January 2017 Grocery Challenge. NEW BEGINNINGS!

wannalot

Coxy11 wrote: »

Hello to you all - remember me?

I'm the thread rep who lists everyone's budgets on post #3 but unfortunately I haven't been able to post since the October challenge. My nephew took his own life six weeks ago and it has been very difficult to have any time for 'normal' activities during that time. We say goodbye to him tomorrow so things are settling down and I just wanted to make a new start to my duties on here by coming on and letting you know why I haven't been around.

Once DS2 has finished with the laptop I will get on and make a note of all your budgets. It's encouraging to see lots of newbies and returners to the thread - welcome to you all. Wishing you all luck with the challenge,

Coxy

Coxy, I've just been catching up with the thread, and just seen your post. Words can't express how sorry I am for your loss. I'm thinking of you and your family, and especially of your nephew, who I hope is now at peace.

iammumtoone

zafiro1984 I admire you for actually knowing what you have spent in the year. most people (including myself) have no idea and many of us would be shocked if we were to keep track. I now intend to make a note every month so I will know my figure for 2017 (the threads during the year will help me keep track).

sitesafe thanks for the links, I have too much else I need to do before having the time to start a course but I have bookmarked it for future, hopefully middle of the year I will be able to consider it.

I have bought myself a mini food processor today. I do own one but it is huge and due to that I can't be bothered to keep taking it out and setting it up to use. This one is small enough to stay out permanently now just need to make sure when I start meal planning that I include things that will need it. I have already grated the cheese I have in the fridge and put back in a seal bag. I also plan to make my own breadcrumbs.

iammumtoone

declaring spends

work Thursday £4.50:eek: bit much but I was stressed so treated myself to a full cooked breakfast plus dinner and more coffee than normal (needed them to keep me awake :rotfl:) work Friday £2.50 dinner and coffee.

supermarkets - £15.36 bits and bobs embarrassed to say can't really remember

Mini food processor £20 (not sure if to include this)

Running total £59.57 (supermarkets 49.72, work 7.25)

zafiro1984

iammumtoone wrote: »

zafiro1984 I admire you for actually knowing what you have spent in the year. most people (including myself) have no idea and many of us would be shocked if we were to keep track. I now intend to make a note every month so I will know my figure for 2017 (the threads during the year will help me keep track).

iammumtoone I think I must be a bit of an excel geek
I keep track of all my spends from food, insurances, electric units, clothes, household items, garden etc etc, you'd be surprised what it unearths about spending habits over the year.
I'm retired now but used own and run a reasonable sized business where I kept track of things - they used to call it benchmarking in my day

Jan 1st tomorrow - New Year - new spreadsheet

Hard_Up_Hester

I shopped today:-
Butter
Activia spread
Cotton buds
Eggs
Bread
Potatoes
Frozen peas
£18.01, I've added the items to my January spread sheet.

mookiepook

zafiro1984 wrote: »

iammumtoone I think I must be a bit of an excel geek
I keep track of all my spends from food, insurances, electric units, clothes, household items, garden etc etc, you'd be surprised what it unearths about spending habits over the year.
I'm retired now but used own and run a reasonable sized business where I kept track of things - they used to call it benchmarking in my day

Jan 1st tomorrow - New Year - new spreadsheet

Wow - I'm so impressed that you've kept track of everything. I've started spending diaries before but not kept them going. Will try harder this year, I think I'll be very shocked at my spending habits :eek:

Willowx

It's new year, new budget for me. Last year went reasonably well in terms of money in was greater than money out which on some levels is the main thing but I need to really cut down on impromptu spends, both in terms of lunches for work and random kitchen items. Having to walk through Mr T's car park to get home has been working against me! As has the new cafe onsite offering simple sandwiches, just like homemade indeed but the many times the price it would cost me isn't worth the extra 20 minutes in bed in the morning. December was the start of my get back on track and this year I hope to stay there. My budget will include all food and drink (groceries, holiday and take away), toiletries, cleaning products and other household goods.

I'm going to go back to basics for this year, an annual budget of £1560 which works out as approximately £30 a week. My budget weeks start on Saturdays as that is the only day when I'm able to walk to the next village before the butchers and greengrocers have closed. My year will run from today until Friday 29th December 2017. As much as I've been enjoying the extra cashback I've been getting for using contactless on my debit card I'm going back to the tried and tested cash in purse method as that makes it a much more conscious effort to overspend and lets me see just how much I have. I'm looking to avoid the supermarkets as much as possible, to avoid temptation, support local businesses and to try and eat more local and seasonal food. I am also planning on trying at least one new recipe a week, nothing extravagant just to try and get my enthusiasm about cooking back again. It's closer to last new year than this when I last posted in the what's for dinner thread.

My financial year starts today and spend so far is £29.99. From the butchers (£20.71), calves liver, sage and onion pork sausages, lamb chops and some goats cheddar (it sounded interesting!). There's a lot more than a weeks worth of meat in there and I'm hoping to do some cooking for the freezer over the long weekend. From the greengrocers (£9.28) Cox's apples, clementines, pink grapefruit, English tomatoes (rather early it seems), carrots, parsnips, savoy cabbage, saxon potatoes and lettuce. Fruit for the week some of the veg (especially the potatoes) will go into next week.

That was rambley but that's all from me for now. I hope you all get what you want out of 2017.

Rachiedabbler70

Just been catching up on the thread today and read your post Coxy 11 - I am so sorry for your loss and wanted to add my condolences. Take care xx

suzeesu2000

Have £76.25 of £80 budget left. DH spent another £7.00 today on rice and sweeties for kitty. Her sweets will last her until almost the end of January.

Now have £69.25 left...have no need to buy anything for a while although I must say the Cauli he bought yesterday wont last as long as I had hoped - its tiny!!

Rachiedabbler70

Although I have some money left from December, I am going to switch to my new 12 month 2017 budget today as I have bought items for eating from tomorrow onwards and a couple of things for tonight.

Spent £26.42/£3250 in Lidl. Apart from milk I think I have enough for the week as my freezer is full of good stuff left over from Christmas - especially turkey and ham so packed lunches sorted.

I haven't meal planned for this week however I have some HM chilli, curry and lasagne in the freezer. I have bread flour for pizza bases and enough things for toppings, some potatoes for jackets and minced beef for some burgers - rough meal plan

Hope you all have a good New Year.