March 2017 Grocery Challenge

zafiro1984

Daisymae2575 wrote: »

May I join you as I am newbie to this budgeting. I have finally starting to take control and grocery spending is my first goal.
My first budget is £235.07 from 23rd February to 27th March - using £50 per week as a guide. This is going to be a challenge as I do not have a cooker, living with a microwave, single ring camper stove and a kettle, added to this no car means shopping has to be done at local stores such as Sains***, M&S and CO** as not on bus route or safe route for cycling.
Let the game commence.
DaisyMae x

You have just reminded me of when we bought a house in the sticks a long time ago I had no kitchen for 10 months and a family of four, plus I worked full time. I had an old door as a work surface propped up on breeze blocks. We survived with kettle, slow cooker, steamer, microwave and fridge. I didn't even have running water into the kitchen, I had to go outside about 100yds away to an outside tap. The bath was also outside (it was summer), we survived and have never laughed so much.

So may I make a suggestion:- a slow cooker would be a good investment. Even now I do roast meat in mine as well as casseroles. To do a piece of meat put it in a roasting bag and pop it into your slow cooker, takes a while but the meat falls apart, vegs on the camper stove.

Suffolk_lass

elsiepac wrote: »

Thanks for this - totally get where you're coming from! When I say about stock cupboard, I mean the dry goods that I use all the time and therefore always want some in my cupboard, then when I see a recipe, I always know I have the herbs or spices required, or a stock cube etc. When I get low, I note it on my fridge pad for the next shop. My problem is that where I do my "extra" shops, obviously this has a knock on effect for how much money I have available later in the month, so end up not replenishing these items, which leads to being run out and having to buy everything at once again when I get paid - perfect example this month!

The root of my problem is really just self control, and not buying two of everything. The shops will always be there!

Maybe you could add up how much money you have invested in food in your cupboard? I did this and was so shocked and ashamed of myself. You need a catalyst to make you change something I think.

For me I could still feed 50 this weekend without shopping again - so my stores are still plentiful. I just paid less than half price for them.

SL

elsiepac

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

Maybe you could add up how much money you have invested in food in your cupboard? I did this and was so shocked and ashamed of myself. You need a catalyst to make you change something I think.

For me I could still feed 50 this weekend without shopping again - so my stores are still plentiful. I just paid less than half price for them.

SL

I recently had a supboard and fridge clear out and was shocked at how much "stuff" I had (and at how much I got rid of) so my cupboards are looking pretty good - by which I mean they are now about 80% food I regularly eat (i.e. proper groceries like tinned tomatoes). I have 2 more cupboards to go through that I know I never touch and I know are full, therefore I shouldn't buy this stuff! What I have noticed, and this is similar to where I go wrong with budgeting, is that the surplus stuff is all things I've bought on a whim - for some reason I think I have about 4 different chutneys. All unopened. All out of date. I rarely eat (vegan) cheese or use chutney, so why I went mad buying it I don't know! Also 2 jars of caramel sauce that I bought PURELY because I saw them advertised as vegan from M&S, paid £6 each for them (I know) in delight at having found something so exciting, then tried once and never used again. Because I don't eat that kind of thing! So it never got used! (Luckily one is unopened so I'm going to "donate" it at work - people will eat anything there if you leave it in the kitchen!

Will update spends later from my shopping last night, I did get a couple of extras but I think I did quite well. E.g. one extra was 3 packs of Linda M sausages - always good to have in freezer and I have several recipes that use them, plus I just like them! They are still on offer at 3 for £5 but only till 27 Feb, hence I picked them up to take advantage of the offer. I always use a couple of packs a month. But that was an unplanned £5, however I would have spent it at some point so it's not what I would call an "impulse" purchase!

Florence_J

I have finished my February month so am joining you all over here from today.

Ended February £43.39 over budget.

March target is £195 but I am going to keep an eye on budget as now that our eating habits have changed and are both having home made work lunches, it may be that we need to increase the budget.

debbym

Add me in again please £ 480 for 5 of us ( inc 2 teenagers) plus 2 cats and toiletries. 4 out of 5 have special diets too..
Dropped normal budget by 20% so should be interesting!

elsiepac

Got some bargains yesterday! had to pop to the mall to get make up basics - I use Body Shop stuff. Make up is pretty much always on 3 for 2 anyway, so I got a £12 item free, then I had £5 on my card so I used that too, so paying £25 for £42 worth of product, then because I had spent £25 I got a free gift (which I looked up and would be £24.50 to buy!) which is a chamomile cleanser oil and chamomile cleansing "butter" and a muslin cloth. I wouldn't buy these items myself, but they are full size and I will use them so pretty pleased with that! As I didn't know if they were vegan (I only check the stuff I use!) I got them to check the vegan list in store and they are.

