February 2017 Grocery Challenge

robberbutton

I would love to cut down our grocery budget - currently spend £450-475 a month for our family of 7. I don't have a target - just want to see how little I can do it for. So far have spent £47 this week in Tesco (fruit, veg, yoghurt, squash, nappies etc) and will aim to use up stuff in cupboards and freezer.

I already menu plan, make most things from scratch, buy everyday value etc etc. I think a lot of the spending comes from DH's "top up" shops on the way home from work - I buy the basics, and he always gets the treats that the kids love!

[Deleted User]

elsiepac wrote: »

Thanks as always to Coxy, zippy and lynnejk for running the thread.

I have done a big grocery shop so far, plus an extra one (why oh why am I so out of control!), plus a fake meat shop (let's face it, most of it was entirely not needed)

Shopping is definately addictive. I used to be the same, but I replaced it with something else - saving & being frugal. Believe me, that too is also addictive, but better on the purse. I get such a kick seeing how many meals I can make, without shopping. Doesn't always work like that, as I do have a massive cupboard surplus, from when I used to shop excessively with Approved Food, but have run the freezer down (thankfully). If you want, say im not going to shop for a week, or give yourself a £5 budget for milk etc, and then see how long you last. Don't beat yourself up though, you are trying to tackle so many things, you should be proud of that fact. Good luck. xx

I'm hoping to not spend until Thurs, when I will get a few salad bits.

Meg72 - Love the lettuce idea. I did do it with onions, but it stunk the kitchen out, maybe I didn't change the water enough, but will definately be trying this.

medsdemon

Still technically on the last day of the January budget but a NSD so am using up what's in the fridge and making some meals to freeze for after work easiness for future days. My store cupboards are very run down ( missing some essential spices, no rice, no tinned beans or Catfood ��) so the next shop I do will be a major one.

I found salmon fillets in the freezer that were yellow sticker end so am having those for dinner and poaching one for the cat as its actually cheaper than his Catfood to cook him "normal " food.

Making a veggie crumble to go with the salmon to use up some stray veg and making a white sauce to go on them

Have also made a huge pot of Sweet Potato and Carrot soup using a recipe in the first post ( thank you, it looks and smells delicious) for lunches to freeze, I have a Split Pea Dahl cooking at the moment and have made a batch of falafel burgers to freeze for another dinner.

As you can see I'm trying to eat more veggie meals and can honestly say I don't usually miss meat at all.

We'll be out for dinner tomorrow night as its our anniversary and we're having a date night !!

Have a good day everyone

Islandmaid

My first NSD of the new month :j:j:j

Flat_Eric

JackieO wrote: »

Hi Chums declaring for the end of January Spent £41.21, have £18.79 left over which will get swept into my holiday fund today

New February budget for food is £60.00.No shopping to buy for at least the next 10 days :):):j:j:j

Well done to everyone for their efforts Its hard when the food prices seem to be going up daily ,but having a budget helps to keep you focussed on what you buy I only ever use cash and keep my food cash in a seperate purse and only take that with me when I actually go to the shops with my list of essentials that is needed
Onwards and upwards chums
JackieO xx

I share my food shops between T&sc0 & S^insbury$.
S^insbury$ are more expensive for most things but do compare/price better than T&sc0 on other items! I have favourites with both. Having built up quite a lot of favourites with S^insbury$ now, I've noticed since the New Year that lots of products have gone up in price. All adds up and makes your shopping bill more expensive than just last month. Disheartening.

debbym

Special trip to farm foods to get a bulk number of cheap whiskas pouches for my two big boys. £7.99 for 40 pouches rather than £12 for same size box in my local. Using my bulk buy fund to buy 8 of these and also bought some burgers and biscuit bars for the kids lunch boxes. Managed to use £7.50 worth of vouchers too.
Had I bought it all at Mt T's would have been approx £111.50 - instead spent £71.16 after discount.:)

sitesafe

Flat_Eric wrote: »

I share my food shops between T&sc0 & S^insbury$.
Having built up quite a lot of favourites with S^insbury$ now, I've noticed since the New Year that lots of products have gone up in price. All adds up and makes your shopping bill more expensive than just last month. Disheartening.

Me too!! I noticed that - I don't know if it's all prices but I tend to buy healthy foods like salmon, lean cooked meats, nuts, pearl barley, - I wrote out a shopping list on the mysupermarket site and there is a graph on there that shows how expensive the price is today as it was a month ago and I noticed there that many items were a lot more expensive now ..cooked meat at normally £1.50 a pack now £1.75...salmon usually £3.50 now £3.75 etc etc I wonder if they are permanent increases or whether they have put them up for the New Year resolutions people tend to have such as 'lose weight/eat healthy' etc! I hope they put them back down to their original prices if they do put them down that is. It's quite expensive to budget for the healthy options as it is.

Lauralozzle

So, February shopping month starts today and first spend to report.

Pay day treat - Dominos (2 for Tuesday) £17.99/£300

Dia_Pita

Hi, my January ended on 28th (not the 31st mixed up dates Duh!).
My budget for February is reduced to £150
as I spent less than expected in January and the shelves and freezer are still fairly well stocked.

claireyfairy82

First shop of the month, £56.16 spent between Aldi and Co-op.

I was disappointed when I went Aldi got my dates mixed up so the wrong super 6 deals on for my meal plan, I've got enough to do me till it changes on the 2nd so will pop back in then.