March 2019 Grocery Challenge

MadamMim2013

Currently up to £128.14/£300.. not sure if that’s good or bad :rotfl:
Thinking of placing an online order for Sainsbobs as have a money off voucher and xtra points too.. plus a coupon for £ off fuel too :T
Shall start a list n see how it goes..:D

PipneyJane

Good evening All.

Firstly, apologies but I haven’t had a chance to read anyone’s posts today. I will read them in the morning and respond tomorrow, I promise.

Secondly, I have two spends to declare for today: £4.94 in Lidl, and £8.50 in MrT’s. The latter was a sandwich lunch for me and DH to eat at the football (two £3 meal deals and an extra sandwich for himself). The Lidl spend was on their it’s-not-Tresseme-but-it-looks-the-same shampoo (2x 1L bottles at £1.19 each), two packets of wraps and two packets of their muffins which had been marked down by 30%. This brings our grocery challenge spend to £112.72/£162 leaving £49.28 for the rest of the month.

All things considered, I’ve had quite a productive evening. I got home at 6pm after the match, made soup for tomorrow night’s dinner, cooked pork and beans for tonight’s meal and tomorrow’s lunchboxes (accompanied by rice) and made two loaves of banana bread. There’s three extra portions of cooked beans for the freezer, too. I’m currently watching Match of the Day while waiting for the banana bread to finish cooking.

- Pip

tighteningthebelt

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

I bought three packets of the branded ones and then swap the contents of a generic ones into the packet, as they became empty and represent them as new boxes . I told him at the end of his hay fever season and he is now content to use the generic ones, rather like that shopping thing Greg Wallace does on the TV

Hilarious! The things we do!!! I remember my son visiting a wealthy boy he knew when he was about 7... He was shocked to have seen the mum decanting aldi milk into waitrose bottles, and couldn't understand why. We concluded it was snobbery... But maybe someone was fussy there too. Fabulous.

tighteningthebelt

ditty 1234
Hi there,
In response to your puzzlement my family size for catering is quite variable, so there's 1,2 or 3 people. Because of this I do an annual budget of £1800 which works out at 150/month average. I could get it down lower than this but I don't want to long term.
I include household cleaning stuff, and eating out (very rare, usually invite people round instead), but not toiletries as I get them in January with a gift card my lovely dad (creature of habit) gets me every Christmas, so they are a kind of budget dodge! I don't buy snacks because I'm already big and I eat them if they're in the house, no willpower. I eat lots of veg and fruit, but I'll run the super six at aldi and work my meals round anything that's priced down (mornings better). I take a flask whenever I go out.
Agree with previous reply about meal planning, that's the key to the Golden Kingdom... And yes, working through the freezer/stores will be a springboard to changing habits.
Personally I love doing challenges, which I set myself when my family is away... Examples...
A week from the freezer.
How many days from a weeks shop (did 21 once, but I was eating sauteed cabbage with pickled beetroot for the last 2 days, now a running joke with everyone I know!!).
Meat free months.
Home baked bread and home made soup week/month
How many days from one pot (curry, chilli, stew etc).
They are fun (sad).
You'll find what works for you, I'm sure. One step at a time. I'm sure you'll get lots of helpful responses... Its good on here!:)

Suffolk_lass

ditty1234 wrote: »

£201/£260
Basically not doing well, have £95 too add for grocery shopping this weekend. Had visitors so bought wine and meat. Also shopped in Sainsbury and stocked up on toiletries including things like foundation, spot cream(not for me) So a bit mad as this now leaves me with £59 for the rest of the month. Freezer and most other things are stocked up though.
When I posted my SOA people seemed to think £260 is generous for 2 people. Do they have an other secret budget for snacks, eating out, don't eat any vegetables, for makeup and other house hold staples? Admittedly I buy quite a lot of snacks for lunches, but I bring lunch 5 days a week and are a member of the office coffee club my son has school lunch once a week, and is away from the house 7-6 4 days a week - hence stacks of bought and home made snacks. I am not judging/feeling judged, just feeling slightly puzzled. I will save receipts for the next few weeks and start to dig in.
Am now questioning logic in using 2. Sainsbury voucher 10.50 off £70 shop?

In the years I have been doing this, the way I shop, where I shop, what I shop for, and how much I spend have all changed. I started after a non-December where I had spent over £800 and when I looked back, I realised I was actually spending between £160 and £200 at least 3 weeks out of four.

