November 2020 Grocery Challenge

joedenise

gemmm said:

Thanks @joedenise and @Frugalistamama

Considering the free trial of YNAB to review everything. Might be a better way of sorting my budget!

I'm glad it's not just me whose partner buys so much random stuff! 🙈

Definitely worth giving the YNAB trial a go!  It's what I used to sort my budget out and always have enough in my "pots" to cover annual bills by putting away 1/12th of the annual total.  I also have a "pot" which I've called Things I have Forgotten for those things which seem to crop up but don't really fit it anywhere else!  Suppose it's a kind of miscellaneous category really.  I actually have the old Classic YNAB (YNAB4 which I paid for outright back in about 2014 but unfortunately no longer supported so if it packs up then I will lose it!)

I think it's just a Man thing with buying the random extras!

BrassicWoman

For the YNABers... I was hardcore YNAB but the subscription model wasn't worth it for me, I'm now on financier.io which is very like classic YNAB and currently £12 a year. 

(Although I still listen to the YNAB podcast)

Suffolk_lass

joedenise said:

gemmm said:

Thanks @joedenise and @Frugalistamama

Considering the free trial of YNAB to review everything. Might be a better way of sorting my budget!

I'm glad it's not just me whose partner buys so much random stuff! 🙈

Definitely worth giving the YNAB trial a go!  It's what I used to sort my budget out and always have enough in my "pots" to cover annual bills by putting away 1/12th of the annual total.  I also have a "pot" which I've called Things I have Forgotten for those things which seem to crop up but don't really fit it anywhere else!  Suppose it's a kind of miscellaneous category really.  I actually have the old Classic YNAB (YNAB4 which I paid for outright back in about 2014 but unfortunately no longer supported so if it packs up then I will lose it!)

I think it's just a Man thing with buying the random extras!

My DH did two months of our shopping during lock-down but the trouble was, after the first three, he got his confidence and went off-spec, bringing in random bits and pieces that were not on the list. I had to take it back. I wasn't the only one. The woman on the SM checkout was chatty and noticed I had been MIA so when I told her why I had taken it back she confided I was the third one that morning. Definitely a genetic thing!

patentgirl

Frugalistamama said:

My DH also just picks stuff up randomly at the SM. Unless I've asked for it i don't include it in the budget as it's coming from his money. My DH isn't really into food frugalling, so i do it on the quiet. But he seems to get food anxiety when the fridge isn't full declaring loudly 'there's no food in the house!' even though the cupboards and freezer is bulging! So I have to get extras just for him to feel better!!  🙄

This is my DH too! Even when I have got meals planned for week in fridge and freezer he is always saying no food in house what he is after is goodies ! Trouble is with him working from home since first lockdown it's one walk to fridge.

joedenise

@BrassicWoman - I haven't moved to the online model of YNAB either - I'm still using the Classic but will have a look at the one you suggest in your post to see if it's something that could work for me.  Do you know whether it would work on an MacBook as that's the problem with YNAB4, it won't work since an update a while back so I had to go out and buy a cheap Windows laptop to carry on using it!

CRANKY40

Good afternoon all, 

My total for the first week is £74.05. Asda delivery came Wednesday then I had to go to the local (v.small) one for the cat food which had been unavailable. Same price at HB's, so no point going there given all the other stuff that seems to magically follow me home from that shop

The difference has been moved to my savings account. I'm not carrying the surplus cash forward as I'm hoping not to need or spend it. There's only me, the House Troll and the greedy cat here for Christmas dinner. The HT doesn't touch alcohol and the gin is already indoors for my couple of G&Ts. If we want cake or goodies I can make them and judging by current circumstances we will probably have one caller on Christmas day who will then carry on to their family for dinner. I've already made Christmas cake for me and some for our visitor to take home. 

Hettyhound

Been to Aldi today and spent £36.23.  That did include a tub of chocolates for my son’s Christmas box; he’s asked Santa for some chocolate, bless.  I also needed a few extra tins as we donated some stuff today to the local food bank via my son’s school.  That was what they were doing for children in need due to all the restrictions which I thought was nice.  I will need a very tiny shop tomorrow as I couldn’t get everything on the list and I need it to fulfil this weeks meal plan.

Tahlullah.H

Hello.  Just went to Asda, Lidl and Iceland and spent £90.00.  £30 was on alcohol and £5 was on cat litter, so not too bad overall.  The freezer outside is completely full, so I really do need to stop spending.  The problem is I can't resist a bargain, and I justified it on the basis I wasn't doing too badly on my monthly budget.

BrassicWoman

joedenise said:

@BrassicWoman - I haven't moved to the online model of YNAB either - I'm still using the Classic but will have a look at the one you suggest in your post to see if it's something that could work for me.  Do you know whether it would work on an MacBook as that's the problem with YNAB4, it won't work since an update a while back so I had to go out and buy a cheap Windows laptop to carry on using it!

It's browser based so should do. There's a free version, but it doesn't save your data - I pay so I can use different devices. But you can try for free. (not affiliated/saleswoman!)

goldfinches

I'm back from the slough of despond, I'm slowly managing to regain my usual routine so I've decided to just count the money spent on regaining and maintaining normality this month and consider it as a win whatever comes.
So, over the last few days I've spent £32.43 mainly on fresh vegetables and fruit, milk and yoghurt. That means that I've got £87.57 left to last until the end of the calendar month  which works out at £5.15 per day so I'm ahead on points at the moment anyway.
Night all and sweet dreams, goldfinches.