November 2007 Grocery Challenge

Moniker

I knew I was tempting fate to say I would be under budget "by £5 or£6". DD1 phoned to say she was missing us a lot(ah!) and could she come home at the weekend? How could I refuse? She also asked for my home made fish cakes and as I had no fish left in the freezer I had to go out and buy some on Saturday. Result is that I have spent another £4 and have only £2-86 left! I will also have to buy some bananas tomorrow, but hope even so to come in on budget.

I feel quite guilty when I see how much other people survive on and still feel I am spending too much even if I do come in on budget. However, I have decided not to cut down too much next month as it would be unrealistic to make further cuts round Christmas, what with all the extra visitors and treats! I will make a really big effort for January - promise!

Good luck everyone - you continue to be an inspiration!

brummiebabe

lil_me wrote: »

brummiebabe, might be worth starting with a few simple things, here is what I would do, take or leave advice as you please, like I said it's what I would do, probably focusing on one thing at a time or it can be overwhelming.

• start with looking at what you are spending and where
• see where the big spends are, I found mine were things like packed lunch items, meats, cheeses etc
• see where you can make cut back n the big spends, I did things like less meat in casseroles and more veg, cheaper items for lunch boxes, grated cheese so use less, I use powdered milk more, make bread as it's cheaper now, reduced portion sizes (helping on the waistlines too ) - all little things that can help but depends where your extra spends are
• set yourself more realistic targets, once you can achieve it, drop it by 10% at a time max, nothing more!
• seperate the baby budget for nappies, wipes etc set that as what you spend usually (then any offers are a bonus) you could possibly try using flannels and water instead of baby wipes (it'll be a nice bonus once baby is potty trained!)
• keep a waste record of what you throw out
• organise the freezer, if it's small it needs to be organised, check what you have in and write it down, cross it off as you use it
• meal plan from the freezer list, cupboard stocks etc, using up what you have
• might be worth looking at how much your average meals cost, keep a list of how much what you have costs, even roughly, maybe try and throw in some cheaper meals to balance it out
• look for cheaper alternatives for the items you buy

I'm speaking not as a person who has always managed on £270-£300 for 2 adults, 2 kids for ALL meals and the animals (2 big dogs, lizard, hedgehog and fish) including laundry stuff, toiletries, cleaning, then any meals out and takeaways, but someone who has spent £800-900 a month before and has been through the process (with the help of those on this thread and others) of halving that and more. No I don't use coupons before you ask as stores up here don't take them. I don't buy nasty meats etc, I only use farm shop butcher and one other butcher I use occasionally. I buy a lot of freshfruit and veg, fruit especially.

Thanks for this Lil_me - certainly some food for thought (excuse the pun!!:rotfl: ) Am really impressed with what you've achieved!!

If we could have things like spag bols, casseroles etc then I think things may be a little easier - thing is my sons especially just won't eat them - nor cottage pie & the like.... I feel that I have to give them a proper 'meal' every night, so rarely do a 'cheap' night (eg beans on toast etc) DSs do like jacket potatoes - but DD HATES potato - it's so difficult to find meals that they all like!!

It's a good idea about separating out the nappies/wipes budget - may try this in December (although shouldn't need to get too much that month...but at least it'll be saved for January!!!:T )

I do already use my freezer contents to meal plan - it doesn't take long as freezer so small for a family of 5!!:rotfl: :rotfl:

Unfortunately I've thrown out all but my last receipt, but will look at this over the next few days.

Thanks again for all the advice everyone - you're all fab!!:A

egon

First a special thank you to all, especially rosieben, Jacks and lil.

I think, I have to give myself a break. We just moved into the house a month ago, and we had nothing left! So, it was stock up for everything.

My budget includes food, toiletries, cleaning stuff and nappies. DS1 will go onto potty training over the xmas period, that will hopefully make a difference.
DS2 went into reusable nappies, as I mentioned before. That should really cut down on the bills.
We do use a abattoir for our meats. It is cheaper than the butchers (they are all been delievered by the abattoir anyhow). Also, if I order over £25 (which is normal), then they deliver for FREE. Save's me a round trip of 20 miles.
Also, there is a fruit farm down the road, which sells cheap bags of pots (£7.50 for 25kg) and they sell a shopping bag full of apples for £6.50.
Great for the little one (puree) and OH lunchbox. DS1 prefers Bananas.
Anything else I am buying either from LIDL or Mr T. I am just making a price list for both to compare.
The one thing that enoys me about Mr T is, that all the club vouchers are only for use in store and not online. My nearest Mr T is 20 mins drive! :mad:

I do prefer online shopping, as I seem to buy less.....

