May 2017 Grocery Challenge

Skintmama

£150 for May please

This is food spending only, for 3 adults, including most packed lunches. It doesn't include the milk bill which is £16-20 per month, or eating out (very rare anyway). I like to separate things out so that I can analyse my spending habits.

Mhagster - welcome

Good luck everyone xx

Florence_J

OH went to the shops on my behalf and was remarkably restrained and only came back with cheesecake that wasn't on the list, and even that was a YS buy, I think he is learning

ICELAND - £7
TESCO - £5.13
HOME BARGAINS - £3.92

Total spend so far £107.35/£200

Will need to do a meal plan soon.

One thing that drives up our food costs is OH is doing a painting course and eats his dinner separately to mine, and he doesn't cook, he 'heats up' , so we have to have tinned meals, microwave rice and ready made pasta sauces in stock for him to quickly eat a dinner. The cost is minimal in the long term, but when I know the 'make it/cook it yourself' cost would be a fraction of the ready made cost that's when I get annoyed.

allmannerofthings

Joining in for the first time! Our grocery spend is usually at least £400 :eek: We've just taken on a mortgage and I'm determined to reduce our other expenses. I'm setting our grocery target for May at £240, without really knowing if I can manage that or not! Hopefully it should be doable, as the freezer and cupboards are fairly full. I just did an online shop from A which came to £42.40 which should be it for this week, apart from possibly topping up bread and milk during the week. Here goes then....

thriftwizard

And I'm off for May! £11.40 spent, on a sack of spuds (£8) and some decent cheddar at this morning's market.

2childmum

I would like to join in again after quite a while away. DH has just lost his job, so we need to cut back. I already meal plan and use cheaper supermarkets, but I plan to make better use of what we buy. May for us won't actually start until next Saturday, and will be for 4 weeks, for 2 adults and a teenager (who really eats like an adult). One of my problems is that my son has gone to uni, so I need to adjust to cooking for 3 not 4. My budget is £320, to include lunches for DH and me and some sort of snack for DD to take to school, plus toiletries and cleaning stuff.

candygirl

LYNNEJK, so sorry you've been poorly hun, n hope you feel better asap xx

armchairexpert

Florence_J wrote: »

One thing that drives up our food costs is OH is doing a painting course and eats his dinner separately to mine, and he doesn't cook, he 'heats up' , so we have to have tinned meals, microwave rice and ready made pasta sauces in stock for him to quickly eat a dinner. The cost is minimal in the long term, but when I know the 'make it/cook it yourself' cost would be a fraction of the ready made cost that's when I get annoyed.

Can he not just heat up his portion of dinner? I tend to make more dinner than needed so both Mr Expert and I heat up a second helping for lunch the next day, there are very few things that can't be reheated!

fendi-bag-lady

£2.25 spent on snacks yesterday. Also got a takeaway but taking that out of the 'entertainment' budget. Spent so far: £22.15/£250

Lx

Cappella

FlorenceJ said:
One thing that drives up our food costs is OH is doing a painting course and eats his dinner separately to mine, and he doesn't cook, he 'heats up' , so we have to have tinned meals, microwave rice and ready made pasta sauces in stock for him to quickly eat a dinner. The cost is minimal in the long term, but when I know the 'make it/cook it yourself' cost would be a fraction of the ready made cost that's when I get annoyed.

I was wondering the same thing as armchairexpert? Couldn't you still cook for both of you and he could microwave his when he gets in? I do that a lot as even though we've both retired my OH gets 'lost in time and space' on the allotment:) and I like to eat at regular hours or I get very irritable

A nsd yesterday, and another today. We are going to be on the allotment all day so I'm packing sandwiches and will make coffee down there. My purse is clamped shut!

e4rly

Hello all! I am joining for May as over the last year my food shopping bill has crept up, and up, and up...
My limit is £150, which is still generous but will restrain me (my April total was £260 - how I don't know).
Included: all food (covering breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks) and cleaning products.
Excluded: alcohol and meals out
Now time to be serious!