My grocery shopping includes all food, cleaning products, pet treats and 50% of the cat food (some from the pet store where the litter is bought - indoor cat), all toiletries except the face cream (my treat to me). It does not include eating out but did include coffees and lunches at one time. Eggs from a neighbour are £2 for a dozen, once a fortnight, with more if I need them. I have been doing it so long I only ever buy my brands and non-perishables when they are on offer - example is shower gloop - instead of £2.20 each, I wait and buy 6 when they are 2 for £2. I have not paid full price for maybe three years.

I buy (cheaper cuts of British) meat, vegetables (fresh and frozen), tins, packets, dairy and lots of salad, with a separate stores budget that runs my store cupboard across the year. I buy premium jumbo organic oats and oat bran from the local health food shop and get catering packs of nuts and seeds from there or occasionally on-line or from Costco (with a friend who has an account).

Other things, I still buy Ryvita, but it is the £1 packets, not the £1.37 packets. I still buy Douwe Egberts Coffee, but never more than £5 for a large jar - and I check mysupermarket for the promotions of my brands when I am two packs out from running out, for coffee in particular.

I stopped shopping at Waitflower and Sainsbugs except for certain things, and regularly shop at Morries, the market, the butcher, and maybe once every couple of months at Lidl or Aldo's.

I buy veg that is in season - so my list (always use a list for the things I need, not a regular list) will say green veg and then only add carrots, onion, garlic or potatoes if I need them. Examples - Wonky Cauliflower 72p not £1, wonky cabbage 62p instead of broccoli £1.35/kilo or 78p in a cellophane pack. Wonky frozen fruit is £2 for a kilo. It beats the pants off fresh 220g packs of berries at 2 for £3.

My household is 2/3 adults (DH and DS are both 6'4" with corresponding appetites) and now 1 cat (I lost one) - DS lives in the town and comes to eat 1-2 a week and takes away food regularly as he struggles on NMW when he has things like touring on (P/T musician).

My budget is averaged at £200 a month now, within my annual £3000 which I underspent for 2018 but kept the same.

I regularly do a freezer and stores week where I buy only milk and bowl fruit. January I did a Christmas leftovers and use-up month, to run down things I had left-over or in the freezer and to be honest, could have done another. I spent £77.63 in January.

For snacks, again, I get the offers, if any, but check out the recipes at the start of the thread and there are lots you could save on by making. Twinks Hob-nobs link here are a household favourite (not using my premium oats, I use saver ones, cook 50% of the recipe and cook 15 degrees cooler in my oven). I always keep a bowl of fruit on the go for anyone (£1 for five oranges, local apples are 35p each - an extravagance, £1 for a net of easy peeler clementines, currently).

I take 2 neighbours dogs out for walks and have just bought savers nappy sacks for 17p a pack, instead of the more expensive poop-scoop bags at 99p. They go in the dog bin in the Village.

I could add more but I hope there is something in here that can help you. When I started this I thought I could just... - rather conceited on my part and it was only when I read to understand rather than respond that I started to really learn and save. I hope this is a shortcut for you and not preachy. This thread has been running for years and some of the saved wisdom in the first posts remains valid and good advice - well worth taking the time to read through.

They are not kidding when they say this is a journey - aim for a small reduction each time you shop and you will save. And we will be here to support and help if you want it.

Suffolk_lass

Thanks for the nudge re hay fever remedies - I ordered 6 months for £3.79 and no need to decant them anymore! :rotfl:

euronorris

ditty1234 wrote: »

£201/£260
Basically not doing well, have £95 too add for grocery shopping this weekend. Had visitors so bought wine and meat. Also shopped in Sainsbury and stocked up on toiletries including things like foundation, spot cream(not for me) So a bit mad as this now leaves me with £59 for the rest of the month. Freezer and most other things are stocked up though.
When I posted my SOA people seemed to think £260 is generous for 2 people. Do they have an other secret budget for snacks, eating out, don't eat any vegetables, for makeup and other house hold staples? Admittedly I buy quite a lot of snacks for lunches, but I bring lunch 5 days a week and are a member of the office coffee club my son has school lunch once a week, and is away from the house 7-6 4 days a week - hence stacks of bought and home made snacks. I am not judging/feeling judged, just feeling slightly puzzled. I will save receipts for the next few weeks and start to dig in.
Am now questioning logic in using 2. Sainsbury voucher 10.50 off £70 shop?

I shop for three (2 adults and a toddler). My budget this month is £300, and this is the first month I am likely to actually meet that, instead of overspending.