:coffee:

So, off to make a list for the abattoir and xmas :eek: :rudolf:

See where this will take us next month.
My parents are over for a week, and they are very fussy eaters......

tattycath

Good Evening everyone.
Thank you Rosieben & Bobbykins for your advice re: saving stamps. I shall class them as a bonus on top of the budget-however, I still hope to come in under budget-depending on happenings & events in December.
Well done to all who have achieved budget this month and continued good luck for everyone in the challenge. There is loads of great advice/opinions on this thread, I intend to try and heed some of it to assist my future budgets- Lil_me - :A
I still feel very much like a newbie in some respects and I'm learning and feeding from all of your knowledge all the time-in a quest to learn to eat well for much less eventually-lol

lil_me

brummiebabe - My boys have a cooked meal each night, my oldest will eat very little when it comes to cold foods (packed lunches are a nightmare!!) my oldest son also will not eat anything made with mince apart from burgers, only potato product he will eat is waffles and chips, he won't eat rice, noodles or pasta (unless it's a specific brand and flavour pasta in sauce) won't touch beans, spaghetti, any veg but sweetcorn and cucumber (hence we go through boat loads of fruit!) won't touch anything apart from that pasta in a sauce so curry, chinese sauces, tomato based sauces etc etc all a no go. If I gave him anything like a soup, stew or anything else wet (inc something with gravy over it) he would sit there screaming and banging his head off the table until I moved it. That's just the oldest and the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his eating habits. Many restrictions in both of their diets as they both have autistic traits which eating issues comes part and parcel with(oldest diagnosed, youngest waiting to be basically)

I have learned that unfortunately to do cheaper nights for us, it's a case of cooking seperately for those who can't or won't have it. I know exactly how you feel when it comes to thinking 'What will everyone eat!' well in my house very little. Myself and my partner usually have the same meal, I of course have more veg as he usually refuses to eat that, occasionally the kids have the same if they can/will, I think we all eat the same once a week tops which is usually a pizza night (all different types but sort of same thing) sometimes a Sunday dinner they will have the meat, sweetcorn and yorkshires, youngest will have the mash.

Cheap meals don't need to be beans on toast, try some of the cheap meals threads on here for ideas. Unfortunately it's one of those things where if you can't find ways to save and your meal costs stay the same, then you won't be able to reduce your budget, as there just isn't room to alter it if you aren't changing anything. I am not trying to be critical, harsh or put a damper on things, just being honest.

It takes quite a bit of confidence, or dare I say balls, to change things, especially with fussy partners and children. It's took me a long time! Was scary but I am almost there, my 12th challenge is almost over, I started last December, spent 1/3 what I did the year before.


Oh bother I went shopping, will go and find the receipt and do the adding up, I know what the total was but some was for other people etcc...back in a mo when I find it....

nopot2pin

I have calculated how much I am over budget... and its not too bad... not as bad as I thought it would be anyway... only £14.39 over. I still have one week left for this month. I checked were I was last month at the same point... I was £49.11 over... So I am getting a little better at this

I am still £21 under for the fuel part of my challenge... but I will have to get some fuel during the week. And £21 will be plenty. :T

Going to try my hardest - honest - not to spend too much more money this week. :rolleyes:

High_Peak_Lass

Just totted up and I am on £217.89!!!!

Not wanting to tempt fate, I think I only need another 2 pints of milk till the end of the week and end of the challenge.

Thanks to everyone for their support with this challenge, feel so much better about things in general than I did at the beginning of November and starting to get finances sorted feels quite good.

Just got to go back to work tomorrow after 5 weeks on the sick:(

off to update my sig now.

rockie4

rockie4 wrote: »

September 251.43
October 227.74 :j

November..........I'm going to go for £200, lots in the cupboards and the freezer is quite well stocked.

I’m doing really well this month!!!
Total so far with a week to go is £159.27 and I only need a bit of milk and veg at the weekend – YAY!!!

I've not run the cupboards down too much either:j :j

This weeks bits and bats came in at just under £20 so the total for November 9it's pay day on Thursday) is

£179.08!!!!!:j :j Really chuffed!!

High_Peak_Lass

S*d's law!
I knew I shouldn't have posted earlier:mad:

Chicken wings I planned for tonight's tea were a bit whiffy after being defrosted so out they went.

Just spent £4.66 on more chicken wings, garlic, washing up liquid, garlic, bananas and orange juice.

Oh well, still under...just!

the_cat

Hi everyone - confession time I'm afraid!

Did really well in my first challenge but this month I have been really bad and not even been tracking my spending. No idea how much I have spent at all! Really cross with myself and determined to get back 'on the wagon'. Payday is tomorrow (yippee) so have reset my sig for December....

Must try harder...................