April 2019 Grocery Challenge 28 July 2018 at 10:09PM edited 15 March 2019 at 12:57PM in Old Style MoneySaving 202 replies 18.1K views

thriftwizard

Oh no, that's rubbish!! Assume there are no stalls this month coming you can get involved at to boost the coffers?

Not a lot! General markets are up & running, but I usually do best at the specialist "vintage" & textile shows, which are very much summer things. Trouble is, we need to book our pitches now and I'm totally up in the air about when I'll be able to trade again; it'd be daft to spend hundreds booking pitches & then discover I won't be fit to go. I shall offload some stock online and at our local auction room; won't earn us as much, but I need the space back. I will also take some "dead" (i.e. previously unsold) stock to the local car boot sales, but the good ones don't start up again until May, alas!

wannalot

Hello all,

Can I be part of this challenge please? I used to be part of this challenge, but last year I fell off the wagon in a big way!

However, I have a huge bill to pay this month (much bigger than anticipated and I desperately need to make savings elsewhere! I’d also like run down my freezer supplies!

With that in mind, I’d like to set a budget of £150 please, to run to 26/04.

Good luck everyone!

cuddlymarm

Hi guys
I’m in again please. I’m still plodding on with my £2000 for the year.
My implementation of more veggie less meat is going well. As is the keeping my cupboards full and not wasting anything.
I’m hoping the price of veg doesn’t go up too much when the dreaded B finally happens but in the meantime I’m keeping the freezer full with frozen veg, and experimenting with new items, raspberries tend to be the only frozen fruit I really prefer to fresh, but I happily eat most frozen veg and by the time it happens we should be getting into the local foods time of year.
It really focuses what I spend by keeping note.
OH was surprised by how little we spend and eat healthily.

Anyway I hope you guys are all well and ready for another month of sqeeeeezing every last penny.
Cuddles

allie23

Hi folks, I know I don't often post but even knowing I am part of this challenge helps. Please sign me up for £200 for April.

I am keeping to my budget but the truth is my meal planning isn't great and hasn't been for a while. It's like I have run out of steam with it after doing it for so many years. The number of takeaways we are having is increasing as I feel so tired when I get in from work I can't be bothered to cook. I'm feeling stuck in a rut and have been for a while. My weight is a big issue and it's getting worse with the takeaways and junk meals I have been having. Going to have a look around the recipe section for some inspiration.

elsiepac

Budgets updated to here

I'm provisionally saying I'm in for £202.50 for April (26th Mar - 25th Apr).

Based on £200 for the month but I found £2.50 in my purse so adding that on!!

The reason I'm not 100% on that budget is because I have a very tight month ahead anyway, but also there's a lot of changes to my salary starting this month (That I've only just found out about) - some up and some down, and I am a bit worried I may end up worse off!

Happy days, my salary came in higher than expected!! So I was able to pay extra to my electric which was worrying me slightly!! Officially declaring my budget at £202.50 for April.

Have bought my toothbrush heads! Found a pack of 4 genuine ones on eBay with good reviews (there seemed to be a lot of dodgy ones on there!) for £8 which is great as usually they'd be about £13, so I'm well happy with that!

That's from my £20 "stock" budget, so I have £12 left in there for my toiletries from 5uperdrug, which should be plenty as I still have some bits.

I have meals made up to Thursday lunchtime this week, but some fresh veg left which I can use with something for tea on Thursday, not sure what Friday lunch will be yet, ideally make double for tea Thursday and take the 2nd portion.

For my Week 1 budget, which was £32.50, I still have £20.38 left. In theory this is to cover up till Saturday, then Sunday my Week 2 budget starts. I need a few basics like stock cubes, garlic, onions, oats, and chickpeas and quinoa, but should comfortably get all this in in the rest of the Week 1 budget. Feeling the most confident I have in months!


...............................£202.50 Budget
Date.......Shop......Amount....Remaining
24 Mar.....A5da......£12.12....£190.38(WEEK 1)
26 Mar.....eBay......£08.00....£182.38(STOCK)

Merlin's_Beard

For simplicity, I'm going to say that my budget is still £100, but I'm hoping to come significantly under that to make up for last month's overspend.

PipneyJane

thriftwizard wrote: »

Okay... I don't have a clue now when I'm going to have my "reversal" operation. I've just spoken to the surgeon's secretary; there's nothing in the diary yet & he's on leave for most of April. Which leaves me hanging... I daren't book to do my stall at any of the summer shows - mostly you need to book the good ones within 24 hours of booking opening or there won't be any spaces left - because I don't know whether I'll be fit to drive & haul stuff around. Plus I haven't been able to work all winter, so the coffers are a bit on the empty side now, and the freezer supplies are dwindling. All a bit anxiety-provoking...

So - I kind of need to have two budgets in mind; one for if I'm in the driving seat all month, which would be £380, and one for if I'm out of action for a week or two, which would be £420. That's for food, toiletries & cleaning supplies for 4 adults, 2 of whom are omnivores, one pescatarian and one vegetarian. Easter supplies will come out of the "entertainments" budget & I think I'm going to put the bulk-buy & pet/livestock supplies back into the main budget shortly, as I keep forgetting to update them & I need to think about cutting back quite hard if I'm not able to earn anything for a few more months.

How frustrating for you, Thriftwizard. I will keep my fingers crossed that you get a date for the operation soon.

- Pip

elsiepac

Updates! I did my toiletries shop last night - stocked up on hand soap, shower gels, make up remover, cotton wool pads, deodorant and hand cream. Spent £20.01 on all that - got a bit overenthusiastic. So I'm £8.01 OVER on my "Stock" budget.
However, I'm deducting that from my "Week 1" budget, so it still works out.
I bought some vegan marshmallows from H&B to last me for a bit, as I like to have them in a hot chocolate! That was £4.98. So I now have £7.39 left in my "Week 1" budget. This is to last me until I do my shop for Week 2 on Sunday. I have lunch for today and tomorrow already made. I have dinner for tonight as well (baked sweet potato topped with t3sco Taco beans, fresh coriander and lime juice, with a homemade red cabbage and sugar snap pea slaw! - sounds extravagant but really a fairly economical meal!).

I haven't planned Friday or Saturday dinner, or Saturday lunch yet, but I have a bit of fresh veg left that should be ok, so it would only be supplementary bits to make it "treat" meals - it really is deeply ingrained in me that weekend dinners should be something special, I think it's from childhood. Whether it just means making myself some chips to bake, or having something more "exciting", it doesn't necessarily mean unhealthy or expensive, just something I wouldn't bother with in the week usually!! Anyone else do this?


...............................£202.50 Budget
Date.......Shop......Amount....Remaining
24 Mar.....A5da......£12.12....£190.38(WEEK 1)
26 Mar.....eBay......£08.00....£182.38(STOCK)
27 Mar.....Sup3rdrug.£20.01....£162.37(STOCK)
27 Mar.....H&B.......£04.98....£157.39(WEEK 1)

thriftwizard

How frustrating for you, Thriftwizard. I will keep my fingers crossed that you get a date for the operation soon.

- Pip

Got one, thank Heavens! I think my enquiry may have moved things along a bit. 23rd April, barring any sudden emergencies meaning I get postponed. Which is cutting it a bit fine for doing the fair on 12th May, but as that's an indoor event & OH could drive me down & help me set up, it should be do-able. And having been an emergency myself a couple of weeks ago, and very grateful to have been treated so fast, one way or another I will just swallow the disappointment (and the pitch fee!) if I can't do it after all.

So I will aim for £420, please; one of the girls is now rather interested in my budgetary efforts & will try to keep spending down & improvise. The other, and their father, think it's all a bit of a faff & a fuss about nothing, really, especially as she currently works in a supermarket & gets a decent discount. So I'll just try to make sure that their favourites are well stocked-up at sensible prices so they don't "just run up the road (W8rose) for a pint of milk & a loaf of bread" which somehow always results in £30 vanishing!

JingsMyBucket

Hi everyone! Elsie, could you please put me down for $500 this April? OH will be here in NYC in a week and a half and we’ll be getting married in the last part of the month. Who knows how crazy things will get and I just want to be realistic.