January 2017 Grocery Challenge. NEW BEGINNINGS!

chirpychick

Hi
Is it too late for me to join in?
We only have 11 days until payday but I'm absolutely broke due to a bill I wasn't expecting with the car's MOT.
This week I have taken stuff to CEX, sold a couple of things on ebay (got more listed but nothing's sold) and used the coppers from the copper jar.
I get carer's allowance on Monday (my 4yr has SN) so my budget needs to be

£50 for the week.

The thing is, I have realised how, even though it's unpleasant sometimes, we do survive on very little when we have to. It has made me think that if we can do it when we have to then we should do it all the time. Not necessarily as bad as it has been this week where myself and husband have lived off noodles and baked potatoes but if we were much more careful with our food budget we wouldn't have to live like that because we would have more money in the bank for when emergencies crop up.

We are fresh out of an IVA so just re balancing things, we have come out of it with a view to saving what we paid because we have other things that need to be done and possibly a house move in the future. We also never want to get into that situation again. So even though going forward we could afford to spend more, we'd rather not.

Our food budget has been creeping up for some months now but i want to achieve £50 a week from now on.

My biggest struggles are snacks for my son. He is in preschool now and has started coming home with requests such as "can I have packet biscuits like the other kids" and "can i have crisps like the other kids" or "can i have box drinks like the other kids" and I find this a real challenge because he already has issues which set him apart from others and I know he really wants to be seen to be like everyone else but on the other hand all of those easy lunchbox packets cost a small fortune!
He has also got issues with main meals due to his SN which means his options are really limited - I try to add in a new thing each week for him to try and get him into eating more variety but so often even things he likes can end up not getting eaten.

On my budget I also buy food for 2 dogs and all toiletries/cleaning products.

Sorry for waffling i wont do it every time, just so you know a bit about us

Suffolk_lass

chirpychick wrote: »

Hi
Is it too late for me to join in?
We only have 11 days until payday but I'm absolutely broke due to a bill I wasn't expecting with the car's MOT.
This week I have taken stuff to CEX, sold a couple of things on ebay (got more listed but nothing's sold) and used the coppers from the copper jar.
I get carer's allowance on Monday (my 4yr has SN) so my budget needs to be

£50 for the week.

The thing is, I have realised how, even though it's unpleasant sometimes, we do survive on very little when we have to. It has made me think that if we can do it when we have to then we should do it all the time. Not necessarily as bad as it has been this week where myself and husband have lived off noodles and baked potatoes but if we were much more careful with our food budget we wouldn't have to live like that because we would have more money in the bank for when emergencies crop up.

We are fresh out of an IVA so just re balancing things, we have come out of it with a view to saving what we paid because we have other things that need to be done and possibly a house move in the future. We also never want to get into that situation again. So even though going forward we could afford to spend more, we'd rather not.

Our food budget has been creeping up for some months now but i want to achieve £50 a week from now on.

My biggest struggles are snacks for my son. He is in preschool now and has started coming home with requests such as "can I have packet biscuits like the other kids" and "can i have crisps like the other kids" or "can i have box drinks like the other kids" and I find this a real challenge because he already has issues which set him apart from others and I know he really wants to be seen to be like everyone else but on the other hand all of those easy lunchbox packets cost a small fortune!
He has also got issues with main meals due to his SN which means his options are really limited - I try to add in a new thing each week for him to try and get him into eating more variety but so often even things he likes can end up not getting eaten.

On my budget I also buy food for 2 dogs and all toiletries/cleaning products.

Sorry for waffling i wont do it every time, just so you know a bit about us

Welcome! :wave: If it is your first time doing this sort of budgeting challenge it is well worth reading throughout one or two of the original guiding principles that are quoted in Zippy chick's first post each month.

It can be quite daunting but the big breakthrough comes when you start buying only the things you need, not the things you always buy or think you fancy, and you use up what you have before you buy more. If you can't resist an offer or a bargain, build it into your planning (meals, store cupboard essentials, bulk buying fund).

There are lots of ways of doing this, from cash purse, to 2nd purse to 13th month - they all work for some of us.

Anyway, well done for clearing that IVA and good luck - do ask if you want help or ideas - a friendly bunch in this thread

SL

fairy3

Hi all

Time is flying this month - another £21.44 spent over a couple of shops and including loo rolls and washing up liquid so still on track with target. Managed to snag some YS chicken, sausages and duck along with replacing staples of eggs milk and flour. Everyone is doing brilliantly with some lovely recipes. Am finding room in the cupboards and have labelled my jars of dry stuff (pulses, rice etc) and slowly organising freezers by content.
Stuck to menu plan apart from one day when DD and I had tuna mayo on jacket as CBA to cook.
It's freezing here so no plans to venture out today - hope all keeping warm and cosy x

zafiro1984

Busy day here at least it's not giving me any time to go shopping. I need to move my all hens to a new house. It's very hard on them being indoors at the moment, they usually are completely free, I don't even shut them in at night. The new house is a lot bigger so they will have far more room but it's about 400yds away and I can only take 8 at a time so it's taking quite a long time to get them across.

willkeepontrying

Really cross with myself... just 'nipped' to the shops last night to kill an hour whilst DS was footy training and ended up spending £48.11!!!! Grrrrrr!!!!! On the plus side, today has been a NSD. Onwards and upwards...

Art_Deco

Just been for top ups of milk and bread oh and reduced pies for tomorrows tea for hubby and lads while im on late shift, i dont get chance for a break at work so usually stuff a teacake in my uniform pocket and nibble it when i can, hoping no patients see me!! Just added up and have spent £197/ £250 still eating majority of freezer food,:)

Franalamadingdong

Well done wanttobeSE and life begins!

Welcome chirpy chick. Before you buy any of those snack things talk to his preschool. Many, like the one my son went to, has guidelines they expected parents to follow. Of course you'll always get the odd kid who will not eat anything other than crisps and biscuits, but by and large many preschools and schools expect you to adhere to a healthy eating policy and biscuits etc could be saved for times when the kids are at home. My DS is 5 and has come out with somethings, and after checking with school staff I've found it's either not necessarily true or it's more complex than he's made out.

Good luck for everyone with bad weather. We're OK here, just a bit cold! No grocery spends still, although DS is unhappy his first choice snacks (bananas and yogurts) are nearly used up and I said I'm not shopping this weekend. Did spend 30p at a cake sale, but that was out of DS's budget. Had my wisdom tooth out today, hence making bean stew yesterday. I knew it'd last two days and I don't have to cook today. Hurrah.

Caterina

Hello,

Spent £23.27 in MrT but of this, £5 is shopping for the church supper next week, so it is really £18.27 to count. Sig updated.

PennyGrabber

Big - huge - breakthrough for me today!! Well, to be fair, it was my daughter's prompting, but I'm still taking it!! I went to @@da today to buy a card for my sil 's birthday. We started wandering up the main central aisle, as I always do, and dd said why are we doing this? We always come and buy stuff we don't need... So, we bought the card and some (needed) toiletries, and left! I'm so proud!

PG x

pamsdish

£24 ish, lost receipt, in Morries wanted some brisket while on special, tonic waters,etc, had to use self service tills as friends waiting, picked up 2items I had coupons for, machine said no, I can`t take them back as no receipt, got very cross, as only wanted them with coupons, people behind me or I would have waited and had them deducted.Oh well, I seldom use those SS tills and never will again.