December 2007 Grocery Challenge

TheDoolallyDilly

I am chuffed as I came in under budget. I didn't include Christmas week in my December challenge, but I was aiming for £105 per week for the three weeks, so £315, and I spent £298.39. So I am happy. Am off to work out my budget for January now.

TDD x

MRSMCAWBER

Evening everyone

Well i have just logged on for the January challenge, but thought i would come and finish of december 1st :-)

I have come in about 150 euros under budget -woohoo
It has been an odd month as even though i have been back home in the UK -which means no meals to buy... i have used my budget to stock pile items that cost loads back in Germany... so for the £124.01 i have spent i have got:-
9 jars of nescafe
18 bottles head n shoulders
20 bags of bread flour
4 huge boxes of PG tips
2 beef bisto
6 chicken bisto
4 onion bisto
8 lamb oxo
2 chicken oxo
2 english mustard
20 litres sugar free dilute
4 big jars pickled onions
10 tins of marrowfats
4 tins cornedbeef
1 large salad cream
4 big blocks extra mature cheddar
6 blocks lancashire, cheshire etc
4 1kilo gammon joints
6 x 250g cooked meats
2 x 8 sachets ready brek with strawberry
1 stardrops
2 stardrops with amonia
2 zoflora
And when i worked it out...if i had got that lot back home it would have come to £311.10 - so i think WOOHOO is the word :-)

Hubby thinks i have lost the plot.... but i think he is used to it now :-)
well i had better update my signature.. will add to if i grab anything else as i run right up to newyears eve ....then its a nice new start on the 1st of jan

Moniker

Well, I am not going to come in under budget but hope that I won't go over. I have just £47 left to last till 6th January when we come back from a few days away (though the break comes out of a different budget). I have a family party on New Year's Day but only need to pay for the salad bits and pieces and the salmon for the main course, so I should do it.

I found it quite hard having four of us to cook and shop for again over the holidays after having got into a good routine with just two! I am sure that I can do better in 2008. For a start I don't think I will have to buy any alcohol until Easter as apart from the case I bought online we got some presents of bottles too!

I went shopping in Sainsbury's today and apart from the food I was tempted into the clothes' section where I found an amazing bargain! I got a lovely mac reduced from £35 to £10-60! I made myself put the £25 saved into my ISA - and I have decided that I will only buy sale bargains if I can afford to put the money saved into real savings - this should make me think twice before hitting the shops next week!

A big thank you to all you lovely people out there who are such an inspiration! I am off to work out my January challenge budget. Have a very happy and healthy 2008!

rosieben

Jacks_xxx wrote: »

I am trying to work out what sort of target to set for January (and thinking about a yearly target as well.)

... But is that a step too far given that our average spend over the past four months has been £339.59 per month? (or £2.61 per person per day plus £0.50 for the cat / £4007.70 for the year?)
..

how about if you take your average monthly spend over the last few months (however far you can go back) and then take £10 off for Jan, if you manage that take another £10 off in Feb, etc. I know you're keen to reduce but we know its not a good idea to drop too low too quickly, if you struggled in November then that was probably a little too much below your comfort zone?

see you all on the January thread :j

tattycath

Moniker wrote: »

Well,
I made myself put the £25 saved into my ISA - and I have decided that I will only buy sale bargains if I can afford to put the money saved into real savings - this should make me think twice before hitting the shops next week!
quote]

Hi Moniker. What a brilliant idea. I should do that and put the savings towards mortgage overpayments. I'l have to see how I get on. Thanks for the great idea though!!:T

belfastgirl23

Just popping in really quickly first of all to say hi to all the new folk, you're all very welcome

Also I need to do a final total for December cos I've decided any spending now comes out of Jan

Jacks been thinking about what you said about how much pm when you're thinking over the year (I'm trying to do this too). I need to sit down and do some more sums tonight but I'm thinking of trying to come out at around £150pm or £1800 for the year. I think though that this will only be doable for us cos we have September more or less off (we go on hol for 3 weeks and it all comes out of a different budget). I'm also hoping for a very low spend Jan (£100 if all goes well, again need to tot things up tonight) and to save coupons etc towards Xmas. But as I say thinking aloud for now and will have a better idea tomorrow I hope....

One tip that might be useful for the new folk is to think about giving a range for your first grocery challenge. My first was set at £150-£180, the lower figure being the 'if only I could do it' and the upper figure being the 'I def can't go over this'. At least you increase your chances of succeeding. I might also adopt this for my yearly spend....still thinking...

anyone else got any thoughts?

Savvy_sewing

I think that you all make my £360 seem far too much and now I am wondering if I can reduce my spends. Mind you there are 4 adults and 2 babies and most of the nappies are included in my challenge, and of course I have the dog? He cost me an extra £11.68 today, so does that come out of my challenge too>

Doom_and_Gloom

Veg box came and after the usual £15 I've got:
Bananas - 5 - 625g
Satsumas - 9 - 525g
Pears - 4 - 900g
Apples - 6 -800g
Kiwis - 7 - 600g
Onions - 6 - 475g
Carrots - 17 - 750g
Broccoli - 1 - 400g
Cauliflower - 1 - 800g
Lettuce - 1 - 200g
Spring greens - 1 - 550g
Yellow pepper - 1 - 100g
Cherry tomatoes on the vine - 350g
Red potatoes - 1850g
Sweet potatoes - 500g




Doesn't look like I'll be buying anymore but I won't know untill the 31st so I won't get ahead of myself :rotfl: . So my 'stats' so far are below.

Spent of budget = £47.59
Left of budget = £2.41

razra

Well done to everyone and hope you all had a fab xmas

Ive managed to come in under budget and my freezer and cupboard are still really well stocked, so I'm really happy esp as I had an unexpected guest for a few days over xmas. All I really need to get before the end of the month is milk so I should come in bang on target:beer:

This challenge is soo addictive LOL look forwards to challenging with you all next year

Jacks_xxx

wmf wrote: »

hello - I have done grocery challenges on another board but never kept it up. Now that i have found you I will be up for this!! and.....hopefully stay on track.
Jacks - I looked at your sig because of your comment about November and am amazed that you came under by over £100. Wow!!! I am looking forward to learning things on this board
W

:wave: Hiya sweetie!

We started with a pretty high amount to reduce from honey which makes it a lot easier to chop chunks off each month. (it's getting harder for me now though cos I want to "feel" the challenge, but I don't want to set myself up to fail cos I know I'd find it very dispiriting and demotivating.)

November was tough though, we had a few random meals to use up what we had rather than buy more, and I don't think it was our most nutritious month to date either!

Hanging out on this board I'm learning al the time though - and my cooking skills are expanding slowly so there is hope for me yet.

Nice to have you aboard honeybun!

Love Jacks xxx