December 2007 Grocery Challenge

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Hello everyone,

Welcome to the last Grocery Challenge of 2007.

If your new month starts early feel free to join this thread, or if you're still working on your November budget, then keep on posting in the November Grocery Challenge.

As always this challenge is to reduce your own grocery budget to levels that you will be pleased with, not forgetting that we always recommend that you stay inside your own comfort levels and take things gently one step at a time.

If you are new to the challenge I have quoted the advice from Galtizz below which will help you get started.

Please post into this thread for help and advice and support at any time. Good luck to everyone taking part!

Originally Posted by Galtizz

I have said this before, but for all the newbies to the challenge;

For the first month I took a guess at the budget but I really had no idea how much I was spending.

I found the best thing is to have a guess the first month but SAVE ALL OF YOUR RECEIPTS (and yes, that does include the ones from the local shop when you run out of milk ), then at the end of the month add them all up and have a look if you were on budget, if not, it doesn't matter because your budget was a guess. For the next month you can use the total of your receipts and take a bit off to get a realistic budget, just shave off as much as you think you can, it could be £1 a week or £20 a week.

If you are currently spending £200 a month don't suddenly drop it to £100 - you'll never do it but if you cut £20 a month off for a few months you'll get there eventually without feeling you're missing out on anything.

You might think you've done everything you can in the first month but someone always comes up with a new idea and, if you try it you often find you save a bit more (unless you are SarahSaver who is an expert at this and could only save more if she turned her back garden into a paddy field and lived on rice ) In the first month I thought, I'm planning meals, I couldn't possibly save any more, but then I started double cooking and freezing, and making soup instead of buying it in tins.

I've been doing this since Feb but only saved ALL of my receipts last month, it has given me a much better idea of where it is all going. Budget for next month is £80 for 2 of us, I'll start on 30/4. I could probably save more, by eating different foods but I can afford to live on £80, I have saved a lot of money since Feb. and I don't waste food or money any more. So I'm happy with my budget.

I hope you all have a good month and a very Happy Christmas!

:rudolf: :xmassmile :santa2: :xmastree::xmassign: :xmastree: :santa2: :xmassmile :rudolf:

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Edited to add:

lil_me has very kindly compiled a list of everyone's buget targets for this month and she will edit in everyone's final spend at the end of the month. To go directly to the list click .Here

Angelraesunshine

I am in setting budget for £300, have done 1st shop has come in at £99.43p

newlywed

Hi all. Keep failing at these My month starts on 25th.

Aiming for a £45 a week budget for all food, cleaning supplies etc. Hoping that this month I will do better . I now have a slow cooker which seems to have changed our menu plans so hopefully it will all work out cheaper too

chewy62

Have been keeping track of my grocery spends in November and works out at about £100 a week for two adults, two kids, a dog and a cat!
Need to cut back on this and use up food that we already have in the house, I keep buying more when we already have enough!!AAAGGGHHH!
Have £100 separate budget for Xmas food and drink, so am aiming to spend £90 a week on food etc.(inc. toiletries, cleaning, pet etc.)
Well, it's a bit better! Wish me luck!:T

cheerfulness4

I also keep failing at this but here I go trying again. I do have the addition of a nice new chest freezer for storage so I'm hoping this will help matters.

This month I'm having extra because we will realistically need it with everyone home, so its £175 to last until 21st Dec. (get paid early next month ) Unfortunately this will mean that the following month I'll be on a miniscule budget, so I better freeze all the leftovers.

meanmarie

As for several days over Christmas I will have 12 mouths to feed, I am going to go for €350, which will include turkey and ham, but not booze. I have managed to stay within my November budget and have some staples to help with the run up to Christmas.

Wishing everybody luck

Marie

MRSMCAWBER

Evening everyone

well i have been pondering decembers budget for a while
We are heading back to the UK on the 17th dec until the 2nd jan..so I have no xmas food shopping to do... but whilst im there i plan to stock pile some things that cost a small fortune here
nescafe -about £4.50 for a 200g jar
head n shoulders £5 a bottle:eek: and several other bits... so it will save me a small fortune next year :j ..so i think i will set 360euros... that works out at just 30 euros a month to save me a fortune
Don't need a lot before we go away..just a bit of milk n salad.... so hopefully the whole budget will be used in the UK :T

sweetpea03

Hello everyone, please can I join in for the first time? I have been reading the oldstyle forum for a while & love all your posts We are a family of 5. I have £100 in my budget to cover christmas week & think I will try £50 a week for the other weeks so a total of £250. I need to use up food that we already have in before christmas so hoping I'll come in underbudget! My month starts from the 1st Dec.
Good luck everyone :xmassmile

the_cat

Hi again everyone

I failed last month too. Well that's not quite true, as I even failed to add it all up! But I reckon I went over.
Back on the wagon for this month though and have upped budget to cover Christmas food/drink. Fingers crossed!!

JAMIEDODGER

failed miserably in november!

my december starts on the 3rd and finishes january 6th. budget £400. this is for all food, pet food, toiletries and cleaning stuff.

belfastgirl23

OKAY already!! Enough with the self blame. We are not failing. We are LEARNING!! And getting a little better every month !! Think of how much you all used to spend without even thinking about it!

Enough with the lectures I hear you all say but hey you guys are all trying really hard, don't go beating yourselves up about this...if it was easy it wouldn't be a challenge now would it

Off to try to figure out my December budget. A lot of our staples are hugely more expensive at the mo (mozzarella up from 104 to 139, a big difference when you get through 10 bags a month). Will post tomorrow with a figure hopefully.

Chins up, we can do it. Or at least do it a little bit better...