January 2017 Grocery Challenge. NEW BEGINNINGS!

FrugalinShropshire

£200 for us please

[Deleted User]

Can I join please?

I am setting an annual budget as I bulk buy from a wholefood cooperative which means some months are incredibly expensive and others dirt cheap!

Annual budget is £4800 - I'm using my phone at the moment and can't get the size/colour change thing to work so will edit this when the tablet is charged...sorry!!

ETA - found the sizing/colour buttons!!

craigywv

hi i been absent for near a year so i am back by force .............trying for thirty quid a week as three freezers and cupboatds are bulging so will be running these down over next few weeks and brother owes me two catering packs of chicken breasts so will have those too. regarding the tablet debate i work in a pound shop and we allowed to sell three paracetamol or 3 ibruprofen at one time can also sell generic lemsip not the beechams one at same time as selling the 3 tablets for a pound i think it contains a very small amount in it hth.an alarm goes off on our till if too much scans thru till and will not allow customer to purchase any more than legally allowed . anyway i hoping to sell lots on ebay in coming months so will keep this money from sales for bulk buying,good luck all.

just_trying

Hi all, back again. To much going on last month or so but tried to stick to budget but having to go away etc cost a little more.

I need to reduce budget a little and ahem, going to try and only buy things I will actually use that week or next. Budget £75 a week, basically 5 adults, kids 13, 17,18,but would like to lower if could includes everything except alcohol.

Hope you all have a lovely Christmas, whatever your doing.

Working week, my OH and son take packed lunch, oldest dd 3 days, youngest most days, with money for toast at school and drink normally takes a £1 with money left over. Son comes home at lunch as well as packed lunch, yip, Company for a while ☺.

Need to stop over spending.

redmel1621

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

£85 a week should be do-able if you shop sensibly and plan to use up what you already have. It is a good idea to start with a 10% drop so it is not like body-shock-fasting-equivalent-grocery-saving :eek: - if you have done it before you will remember the key things:

1 Plan around what you already have in - meal plan a bit
2 Shop for what you need, not to replenish everything
3 It isn't a bargain if you won't use it
4 Don't be a brand-snob unless you love it, and then buy it when it is on offer, not at full price
5 Stretch it with padding (lentils or vegetables)

Good luck
SL

Thank you for your reply.

Yes, I am sure it will come flooding back to me once i get started. My main hurdle will be getting back into meal planning and making a shopping list.

We aren't really brand snobs, except maybe tea-bags and marge (I stock up when they are on offer) plus we only get organic milk. 95% of my shopping comes from Aldi.

I am not going back to making bread, as I know it will be unrealistic to keep up once I start work, but we get Aldi's 45p bread so it isn't hugely expensive anyway.


My first week will start on Wednesday 28th December, so I need to get my bum in gear and get a meal plan sorted. I'm looking forward to re-gaining control

suzeesu2000

meg72 wrote: »

Please put me down for £80 this month. This is my normal budget however I intend to carry using up and running down the freezers as I have been doing for the last two months.

Anything left over at the end of the month will be transferred to the bulk buy fund. I am convinced that I over buy for fear of not having enough food money. This anxiety has dogged me for years and stems from a time of real hardship. I am determined to try and break this habit this year and have persuaded myself that if I have a bulk buy fund I will be able to see that there is enough money. I am aiming to have three months budget £240 in the bank. I know I can do this as the last two months have proved to me. £125 already saved.

That, if you dont mind my saying, is a blimming brilliant idea. Why have i never thought that stashing the cash is better than filling the cupboards and then throwing it away cos its three years out of date!!

Going to try VERY hard to copy you. Thanks for the tip.

suzeesu2000

StephieWillcox wrote: »

I am in awe of some of your budgets, you really do a fantastic job at keeping costs down.

I'm not ready to make serious changes yet, but a budget of £500 (for a 5 week month) will have to suffice for the time being. I am hoping over this year to get it down. I am ok with £400 a month, would be incredible to get below that but we will see. This is to cover all groceries, cleaning products, cat food and litter and nappies. Takeaways come out of a separate budget.

ETA: I do my shop online at Ocado - with a little one I really find online shopping to be the best solution for me, but am wondering if I should switch down to Tesco to save money. Which is the best online shop you've used?

As a disabled housebound couple, i highly sing the praises of Iceland. Yes its lower cost but the quality is very good, no charges for delivery and problems sorted in an instant, i love them. Also found Sainsburys home delivery to be excellent, substitutes are good as well. I really dont like the delivery charge but, when i buy cat litter for £1.55 for a huge sack and bottled water for 20p i can budget that in.

suzeesu2000

And please may I join in?

Have a pretty well stocked cupboard and run 1 tall freezer and 1 fridge freezer, just because being housebound i worry about having nothing in, thats got to change.

So going to set my January (1st to 31st) budget at... £80 for all food/cleaning/toiletries etc. Rarely have takeaways but they will be paid out of hubbys change pot so not affecting budget. Only 2 adults and one gorgeous puss cat, she has expensive tastes!

Already excited!!

Hard_Up_Hester

I'd like to join in too, we need to save as I'd really like to retire this year at 66, I'm not a brand snob but my L&M is with bread, coffee & tea, he won't eat meat free meals but isn't aware that I add oats and lentils to mince etc.
I will go for £30 a week to start with, easy this month as the fridge and freezer are stuffed full. This will include toiletries and cleaning, packed lunches for us both and has to accommodated my L&M's shift system that is changed regularly.

ScotinLondon

Can you please put me down for £140. My month actually commences on 25th...

Hopefully will be able to reign it in this month, well at least for this week as freeezer & fridge is full..

Have a great boxing day everyone.

SIL x