BUT...I don't include makeup in that budget. I do include takeaways (like McDonalds), but wouldn't include a planned meal out with friends or family (I'd consider that from my treat/spare budget).


What I am doing this month is keeping track of everything I buy in a spreadsheet. It seems a bit excessive, but it is really helping me to see where I am spending chunks of money - ie, I spend a disproportionately high amount of money on fizzy pop, even with sourcing the cheapest places for them. Fresh fruit is also another large expense for us. We are both dieting and being healthy, and DD adores her fruit (something we encourage), so we get through several punnets, a bunch of bananas and a bag of satsumas/tangerines every week.


Snacks can be a large expense, and was in the past for us, but we have cut that way back.


In other news, I have some more spends to declare, but I left the receipts at home, so will have to do later.


ETA: Thanks for nudge re hayfever tablets. Have also ordered a 6 month supply!

ditty1234

Hi thanks all, I am now confident and determined that my £59 will have to last for the month. Or at least till the 29th my budget week starts on a Friday so if I cen get through til then, i'll be happy, and probably not starving. Will tear up my coupon for Mr S for next weekend.

PipneyJane

ditty1234 wrote: »

£201/£260
Basically not doing well, have £95 too add for grocery shopping this weekend. Had visitors so bought wine and meat. Also shopped in Sainsbury and stocked up on toiletries including things like foundation, spot cream(not for me) So a bit mad as this now leaves me with £59 for the rest of the month. Freezer and most other things are stocked up though.
When I posted my SOA people seemed to think £260 is generous for 2 people. Do they have an other secret budget for snacks, eating out, don't eat any vegetables, for makeup and other house hold staples? Admittedly I buy quite a lot of snacks for lunches, but I bring lunch 5 days a week and are a member of the office coffee club my son has school lunch once a week, and is away from the house 7-6 4 days a week - hence stacks of bought and home made snacks. I am not judging/feeling judged, just feeling slightly puzzled. I will save receipts for the next few weeks and start to dig in.
Am now questioning logic in using 2. Sainsbury voucher 10.50 off £70 shop?

OK, let's take a step back for a minute and I'll tell you about my shopping habits. There are two of us, both adults. We allocate our monthly "housekeeping" budget as follows:-

£120 - general grocery items, toiletries (but not cosmetics or my hair dye), veggies and eggs from the farm shop, etc. This is what I track in the Grocery Challenge
£ 40 - meat fund - this accumulates until we go to the butcher shop
£ 40 - Bulk Fund - for shopping at Costco, Wing-Yip (Chinese wholesaler) or going nuts when something we use regularly is on sale (e.g. when tinned chopped tomatoes are at 4-for-£1, I'll buy 24 cans).
£ 10 - Christmas - used for the goose, the Christmas tree and chocolate for Easter
£ 10 - Garden - for gardening supplies, seeds, etc

---

£220
====

Takeaways and meals out come from a separate budget or from our own pockets. We take our lunches to work and rarely buy coffees or snacks.

We do one big supermarket shop a month, with a top up on most Sundays, when I'll buy yogurts and mushrooms but not much else. Whenever I'm in a supermarket, I will check the Condemned Food sections for Yellow Sticky bargains, but that is about the only time we'll buy supermarket meat or ready meals.

I'll visit the butcher every 3-4 months, in order to restock the freezer. Our regular butcher closed last year - retired - but we've found a reasonable replacement not too far away. We'll also buy the occasional tray of meat from Costco (e.g. 10 lamb leg steaks), however I'd rather support a local butcher.

We usually visit the farm shop every second weekend (on average). Regular fresh veg purchases are onions, carrots, potatoes, broccoli and spring onion from the farm shop (plus eggs), while I'll buy peppers and mushrooms from the supermarket. If the farmer has seasonal treats like spinach or broad beans, I'll buy those and freeze them in portions for later.

We drink a lot of squash, not a lot of fruit juice and get through about a litre of milk a week. While I bake my own bread (breadmaker), I freeze muffins and tortillas or store them in the fridge. I meal plan from the pantry and freezer - asking "what haven't we eaten lately?" - and the fridge (where the question is "what needs to be used up?"). Virtually every meal I make generates leftovers - most recipes feed 4 or 6 - so I portion those up when I'm dishing up dinner, to avoid over-large portions and to prevent my DH helping himself to seconds/thirds, leaving nothing as "left over". Those "set-asides" are what we take to work for lunch.

I hope the above helps.

- Pip

K9sandFelines

K9sandFelines wrote: »

So need to add £7.32 and missing spend to total.

Found missing receipt, so altogether £12.52