January 2016 Grocery Challenge

mummyroysof3

Think ive ovrspent by less than £10 so that will have to do lol see you in febuary

pollys

Thought I'd done for January but DH needed supplies for packed lunches for work this weekend. I may need to buy milk and butter tomorrow, it's being used faster than expected. I've made homemade bread which will account for the butter!

Well done everyone, some great results.

Polly

Billie-jo

Last shop for this month done this morning and it brings us up to a total of £145.26 leaving £34.74 to go into savings. Under budget but not by as much as I thought it would have been.
See you all on the Feb thread - good luck to those who are still to declare.

lynnejk

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Hi everyone - sorry not been posting much. I do read at lunchtimes at work but can't log in to 'thank' or post.

Well done to everyone taking part .... I need this now more than ever as I've been doing a temp job which has ended (I do have another to do to but it's quite a salary drop unfortunately)

GC has been going OK - but, I have a question please

My GC runs to 31st Jan - but I had to go to town last night (nearest big range of shops incl places like B&M, Lidl, Aldi etc which I don't have here) so decided to stock up with stuff like loo rolls, tissues etc etc while there :T - but most of this stuff is going to be used in Feb & even March! :eek:

Currently sitting at £181 (so only £6 over!) but I do still have my 'everyday' stuff like milk, bread etc to get this week so prob about £20 or so still to add.

I tend to do a stock up every 2/3 months when I'm in town - how would you tweak your budget to cover this sort of thing?

I run a 'Bulk Buy' fund - which I find easier than the buy-back method.


If you look on my signature you will see the current total. I started two years ago with £100 in there on top of my monthly budget.


I then use this for things that suddenly appear on offer that I know I use a lot of - such as Hz Baked beans (don't like others), a two/three month trip to the butcher and a two/three month stock up - usually F Foods for such as T rolls, washing stuff etc.


I take the money out of there and then, on months that I am under budget I put the 'overs' back in. As you can see I am just about breaking even after two years and about to do a butcher and F Food trip(have voucher) in February when DH has a couple of days off and so can take me in the car.


HTH - any questions please ask
Lx

Crowdpleaser

Hi all!

A great month for me as I dropped my usual budget by 70 quid and came in under my new budget of 250! Final declaring of 226.57. That's 23.43 under budget. Am really happy although o think next month will be harder as my meat stores are rather run down! See you all on February from Monday! X

rising_from_the_ashes

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

I divide my annual budget (£3000 in 2016) into 13, with the extra £10 going to my 13th month. I use this for stock shops. When I remember, I then try and transfer out of that 13th month back into the month I use the thing in, so that I have an extra £240 to cover all the extra things I need at Christmas. I don't always remember, but it is OK as I have accounted for it.

The other thing I do in my stock shop is try to only buy things when they are on offer. So I bought 6 shower gels when they were £1 instead of £2.20 each. Coffee and laundry detergent are my big things this month. If I was following the famous second purse system I would pay full price when I use these from my stores - but I am not saving for anything except paying off my mortgage so I don't always worry. I know the coffee and detergent were £4 each so if I want to top up my stores fund I "buy things out" when I have a holiday (so when I have an easier month for food).

I hope this helps
SL

lynnejk wrote: »

I run a 'Bulk Buy' fund - which I find easier than the buy-back method.


If you look on my signature you will see the current total. I started two years ago with £100 in there on top of my monthly budget.


I then use this for things that suddenly appear on offer that I know I use a lot of - such as Hz Baked beans (don't like others), a two/three month trip to the butcher and a two/three month stock up - usually F Foods for such as T rolls, washing stuff etc.


I take the money out of there and then, on months that I am under budget I put the 'overs' back in. As you can see I am just about breaking even after two years and about to do a butcher and F Food trip(have voucher) in February when DH has a couple of days off and so can take me in the car.


HTH - any questions please ask
Lx

Thanks both ....

I did try the 2nd purse for a bit but didn't really get on with it and also an annual budget (which I had thought of doing again this year) ..... and I'm sure I've also done it by splitting it into 1/4s and having 2 smaller / 1 bigger, but I found I might come across stock up things in the smaller months so that didn't work either!

I think a lot has to do with where I live (limited to 2 small sm's, both 16 mile round trips (unhelpfully in opposite directions!) - so I do tend to take advantage & stock up when I'm in town (and there's also so much more choice and the stuff is cheaper overall)

Although over in Jan - I now have enough loo rolls / tissues / shampoo / conditioner and, on the food front, pasta / rice / soup to last Feb & probably March - so it would seem that I need some sort of bulk buy fund ..... will have a ponder!

I wonder if a 1/4ly budget would work (but then I might have the same issue if I buy stock stuff in March ....)

pollys

I'm going to declare, signature updated. I did buy milk and butter but nothing else. I've got £59.74 to transfer to savings, will round it up to £60
See you over on the February board, same target set, slightly shorter month but includes February half term.

Polly

lynnejk

Evening all


Last NSD of the month here.


Small weekly shop the morrow and then that's the end of the month, thank goodness.


Hope you all have a super Sunday
Lx

t14cy_t

over budget by £14, so didnt quite make it, but all freezer and fridge and stores are full still!! spent more on the chickens and ducks this month but theyre worth it!! roll on febs GC. well done all. xx

grunnie

My budget was £100 for this month and spent £85.24 but there was some toothpaste and soap etc in that so not all food. Bought loads of YS fruit for 10p a pop. Do people really pay £1.75 in mr t for a tray of precut fruit -3 strawberries, grapes, melon, water melon and pineapple. Have to say it is lovely and at 10p who can resist. :j