November 2017 Grocery Challenge

taka

Can I join in too please? Not done this for a couple of years but my grocery budget has got out of control and I need to get it back under control! Count me in for £150 please to take be through to the end of November.

Thank-you!

chocoholic_chick

I'm in again this month and going to aim for £250 please. This is to go from 27th Oct - 30th Nov but we are away for a week in that time so I've reduced my budget slightly from last month. Hoping to start stocking up for Christmas this month as well.

First spends of the month yesterday in Lidl of £57.15. Despite going in with a list I was feeling a bit sorry for myself so splurged on a few things and spent way more than I anticipated. That being said I shouldn't need anything until next weekend now when my second Gousto box is going to be delivered. Have to say I'm pretty impressed with them!

Islandmaid

Hi all,

I have been absent for a while, but need to get back on bored for November.

For me this is going to be NO-VEMBER.... nothing but essentials that is

I have given myself a budget of £200 for the month and that covers everything, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, toiletries etc for myself, Hubby, Youngest DS (19) occasional evenings with DD (21) and food for 4 cats.

BearPearSun

£6.44 on my Lidl shop. There shouldn't be any more spends this week apart from coffee.

£38.29/£245

[Deleted User]

Can I be put down for £80 for the month from now until 30th. I was going to drop it, but am going to be making up some vegan tins of chocolates for people (Xmas), which I will fund out of this. I have meal planned - in my usual 'slapdash' way for the week, all out of freezer & stores and its something like this

BREAKFAST
Either overnight oats with various fruits, or smoothies with my new 'superfood powders'.

LUNCHES
Homemade soup - spicy tomato & lentil, broccoli & potato or mushroom, or a roll of some description

DINNERS
Veggie Curries, Pulled Jackfruit, Vegan spag bol/shepherdless pie, vegan spicy mince wraps, meatfree bangers & swede & carrot mash etc., sweet potato something, I have tons. Can't think what else is in there, plus salad, salad, salad, but NO SHOPPING.

Tink_04 wrote: »

Ok looking at week 2 for £50 for 4 of us and I'm struggling to find a way to make it into a week menu I can use on a permanent basis. Is £50 doable as now that the freezer is a bit bare and the cupboards are run down I'm worried I'm not going to be able to manage it.

It really should be doable. I do a monthly budget, but divide it into weeks, so if you want, you can go over one week and still come out on budget. Plus, cook extra for the freezer for lazy days, it soon fills up. If you throw in some seriously cheap meals, for a couple of days, value spaghetti is 20p for a pack (the dried stuff I mean), I make a tomato sauce with passata, tomato puree & herbs plus fling in whatever you have, for brekkie oats or toast with spreads or beans, homemade soups for lunches, which I already have in the freezer, you can make them for pennies, healthy too, should get you on track. hth.

NewShadow wrote: »

Breakfast - porridge or overnight oats (depending on the weather and if I remember to prep the night before) with raspberries, bananas and/or apple.

OMG - just recently discovered these - one of my go to brekkies. I made with frozen blueberries, blackberries, & rice milk, so nice, came out like a pudding.

MissRikkiC

Thanks too all those arranging the thread! Could i be put down for £100 to run from 29th for 4 weeks. I wouldn't usually work that way but I covered a week from last months budget into November so will just plan for £25 per week x 4 weeks. That's for just me and DH for food and now neither of us are drinking.... then for non alcoholic drinks too!

Can I ask those that draw out the cash rather than pay on card, do you find it works? I mean do you end up spending it on parking or whatever because you have cash on you? I just think if I come in under budget it would be left in the account because I pay on card, I'll probably spend it on fuel or something else instead .... Whereas in cash I'll have it left over? Trying to fool proof.

We are in the process of buying our first house so need so the funds we can get at the moment hence the £25pw budget. Stock taking and meal planning and this week is almost entirely veggie... breakfasts are oats and smoothies and bagels and lunches are soup and pasta with either pesto or stir in sauces.

Hope everyone has had a great weekend, can you believe the sunshine so late in October! X

NewShadow

MissRikkiC wrote: »

Can I ask those that draw out the cash rather than pay on card, do you find it works?

I have two accounts - thus two cards - and a weekly cash purse.

On payday I transfer my budget for the month into the second account.

Then when I go shopping I get out the money I intend to spent that trip in cash (the atm is on the way to the first shop I tend to use).

It means whenever I buy anything I'm reminded how much money I have left in the purse for that week but I have my monthly money accessible if there's anything that's an amazing bargain or bulk buy - it's also that card that I use for online purchases so it all comes out of my monthly money.

When I go to work I only take my purse with me - no cards - so can't over spend on buying coffee or lunches.

The benefits of this system (to me) is that any excess money - beyond the odd pound - is still on a card and can be swept to my savings account at the end of the month. I never have too much 'cash' on me and I know when it's gone, it's gone. And the rest of my money - for rent and other important stuff - isn't mixed in with the money I can spend...

Worse that happens is I run out of money a week early and have to do without bread or fruit as I live out of the freezer/cupboard.

CRANKY40

I have a separate purse for grocery shopping money. I also budget for money that I can spend during each week so the money for both purses gets drawn out in cash. Anything left over at the end of the week goes into my holiday cash stash which is saved elsewhere. It's also handy to have a bit of spare cash in the house in case of emergencies.

purpleybat

will have to read the thread so far later as I have ANOTHER doctors appointment but while I remember i'd like to put my budget target in for £150 . slightly less than before but my freezer is rammed, esp as I bought loads of reduced meat yesterday

donnajt

I've never managed this challenge but have absolutely no idea how much i spend, so if its ok i'm gonna be brutually honest with myself and note how much i spend on groceries during november and then try and cut back in dec, jan etc x