February 2019 Grocery Challenge

PipneyJane

Doom_and_Gloom wrote: »

We've really noticed price rises. We've switched some products to cheaper stores but other products we won't compromise on.

YorksLass wrote: »

Yup, and that's before B-Day too! Why do I get the feeling some manufacturers/stores are just jumping on the bandwagon?

Actually, it’s due to the collapse in the value of the Pound, which is a result of the B-word, but supermarkets have taken a while to pass it on. Britain imports so much of our food and other groceries, that the price rises are inevitable. (Over 60% of our food is imported, IIRC.)

Our money just cannot buy as much as it used to. Real life example of the collapse of the Pound: at the time of the vote, I worked for an American company. When I did my 2016-17 Forecast pre-vote, our planned exchange rate was £1=$1.47. (It was set annually at the start of the financial year.) By the October, when that financial year kicked in, our planned exchange rate had dropped to £1=$1.30. Friday, I caught a headline which proudly proclaimed that the Pound had climbed to £1=$1.31!

- Pip

Nellbell21

Aimed for £700 but think we will be £750 (I count whole month not pay day to payday). Need to dont he final count on Wednesday. I was missing in posting due to family illness but have kept recording spends. I’m aiming for £650 for march������

Wysiwyg49

Tried the new self scan thing in our local Sainsb and found it really useful to see the running total as you go round. It certainly helped me stick to the list. £85.17 added to signature and I’m hoping that’s all for Feb!

After checking price of gammon steaks I bought a small gammon joint instead. It was amazing how much leaner it was (I roasted it in cider and put a honey glaze on towards the end) and we got dinner for 3 plus loads of slices for sandwiches / a pie. Good start to the week

Wysiwyg49

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

Had to buy two pints of milk and a block of cooking cheese but otherwise we will wait for pay day on Tuesday. I am off to make fridge veg curry and hm Naan's for tonight to have with a bit of monkfish tail. I think I will marinade it and then bake it in a foil parcel of steam and a knob of butter

Have you got a recipe for homemade naans? I’d like to try them. Regular bread I am absolutely hopeless at!!

Matron_Midge

Declaring February at £235.86/£400.
Very pleased with myself although my annual total is still over budget.
I'm going to collect a substantial meat order in March but I should still be OK by the end of the first quarter. See you on the March thread.

becky170

Well we've massively overspent this month....final figure for the month is £497. Would have been slightly lower if we hadn't succumbed to a takeaway pizza last week. I get paid tomorrow so we'll be onto our march budget. We're currently stocked up so will not have to buy any dishwasher/washing powder or many toiletries next month so let's hope I manage to reign myself in a bit! Will try and regularly read the march thread to keep myself motivated too

shabbychic12

Went over a little in February but again freezer is full to bursting so will be low send in March. This challenge is at least keeping me mindful of my spending on groceries which tends to get out of hand at the best of times.x

MadamMim2013

A couple of NSD’s, a small spend yesterday & waiting for the Sainsbobs delivery this morning so will total up once that’s arrived.
Nearing my upper budget, mainly due to some bulk purchases
Ooh nearly forgot I’ve got some JC Sesonings coming, must add that to my total too oops, might be closer to the £300 than I thought :eek:

euronorris

Hi All


I've been AWOL and my grocery spending is ridiculous. I have a renewed motivation to get it under control and have made a meal plan (including snacks) for my little family, and have prepped a shopping list using mysupermarket to get things as cheap as possible (there are still some things that are branded, but I've tried cheaper versions and hated them - they are few though). So I'm all set for March (which will start from tomorrow for me - payday).


But, I have a question. One of the money saving ideas at the start of the thread is to make your own bread. But with own brand loafs at 50p each in most supermarkets, it doesn't seem like the saving is huge anymore. I sourced a well rated bread machine recipe from online, and costed out the ingredients per recipe based on buying the cheapest ingredients available, and it works out around 32p a loaf. A previous MSE thread suggests that the cost of electricity is around 6p a loaf, taking the total to 38p. So this is only a saving of about 12p per loaf. When you factor in the cost of a bread machine, second hand of course, is it really that big a saving?


I know there is, of course, the added benefit of home baked bread (yummy), but is it a big saving anymore? Is it a case that it used to be, but Littles and Allies growing as much as they have has seen prices drop?

flubberyzing

16.93 spend in Lidl, and that should be me done for the month! Might possibly need another pint of milk, but hopefully not. Coming in at 66.44.

For me, as a single person, I find the easiest way to have a cheap end of the month, when the purse is running a bit dry, is to have a 5-day-run of "things on toast" for dinners. Eggs, beans, cheese etc, all run pretty cheap, and I often have them in the house already. I make a point to bump up fruit and veg a bit for lunches, but for 5 days a month, it's worth it to me.