January 2022 Grocery Challenge 22 December 2021 at 4:11PM edited 22 December 2021 at 4:14PM in Old style MoneySaving 463 replies 31K views

Its_time

I am in and looking forward again to sticking to my budget, last month was incredibly helpful to me so I would like to set a budget of:

£200/month thank you @elsiepac

Good luck everyone x

rtandon27

Would love to join in on this challenge.  It seems that the cost of everything is going up but unfortunately my salary is not keeping pace, so tightening the belt is our current option!  Since the start of 2020, we've averaged 555 per month for food & non-food household items - this is for two people (not including OH's wine or our grocery delivery charges).  Due to OH's health we will need to continue having deliveries, but this is budgeted for out of our transportation budget instead of spending it on petrol.

Would like to spend no more than 

£500/month @elsiepac

with the 55 saved going to electric/gas which has the amount we are currently spending over and above our direct debit.

Look forward to reading everyone's updates

nannygladys

Joining in again this year and my WEEKLY AMOUNT IS £18, this includes all food an toiletries, laundry stuff etc.
Nannyg

Frugal_life

Would love to join!

Determined to work through our cupboards, but don’t want to set a budget that’s too tight, so putting £500 down for January - an average of the full year, so we can tighten our belts whilst remaining realistic for the year ahead.

  

MostlyFine

I'd like to join in please, am trying to get a handle on finances this year and stick to budgets (or be under possible with spare going to debt). 

Monthly budget is £270

Dog_Lady_No_4

 I need to tighten the belt,   our usual budget is 160 per week for 3 adults,,  I'm aiming for 100 a week if I can join 
Thank u

zafiro1984

Can I join in again. I did an annual budget last year which worked well for us but can I change to a monthly budget this year.

My spread sheet is done which includes all the household spends. The grocery section has a weekly (Mon-Sun) spend of £30 on general items and a weekly spend of £20 on bulk/offers.
Just to cheer myself up I've also got a column which shows how much I've saved by waiting and buying items in bulk when on offer.

The downside is that unfortunately, I'm using online shopping, due to age and health. The upside is a saving on petrol (supermarket is a round trip of 18miles) and a saving on time.

Jan budget is £250

burtha

hi ,can I join in  , thiñk I'm spending about 250 per month.  but can be more. 
 this month will be 3 adults,  as dd not back at uni yet.  .plus meals for 3 grandkids twice a week . 
would like to make some savings.  

Suffolk_lass

Herbyme said:

@Suffolk_lass do you mean this sort of thing?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BioCare-518605-BioAcidophilus-Probiotic-bacteria/dp/B0013GAE10/ref=pd_lpo_2?pd_rd_i=B0013GAE10&psc=1

@Herbyme that's the stuff. We keep it in the fridge for the time we are taking it and only one course - don't take it all the time. 

@Its_time the thing with starch-based carbs is that they are another form of energy release which metabolises into a form of sugar your body can take. Admittedly less quickly than sweets, fizzy drinks or chocolate but nevertheless, a surplus to what you actually need to function and re-energise.

In my experience it takes about 4 days to lose any headaches (if you get one) from giving it up and then you start feeling better (for me, my knees and ankles stop aching and the facial blubber loses its puffiness after a week). I find the regular weighing and rapid drop in pounds is the incentive I need to keep going. Then I get a surge in energy levels and my mouth stops being sore inside, further incentivising me. And by the time it is getting on my nerves I am at the "anyone can keep this going for another 2/3 weeks" stage - and then I don't want to blow it.

My normal reset regime is 
Breakfast - a big dollop of full fat greek-style yogurt, and small handful each of jumbo raw oats, frozen berries (wonky), and some nuts and seeds - all stirred together and very filling
Lunch - homemade soup
Supper - a bit of meat (playing card pack size) and at least 3 vegetables - eg broccoli, carrots and cabbage (no potatoes) and maybe gravy - if I crave a dessert, I have a bit more yogurt with a few berries.
Snacks (if hungry) are nuts and seeds, celery with cheese triangle squished in the groove, or a piece of fruit that grows in the UK
I drink black coffee, tea with a dash of milk or water and give up alcohol for at least 6 weeks, then a small glass of red wine.

It's not original - it is based on the (Trust me, I'm a Doctor) Michael Mosley and Professor Roy Taylor (the diabetes specialist at Newcastle Uni) recommended regime. I'm not diabetic but it works for me

Suffolk_lass

outoftheviciouscircle said:

Hi
Could I possibly join this challenge. There is just 2 adults and a dog but she has more than enough food to last her until April. grocery shopping is where I fall down when it comes to budgeting. I meal plan and then decide on the day that I don't fancy what I had planned. That either leads to a trip to the supermarket for something quick and convenient (which usually means pricey) or a takeaway that is pricey.

I'm ashamed to say but our current grocery spend probably tops £600 a month. I am going to aim to cut this in half but secretly hope for more. So can I join with a target of £300 please. My month starts on the 4th

No idea what happened to the text in the middle sorry!!

outoftheviciouscircle  we are two adults and a cat. When we started this challenge my spend was well over £700 a month for the two months before I started (teen at home then) It really takes time to get some of the techniques in your systems so don't beat yourself up if you don't meet your target. It is worth reading some of the tips at the front and in the links. Mine is now a £3000 annual budget based on £200 a month, £400 for stores and bulk buys, and £400 instead of £200 to cover December.

You need to work out your biggest fail factor then mitigate that - mine is I don't stick to the list so now I don't shop so often but I do keep stores and get milk and eggs delivered