January 2018 Grocery Challenge

Ginmonster

Darn it I blew it at the last minute! We stopped off at a waitrose on the way home from a day out and I knew we needed to get some fruit but I also got excited at the fantastic range of veggie stuff and ended up buying 2 pies and a haggis. Then there were a few other bits like fish fingers and beans that we can live without but are useful when other kids come over to play and you need to feed them (it's the one thing they all eat!) so I spent £25.54 which takes me over budget. Oh well, try again in Feb.

£ 116.23/£100

PennyGrabber

Oh went shopping for me again today, but this time I'll pay him back. He spent £25.96, which included everything needed for DD's cookery lesson - about £7 worth!! Anyway, total is now £80.08 out of my £100 budget, and I can't see me buying anything else in January as I'm not actually going to shops! However, im not going to declare until 31st, just in case! The extra £19.92 will be very useful in going towards clearing my overdraft.

PG x

Mrs_Cheshire

Got a few bits to buy tomorrow, bread, milk and banana's namely.
I've done my meal plan for Feb, thinking of going to the butchers and buying everything for the month and freezing it. Saves time and hopefully I'll stick to the plan that way.

IrisViolet

Just updating that I ended my month only slightly over budget £409/£400

So I'm actually really pleased as its the lowest ive spent in a long long time and for 2 adults and 4 children I think is not so bad. Will be going February's challenge and will hopefully come in at under my £400 this time. I've decided to go back to online shopping. Although not as cheap as Aldi I can do a full weeks shop and watch them amounts and really take my time over i5 making sure in order enough of everything. Hopefully this will make a difference.

Hev

Two more spends incl one to top up stores at Aldi as we had run down stocks before the kitchen refit. Total £165.74 spent so far £34.26 left out of £200 but one more week to go until payday 🤞

Aereon

Little update cause I've neglected posting on my progress

In my first week of shopping I spent £24.60 out of £25 in S4nsburs and I really did struggle fitting within the budget, but that was understandable as it was my first week and it's okay cause I managed it!
In my second week I split my shopping between 4ldi and S4ansburs and came out spending £25.26. I think I unknowingly spent the change I saved from the last week because I was tracking it via keeping my change in an envelope with my reciepts and writing the total of each week on the envelope as I went. Either way, still within budget
In my third week I spent £24.86, this was at S4nburs in 2 seperate trips. 1 was a big shop and the 2nd a top up shop for bread and stuff.
In my final week I spent £23.78, that was also at S4nsburs.

So in total I've spent £98.50 out of my £125 set out for January, and saved £26.50 yay!
I think for February I will make my budget £100, since I ended up not needing the extra £25 in January and it's a short month

MadamMim2013

Picked up a few items from my lil' local on way home from hospital apt & school meeting this morning..
Bread and milk full price £2.25
Crispy potatoes, scotch eggs, sprouts and bread rolls all ys.. £2.20 (saved 3.45) :T
So £4.45 should... Should be the last spends for Jan.. Will wait till 31st to confirm this..
So happy, have come in way under budget!

Ooops... It should have been ys items cost £1.80. Forgot to deduct my 60p i ��

trifle-wist

Reporting January done at a total of £133.58 / £120. However, with my recalculated annual target split by month it's £133.58 / £132.86 and I can certainly live with that.

We are going to Costco tonight which will incur a spend but this will go in my Feb budget as I have meal planned with what we have in to last until 1 Feb. Plus, we were supposed to do Costco on Thurs but had to change our plans.

See you over in February! Congratulations to all who came in under this month and onwards and upwards to those of us that didn't quite hit our targets.

ancientmum

I have updated spends from last two weeks. Freezer is now full and I should not have to buy again until beginning of February.

I tried to do a YS trawl through the big Sinsb store, but only managed a couple of croissants. Then went to the Local on the corner for milk and came back with £13.86 worth of food for £4.20!

See you on the February thread.

short_bird

Definitely over budget by £20+.
I had £12.97 left after a supermarket trip but
a) didn't keep notes from last Wednesday when I had a couple of stops at coffee shops for at least £12.
b) got up late yesterday to no mains water and a train leaving fairly shortly: had to run out to buy water so I could get washed and take my daily meds. So: spendings on coffee, sandwiches etc. because of general unpreparedness.

Anyway, it's all a learning experience, given that I had no idea what I would spend in either December or January. Now more aware of the pitfalls.
I have a cunning plan for February