February 2022 Grocery Challenge

PipneyJane

Good morning All

I have totally lost track of where I am with spend declarations.  On the plus side, we’re still under budget and I have managed to track down every receipt and record it (mainly thanks to the L!dl Plus app’s electronic copies).  

Our most recent shop was in L!dl on Wednesday evening; we had a £2 off voucher that needed using and DH wanted to take advantage of the 15% off coupon on sourdough pizzas which was about to expire.  £10.77 spent, which included a 90p roast-in-a-bag chicken, 2x90p packs of chicken fillets (2 in each), YS salt-and-pepper pork for £2.79, 2 sourdough pizzas including one with a YS (they turned into dinner on Wednesday) and a YS clotted cream rice pudding.   I cooked the chicken for dinner last night (with roast potatoes, sweet potatoes, onion and carrots) and we will have the pork tonight.

We obviously arrived on the right day and at the right time to stock up on the “too good to waste” meat.  (6pm-ish.).  If you haven’t encountered it before, at some point in the afternoon, L!dl collect all the meat that has a “use by date” for the next day, put a 90p sticker on it and put it in a specific tray in the meat fridge.  (They do the same process separately for pre-prepared food items, often marking them down to 25p.)

Meal-planning-wise, when I look at this month’s receipts, I can see that I need to do better.   There were too many evenings when I worked late and DH bought pizza from L!dl on his way home.  (The curse of WFH is losing track of time.)

I’m not declaring for February yet but, as of this morning, our GC challenge budget stands at £118.50/£158.50, leaving £40 in the purse for this weekend/to roll over to March.

- Pip

nannygladys

Well, I have done my calculations and I'm just on track, I think a bit of tweaking is called for. Not sure what though I'll have to have another look at it all.
No spending today, and don't expect any until Thursday.
Nannyg

goldfinches

I managed to make a list and then stick to it today, miracle of miracles, but am not sure whether I should count using a £2 voucher that Mr T's sent me or not. For now I've added on the pre-voucher total IYSWIM and so I spent £3.60 on creme fraiche, new potatoes and leeks which makes my new total for this month £56.61/£112 and my average daily spend is now £2.17. 
I'm planning to make a pie using ready made puff pastry tomorrow and roast a swede and a pointed cabbage at the same time so wish me luck.

joedenise

I only count actual money spent so would deduct the £2 voucher you used.  If you were using physical cash then you would still that money in your purse.

Suffolk_lass

joedenise said:

I only count actual money spent so would deduct the £2 voucher you used.  If you were using physical cash then you would still that money in your purse.

Me too.

This year I have been more diligent about recording all my spends (but not adding in the CC total as it would be double counted) - it does mean I can see what I am spending on everything. Groceries are definitely increasing. I buy one ready made loaf and it is Hovis Wheatgerm. Up another 5p this week, I bought one for the dinner I hosted last night. I am fiddling with my spreadsheet and adding categories that I did not previously scrutinise. I suspect DD & Subscription-groceries has not been recorded accurately before. With a new additional pet I am tracking pet spend but outside groceries too.

I got a full refund from M&S for the flowers that were delivered at about 5pm yesterday. They were supposed to be 36cm stems but instead they had been cut short like a posy. Not the table display I was set up for. So I complained and they have already apologised and refund is in train. At least when they get it wrong they do the right thing.

Smoosh

We ended up going over by £6.42, with a total spend of £206.42. Which is pretty bad considering we were away for a week and not spending!

Onwards to march where I'll try harder! 

DawnW

Spent £10 at the market this morning, and that will be my last spend of February. Just as well, as I have gone over my budget by £31.72 (I have spent £231.72 / £200). This has covered all groceries for two of us (if we did takeaways or meals out it would have to cover that as well, but we rarely do), OH's beer cans, cleaning, toiletries and food etc for our small dog.

Thankyou @elsiepac for this challenge. I always record my spends, but taking part in this has really concentrated my mind.

[Deleted User]

This is me for the rest of the month, under budget. New to this and have found it challenging and have to work hard to break old habits and have been a bit obsessive. I'd like to feel more relaxed in my way of doing this, hoping as it becomes more ingrained I can get in a bit of a flow with this. Already on it for March, and have ordered a Sainsburies shop for 1st March, will add more in the March thread, aware it is a longer month. 

GC Feb 22 £92.02/£100
Eating out Feb £45.69/£52

goldfinches

I spent £6.32 at M*rks today on milk, yoghurt and 7x y/s radishes which had just been marked down as I reached the shelf making my new monthly total £62.93/£112 and my average daily spend £2.33. 

zafiro1984

Went well over this month by 451/200. I'm not surprised. Last year I did a yearly budget and spent a huge amount  in February as I bulk buy my meat/fish this time of the year. By the end of the year I was just within budget.
This year I decided to do a monthly budget but bulk bought fish and game as usual. I'll now keep a very close eye on the overall spend and hopefully claw back the overspend over the next 3-4 months.