July 2017 Grocery Challenge

simplelivingcottage

Hello all,

Done my weekly shop on Saturday, took £50 and spent £34.92 in two shops. Not to bad. We also put £1 into saving stamps, I was going to do two but we wanted to buy eggs from the farm shop so needed the change. Also managed to put £10 into savings so that I can overpay the mortgage.

Shoprite List
Manx Mince £5.07
Cake things £1
Manx butter £1.60
Total – £7.67

Tesco List
lemonade £0.53
Manx Milk 2pint £1.20
0% Yogurt £1.05
Oreo Ice Cream £1.49
Kids Yogurt £1.50
Manx Cream £0.69
Mushrooms £0.79
Strawberries £2.00
Raspberries £2.50
Cheese Slices £1.00
Soy Sauce £0.68
Peri Peri Soup £1.17
Brown Sugar £2.63
Grated Cheese £2.50
Bananas £1.13
Dog Treats £1.25
Apples £3.14
Greeting Card £2.00
Total £27.25

Farm Shop - £1.50 eggs

Saving Stamp - £1

Full total £37.42

Saved half of the mince for another day too, in two sets of 250g for mince and gravy later on!

elsiepac

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

Elsiepac, you do seem to be struggling. Just by way of constructive support I added up your signature spends for the last 8 months and your average spend between November and June (inclusive) is £208.95 per month.

Based on this empirical evidence, would you consider increasing your target to £200 per month and then aiming for a small reduction month-on month, rather than a target you always miss?

- A lot of people split their budgets into weekly amounts - given your approach over the months does reflect someone who prefers to do your weekly shop (and top-ups), and always has certain things in your cupboard, why not add a week for your stores to each month - so for a five week month in July you would divide by six (yes, I know £200 doesn't divide by six) giving you £33 per week and £35 for your re-stocking.

It's just a suggestion. I feel so sad for you when you miss every month. If something has to change, why not try this?

Suffolk Lass thank you so much for your lovely post and all the effort you've put in for me!! I'm really touched!
I like the idea of having a 6 week budget but one of them for stores... that actually really makes sense.
I am still super stocked up - not to excess, it's all stuff I use, just like to take advantage of offers! And things like my dried beans and grains I tend to stock up as soon as the jars start running low, so that I always have a choice!
I already feel like £150 a month is excessive, however I see what you mean about increasing a bit and then not going over every time!
I will look at my budget for August (as I only have slightly over a week left in July, but shouldn't need anything more now), with a view to making it a bit less challenging and actually oplanning for my beginning of the month shop, which I always do, so you're right, I should account for it. I should also really examine whether I really need more tinned toms for example, before buying just because on offer!

Again, thank you so much for your really thoughtful and kind post! I'll report back!

pinkypig

Hi everyone . £96.83/£140 after three weekly shops and the odd top up of milk and fresh bits which puts me slightly under budget with 11 days to go. I've meal planned and stocks are good so there's no excuse
Hope everyone's having a good month
PP xx

MissLemon

MissLemon wrote: »

Weekend shopping came to £49.09 so I have spent a total of £129.39.

The weekend shopping included dog food but I've still got to get him his kibble so fingers crossed I can stay under budget.

Since posting this morning my OH popped into Tesco and spent £23.05, including stuff for the freezer as he said he didn't know we were having a pantry month :eek:

So total spent is £151.98 with £48.02 remaining. I'm still hoping to be on budget but I think I might have to be more creative in the kitchen and get buy without much fresh veggies!

GrowingPlants

Another £16.58 spent yesterday. I didn't keep to my list but I had planned on looking at the reduced so I don't feel too bad about it. The peanut butter I like was 1/2 price so even though I don't need another jar yet I picked one up. It's one of the more expensive brands but I buy it cause it doesn't have any palm oil in it.

It's looking like I'm going to be under budget.:j
I think I have enough stuff in to last the remainder of the month. It will just be a top up shop for oat milk and apples next week.
£44.62/£100

PennyGrabber

Nsd today. My ch wanted icecreams after school as it was soooo hot... Instead of buying them singly at the local c00p, we went to ffoods (on way home so no extra fuel) and bought six double caramel magnums for £4! That's 67p each which is waaaay cheaper than singly, and meant I could treat myself too. This comes from ents/pocket money budget, but I managed to not buy anything else while in there. Go me!!

Dinner for me was hummus with veggies and some ys garlic bread. The cb had bolognese nachos, which they quite enjoyed for a change.

We were going to have ham and cheese baguettes for dinner on weds, but having looked at the date on the ham, we'll be having that tomorrow, and I'll just have to think of something else for Wednesday's quick dinner. Then I don't feed the children until 29th July as they'll be with their dad on holiday ( for me but for them). I'll be away for four of those days, and I'm out for food thurs fri and sat this week - that never happens!

More stuff going out than coming in... Thankfully!

PG x

[Deleted User]

armchairexpert wrote: »

Save Dosh, have you really never heard of Placebo before?????

lol....... no never, but am now a fan.

Well, my 'i'm not shopping for a week' blah blah, didn't quite work out. £9.78 spent in Tesco - no biggie - still within budget. Really wanted free from cheese/salad cream and beetroot, plus a few other bits. Just need a couple of salad bits and i'm done for the week. Have updated sig.

armchairexpert

Mr E continues to merrily go his own way re: food, but I cannot complain about last night's dinner: slow cooked chicken cacciatore on the wood oven with mashed potato and h/m bread, and all for the cost of a $6 packet of chicken drumsticks. We all had it again for lunch today.

I'll wrestle control back tomorrow when his leave ends and he goes back to the office. $424 left of $1100.

t14cy_t

catch up time...reporting spends of £20 over the last week. best YS haul was in morrisons on sunday £58 of goodies for £8!! so, £19 left in budget for rest of the month.!! xx

Skintmama

Chuckling over the influence loved ones have over attempts to budget:rotfl:I wonder if there is an alternative thread somewhere on MSE entitled "My OH is so stingy with the food budget now!"

I wanted to use up stockpiles of dried fruits and nuts so persuaded DH to have home made muesli. He has now take over the making of this and happily throws in lots of more expensive ingredients, enjoying selecting new additions when out shopping. Far from being moneysaving, his muesli is now a luxurious, gourmet concoction! He eats more of it too, as it is so nice. I think it is probably healthier though and he says it suits his digestion better so it is here to stay!

Yesterday's shopping: £17.42 of muesli ingredients, which I hope will last a good while and £4.46 of other things I needed. Not sure how much I have left for the month as I still need to update my signature.

We are more than halfway there and it sounds like everyone is doing well. It is amazing how interesting it is reading about other people's shopping

£48.48 left for the month. Slightly scary but still possible.