May 2018 Grocery Challenge

K9sandFelines

Although my budget is annually, i aim for £270 a month. However, although March was slightly over Feb and this month have been under by about £100. So, i have reduced it down to see if i can aim for £250- as i need a good stock up next month, probably a wonky veg shop from Morrisons and maybe Aldi and/or Tescos.

We are also aiming to get rid of the glut of biscuits in the house and we are practially at the end of most of the packets ( i have one unopened, daughter has none); and will aim to make them in future. That way they can't be eaten if not in. We have lots of other stuff that isn't good for you, but this is a start. It is hard for me to resist the goodies ( especially the reduced ones) when i work in a shop though

AsherBat

Hi all, it's been a long time since I used moneysavingexpert and I've been going through financial hell after the sale on ou house fell through after we moved to our new place and a new sale took 2 years! Plus my wife was out of work for a year after graduating. Not fun. BUT we are finally in a position where our budget matches our income but it's very tigh, so I need ot try and cut back as much as possible! I'm going to try the grocery challenge this month for £80. Good luck wishes appreciated!

Puddleglum

Hello. My first shop of the month has come in at £18.25.

I am cheating a bit with this one really as I'm away next week on DofE practice and hope that money will be provided for food so I've only bought iron rations. If worst comes to worst I won't starve but may have to spend more money!

NeverendingDMP

33 spent in s b. Had a money off voucher if I spent 30 so got dog food and thin
gs I can't get in Aldi.
11 at BB on booze as well so spend is 132 so far. 258 left and 25 days till payday x

Suffolk_lass

AsherBat wrote: »

Hi all, it's been a long time since I used moneysavingexpert and I've been going through financial hell after the sale on ou house fell through after we moved to our new place and a new sale took 2 years! Plus my wife was out of work for a year after graduating. Not fun. BUT we are finally in a position where our budget matches our income but it's very tigh, so I need ot try and cut back as much as possible! I'm going to try the grocery challenge this month for £80. Good luck wishes appreciated!

Best wishes Asherbat That is a very tight budget for two (used to be three and a dog?) unless you are stocked up for the next siege. You'll need all the top tips in the first post or two to stick to that.

I wish you luck!

Suffolk_lass

We have spent £3.99 this week and DH will be on his own until Thursday night so hopefully apples and milk will be the only additions. I think it works well to skip a week if I can hold my nerve and not give in.

It has helped us to keep under the £200 per month I am aiming for within our annual budget of £3k (which goes bonkers over December, in case you think it is going well over here!)

AsherBat

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

Best wishes Asherbat That is a very tight budget for two (used to be three and a dog?) unless you are stocked up for the next siege. You'll need all the top tips in the first post or two to stick to that.

I wish you luck!

Thanks! Yep it used to be 3 as we had a friend living with us for 6 months while she finished university. And I now budget desperately for the dog as I've got a monthly food subscription for him, but he is still around I do think I may be being over ambitious, but we don't eat meat and we have a lot of flour, rice, etc in already so hoping we can make it work if we try to shop at the market more for our fruit and veg. We can afford a bit more, but thought we may as well challenge ourselves! I will definitely have a good read through the tips. Do I need to do something to get my name added to the list?

cw18

I've spent the last few days trying to decide what to set as my May budget, and my May rules on what I can buy as I continue trying to use up my personal food mountain.....

Original plan was £100 as it's a 5 week month, plus extra for the week I'm away with OH, 2 of my GDs, and OH's niece (probably an extra £20 from me, as I take as much from my cupboards/freezers as possible and OH will no doubt chip in as he has the last couple of years).

But there's another food festival next Sunday which is where I totally lost the plot with my April budget (£95 in one day :eek: ), so I also have to work that into my budget......

So I definitely need extra for the week away (allow £20 and hope for the best), and I need some chicken (can't see much in my freezer) so at least another £10 there. There's also an offer in Cost0 I'd like to get in for (or get OH to pick up for me if he goes) which is around £10, but will last me the rest of the year. I also need 2 bags of chicken nuggets for my work lunches, which is another £6. And I've already spent £1.38 on mini chocolate eggs for the holiday (to make nest cakes with the girls) which I've not yet accounted for. Total so far stands at around £48.

For the 4 weeks I'm at home I'm then going to allow £1/week on sweet treats (biscuits and such, or ingredients for home baking), £1/week for a weekend dessert for myself and OH (though I should try and make something cheaper so may also use this for baking ingredients if I can figure out what to make - he doesn't eat any kind of milk pudding including custard), £2/week for bread products (loaves for toast, or rolls and wraps etc for other meals), and £4/week for ingredients needed to complete meals (such as frozen veg which I'm very, very short on, potatoes, and other fresh veg as I could do with doing some batch cooking for the freezer) - so that's another £32.

Setting my monthly budget at £120 then leaves me just £40 for the food festival, though I could do with not spending all that in case I run out of something else I've not spotted I'm short on later in the month. I'd also like to not spend everything as I'm keen to start reducing my 'year to date' overspend. I guess it's going to be another month with no tea bags on my shopping lists

I can't honestly see myself having any chance of coming in under budget if I set it any lower (unless we don't go to the food festival), so

Please set my May Budget at £120, thanks

selloptape

Hi everyone, I'm aiming for £290 this month.

I've meal planned for next week - trying to follow SW and budgeting is a little challenging. I've previously relied on a lot of expensive soft fruits and lean meats so trying to find cheaper options. Luckily I love a lot of veggie meals

Monday - Cajun dirty rice
Tues - l/o Cajun dirty rice
Weds - sesame tofu and steamed veg
Thurs - sesame tofu and steamed veg
Fri - rice and lentils

Good luck everyone x

taka

Can I be put down for £155 for May please (calendar month). Really need to meal plan... erm... AND stick to it! :rotfl: