December 2019 Grocery Challenge

franby64

:xmastree:Evening

Today I finally went over budget, I just haven't been quite as frugal as I could have been but I don't think I would have done it anyway!

I'll keep count and fortunately I'm away for both Xmas and New Year...

Have a good Christmas everybody and see you in January.:xmastree:

Barbeduk

Morning!

I am now 6 days away from the end of my December budget and have 7.18 left to spend, plus a £5 morries voucher.

Did a massive lidly shop this week, plus the local 'passed its best before date' warehouse and a few bits in morries that couldn't get anywhere else. Managed to get 2x8p bags of the stew mix veg in morries which went straight into the slow cooker to make a massive veg curry. It was lovely, even though I was doubtful about swede in curry!

Just have to get some pizzas and more piggies in blankets then I'm done.

This is my first month doing the challenge for a few years and it's been a learning curve adjusting the shopping to a family of 3 rather than 4. I can definitely see how I just carried on my usual habits in the first couple of weeks which meant I spent more than I needed. Going into January the cupboards are bursting so I might try and reduce the weekly target to £45, with anything left over going in the savings pot.

If anyone is venturing out for a food shop today, hope it's not too stressful.

PipneyJane

Mrs_Cheshire wrote: »

Morning all, just done a quick calculation and I'm going to be over budget this month, but we've got plenty of food in which should mean January is a leaner month.

Need to finalise the food plans for the couple of days after Christmas and then I'm done for the year.

Thinking about the new year I need to find some more meat free/low cost meals and to build some more variety into our foods, as we seem to be eating a lot of the same meals - sausages and mash, meatballs and pasta, chicken pesto pasta, steak and sweet potato fries, sweet & sour with rice/noddles, breaded chicken with chips etc.

I've got some gnocci to try (we've had it in a Hell* fresh box previously), don't know what to serve it with.

Thinking about planning meals around a themed day i.e.
Meat free monday

I have a slow cooker so want to utilise that for a couple of meals a week, also thinking of batch cooking to save time and energy, but would have to make slightly different meals as we wouldn't eat bolagnese every week!

Hope everyone has a fabulous time this festive season xx

Gnocchi Cardinale would work for you:

1) Make a tomato sauce: fry Finely chopped onion with crushed garlic, add two cans of chopped tomatoes plus half a teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of dried basil and simmer until the tomatoes have broken down. Stir in a small tub of double cream.

2) When the sauce is ready, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Drop in your gnocchi and simmer until the gnocchi floats to the top of the water, which indicates that it is cooked. Drain.

3) Stir the tomato sauce through the gnocchi and serve.

HTH

Pip

thriftwizard

£17 spent at the market - a big pork pie for Boxing Day, some sheep's cheese for my mother, who's gone cow's milk free, an entire box of parsnips for £2, a mango, and some grapes.

Salad, cream and one or two other bits will be bought on Tuesday at the local supermarket, and some bread from the baker. So I may come in on target for December, or very close...

Suffolk_lass

Hammering through the rest of my budget as the numbers keep growing for both Christmas and Boxing Days. I now have a cooked ham (done last night) - a huge piece of beef to cook today and both a medium turkey and a full turkey crown that will do both Christmas Day and Boxing Day buffet - both have made a big hole in my freezer as they are out and slowly defrosting.

I still need chestnuts and a few bits and pieces like crisps and both cracking and salted nuts but I am there otherwise. Both fridges have lots of vegetables in them and I have homemade pickles and salad. DH will make sausage rolls today or tomorrow that will sub for any sort of starter (with the snack bits and my devils on horseback).

It really is a bit mad but we now have 12 on Christmas Day and anything from 7-[STRIKE]18[/STRIKE] make that 20 for Boxing Day. I save from my annual budget for this all year but it feels very profligate, spending over £100 in one shop. Some of my visitors chip in or bring dishes with them (and some assume we are well off and take advantage). It is my pleasure to provide but this might be the last big one.

thriftwizard

It is my pleasure to provide but this might be the last big one.

D'you know, I've spent the odd moment of leisure over the last couple of days dreaming of the day when some of the Offspring are ready to take up the Family Christmas baton...!

Matron_Midge

Hi everyone.
I’ve completed all the years shopping for food and drink. Won’t be setting foot in a shop until 2020 - yay!
Declaring December spends as £452.16/£400.
An overspend for the month but my annual target is intact - another yay!
Annual budget £4532.05/£5200. That means I was under budget for the year by £667.95. Money is squirrelled away for emergency use.
I shall keep to the same budget next year as a) I know we can afford it and b) who knows how this brexit thing will play out and I may need to do a bit of stockpiling.
Thanks to those of you who run this magnificent challenge. Merry Christmas to you all and I wish you everything you could wish for yourself in 2020.
See you over on the January challenge.

PipneyJane

A quick catch-up post for the last couple of days. Sunday, we popped into L!dl to pick up a couple of essentials - their freeze-dried instant coffee is cheapest - plus 3 bottles of their version of Schloer, spending £5.93.

We were given two £2 coins in change, which we collect and put towards the “Running Away Fund”. I’ve just done a tally up and, together with the coppers and 5p pieces that we also collect, the penny jars have been fed £4.73 so far this month. That’s £4.73 out of the grocery challenge budget.

Yesterday, we braved the chaos and stopped at MrT’s. Christmas is at my SIL’s this year and we’ve been asked to bring “nibbles”. £11.50 spent, mainly on crisps.

The above spends, etc, bring our December Grocery Challenge total to £114.60/£129.90, leaving £15.30 for the remainder of December.

Wishing you all a Merry and Happy Christmas,

- Pip

Hettyhound

Ive done the last shop of the year :eek: spent £29.40 so I have overspent by 25p, so near yet so far.........determined to stick to my lower budget for January and to get organised with a proper meal plan. I need to be as I return to full time work in the new year :rotfl:

tessie_bear

hello x came on to wish everyone a lovely christmas and fab 2020 thankyou all for your ideas and support x

i worked out the grocery spend for 2019 yesterday ( i always forget about the last week ) and i averaged £1.70 per person per day...im going to have a think about how to get that down in 2020 have a few ideas floating about but not decided on my challenges yet

have a good one x