Anyway, then I had to walk back through M&S to get to my car... dangerous at the best of times let alone pay day!! Well... I spent £3.10 form the grocery budget! Feeling very pleased as this was on FIVE packs of different (accidentally vegan) hot nibbly bits I love, that were reduced to 65p and one to 50p! Had some for my treat tea last night, which I was getting tempted to buy something as a treat, so saved myself some money there!

Anyway, then went to Aldi where I just got everything on my list that I could that was cheaper than Tesco - new tactic - write down Mr T prices on my list then go to Aldi first, so I can compare! Some stuff, eg sweet potatoes, was very similar in price, only pennies out, but they didn't have good ones in Aldi so I paid a teeny bit more in Tesco.

I was DELIGHTED to find almond milk for 59p (!!!!!) for a litre! I had it on my list and Alpro would have cost me £1.80! I'm ALWAYS going to get the cheaper one now!

Tesco I pickled up extra items. Namely the veggie sausages that weren't on the list - because they were still on offer, so they are in the freezer as they'll get used. 2 packs of choc chip hob nobs on at 2 for £2 (accidentally vegan).
Instead of my usual Alpro yoghurts which are £1.80 for a pack of 4, they had the Alpro Go On! ones, which are 85p each usually but they were 2 for £1! So I paid a teeny bit more and got those instead as they are SO much nicer!

Also got a big bag of crisps, houmous, pasta (remembered I was getting low and it was a last minute addition to meal plan!), fresh bread, and 3 packs of crispbreads (I buy when on offer for lunches) off list. I've done a lot worse in the past, and most of this stuff was because it's things I regularly use that are on offer. £3 spent on un-needed treats. Not too bad.

H&B was closed so couldn't get my nooch, also forgot where veg suet was in store then realised at the other end and couldn't be bothered to go back, but need it for Wednesday. Couldn't find breadcrumbs, but they are not urgent, I was just running low. Oh and bizarrely no Original Source soap AT ALL! I've been eking mine out waiting for it to be back on offer at £1, but it's disappeared!

So will have another spend this week of £6.72 on veg suet, 2 tubs of nutritional yeast, and marjoram.
Will need soap (and breadcrumbs) within the next week or so.

Date.......Shop......Amount.....Remaining (from £120 budget)
24 Feb.....M&S.......£03.10.....£116.90
24 Feb.....A1d1......£08.27.....£108.63
24 Feb.....T35c0.....£53.56.....£55.07

Fruittea

Hello everyone - I've finished the February challenge with £10.11 in the kitty and have now done my first March shop on Ocado which will be delivered on Tuesday. I've shopped mostly the Essential brand - so I should save more money. The food element of the shop comes to £54.05. This month I will try to use up some of the cupboard store and keep using up the freezer stock and try to one when of them down. I'm sticking to a £150 budget again. Good luck everyone.

x0emz0x

Hi, please can I join? My March budget will be £200. My month will run from 03/03 to 04/04.

just_trying

Elsiepac, home bargains have the shower gel all the time for 99p. I buy it to, though know stores are limited. They also sell almond milk etc. If you have one near worth a look.

I'm going to bow out just now, due to ongoing things.

Was in Aldi today and they had a new barissta coffee for £2.29 I think, if you like that stuff. I drink tea with occasional cup of coffee (carte noir).

They had our nut bars, (Pealo) I think they said and raw fruit bars. My oldest liked these though I had a small taste and thought they were really sweet though they are raw.

Good luck all.

armchairexpert

Hi! I would very much like to join, but I am in Australian dollars! Am I still allowed? My budget will be an eye-watering (to you) $1000 for the month: that's four humans, two cats, some chickens and all toiletries and cleaning things, and we really never buy lunch or takeaway. I struggled to keep it at $300/week this month so this is a big cut.

Completely understand if my currency disqualifies me and I will just lurk instead in that case.