works for you, and does not make you work to it, if you know what I mean

HTH
SL

Thank you I will have a look now

Frugalgurl

£2.89 spent yesterday so total spend is now £15.64

Kitchenbunny

Morning! New Year, new promises to myself to try and keep. I thought I'd set myself the challenge of sticking to a budget after about a year of not meal-planning or making good shopping lists, and to try and get back on the OS wagon to save some much needed extra money.

There are only the two of us, so I'm budgeting £180 for January (and hopefully for every month) to include all food and toiletries. I've got to try and make packed lunches more appealing to myself to save money that way and to avoid buying chocolatey snacks - rather to make everything from scratch that I possibly can.

I've made my first spend of the month - £12.86 at Mr T on tissues for DH, some veggies and some bits for packed lunches from tomorrow. I shall now update my signature and hope to keep on track this year!:T

FoxFace

Hi everyone

NSD #3 of the year for me... so far I haven't spent any money in 2016

Had some apples needed using this morning and the boys had a hankering for pancakes so made some apple pie pancake stacks for brunch (we all had a nice lie in this morning so breakfast happened at about 11am ). peeled and diced the apples and simmered them in tbl of lemon juice with half a tsp of ground cinnamon. Absolutely delish and empty plates all around

I have put some veg in SC to make some more HM veg soup in case we do get a bit hungry later (if not it can go in the fridge for tomorrow).

Dinner tonight... I'm a bit lost with. I messed up my days and had Saturday's meal on Friday So I am going to have to find something to do with either chickpeas or a butternut squash (as both were due to be put in a curry and DH doesn't want 2 curry meals in a week)... shouldn't be a problem because both are very versatile

Also starting today I am saving my jars rather than sending them to recycling... going to save about half a dozen and make some red onion chutney... might even try jam making in the summer when berries are in season and in abundance

selement

Think I need to be trying to join in, I need to go shopping today so haven't spent yet this January. I really need to be spending max £220 per month so will make that my initial target. It's only me and OH, we are trying to do slimming world, my OH likes a proper meat with his dinner. Less veggie meals is a little pricier.... we usually take a packed lunch to work anyway, but was thinking I might put my soup maker to good use and make soups for lunch more often.
Might have to start shopping at aldi.... I've been avoiding it because its not my closest supermarket (sainsburys and morrisons closer) and in an annoying part of the city, but we buy a lot of fruit for slimming world. I did mainly switch to morrisons for this reason (sainsburys is easily the most convenient to get to) as sainsburys fruit is expensive, but I expect aldi would be even better value.

mildredalien

First big shop of the year done - £39.58 in Aldi which should last us over a week plus a few storecupboard items. Noticed my Tesco delivery from last week has only just been taken from my account as well but luckily I was using up a bunch of my clubcard vouchers so it was only £1.66 It's coming out of this months grocery budget though as it's from this months pay.

I've meal planned for the week and hopefully can eek a few leftovers out of what we've bought as well. Now just to make sure the hubby doesn't go buying all sorts of crap at the shops during the week!

mrs-moneypenny

Afternoon all
Nsd today
Just put the food in the oven, doing the lentil shepherds pie with YS green beans and plum cobbler for afters.
Both are from the recipie list and nothing had to be bought.

WantToBeSE

Can you please add me to the list

I am aiming for £100 for the month this month.I have cupboards full of tinned and dried foods, so only need fresh fruit and veg, milk, eggs etc.

I've never had a budget this low before, so fingers crossed i can do it!

Lauralozzle

Milk, reduced chicken, potatoes and pop purchased (I take cans of pop for work - cheaper than going to the vending machine which would otherwise happen) for £7.58. We don't need anything else now - all sorted.

Salmon tray bake for dinner tonight - also going to make a goats cheese and red onion quiche with leftover ingredients (also uses up last of Christmas cheese) for lunchbox snacks.

Spend now £86.71/£190

Faete

I used to do this but fell off the wagon - I'd like to get back on track with a £300 spend for January.