December 2007 Grocery Challenge

Jacks_xxx

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

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

Blimey honey! :eek:

Your list made me feel hungry!

Blimmin' well done - I assume you're driving back to Germany with that little lot???

Love Jacks xxx

Jacks_xxx

rosieben wrote: »

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

Good thinking batman! November was a bit of a struggle, and the thought of dropping to that point in the budget does fill me with quite a lot of dread. £329.00 seems much more achievable.

I am working on my OS skills though.

Generally (Apart from when I drop a whole moussaka on the floor :rolleyes: ) my dinners meet with approval from the family. I can make a few more meals than I used to, and I am experimenting with the breadmaker and slowcooker. I'd really like to grow our own veg so I'm looking into that at the moment as well. (I'm totally clueless on that front!)

If you'd told me in August that I had to feed my lot of greedy gannets for less than £400 the following month I would have been horrified - but I did it. I expect under £250 will start to look more do-able as I progress.

Thanks ever so much Rosieben,

Love Jacks xxx

Jacks_xxx

belfastgirl23 wrote: »

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 (I'm glad I'm not the only one!;) ) 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?

I think this is a really good idea honey. It can inspire you to aim for the tougher number but still not feel a horrible failure if you don't quite make it as long as you stay within the range.

That's given me food for thought for my annual figures! Hmmm...

Love Jacks xxx

Jacks_xxx

Doom_and_Gloom wrote: »

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

I love your veg box photos D&G. They're like a one woman Harvest Festival!

Love Jacks xxx

rosieben

Mooloo wrote: »

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>

Hi Mooloo, I'd be very wary of dropping your budget too much all at once. how about making it £360 for December, reducing by say £10 or £20 in January etc. wont seem such a big drop.

mikeD

Jacks_xxx wrote: »

Good thinking batman!

Hi Jacks, shouldn't that be Batwoman? There was one you know . By the way very well done on all your challenges!! Also I love the large type, how did you know that I was hard of hearing

Hi Lil_me I've finished for December now and came in at £329.76, budget £340.00

Have made New Year's Resolutions. As from 1st Jan I will be mostly giving up fags, giving up beer and giving up sex. As from 2nd Jan I will be mostly giving up giving up :rotfl:

All the best for the New Year everybody :beer:

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there Jacks

Yep hubby has to load it all in :-)

Mind after all the hampers n stuff he got in for us to bring back to the UK for xmas.... it should be a doddle...says me who doesn't have to do it lol -
I shop, he loads, then he unloads at the other end and i put it all away -i would never find it otherwise :-)

Most things are much cheaper in Germany.. but that little lot either costs a fortune or i can't find it... Hopefully it will mean that my 2008 grocery challenges will be getting lower and lower... especially when i get all my tubs set with veggies...

Spurred on by everyone on here -im determined to be super organised for the whole year, i am part way through sorting out my, budget, shopping, menu, cleaning rota...(plus whatever else i think of) book out....

rosieben

mikeD wrote: »

...
Have made New Year's Resolutions. As from 1st Jan I will be mostly giving up fags, giving up beer and giving up sex. As from 2nd Jan I will be mostly giving up giving up ...

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: MikeD you are MAD!!!!

lil_me

mikeD thank you for making me giggle, I needed that.

MRSMCAWBER I really hope your car doesn't get searched, it'll be sitting so low with all that weight they'll be thinking you're smuggling a small family or something :rotfl:

Savvy_sewing

rosieben wrote: »

Hi Mooloo, I'd be very wary of dropping your budget too much all at once. how about making it £360 for December, reducing by say £10 or £20 in January etc. wont seem such a big drop.

I think that you might be right. I am just about to come in on the December Budget, so perhaps I will put the January one at £340. I have got 2 birthdays in beginning of January, and always try to do a special meal, or a "party" tea.
:T