December 2022 Grocery Challenge

JingsMyBucket

Hi folks. I’m really late joining this thread because we’ve actually been for most of the month. That said, I’d still like to track December grocery expenses.

@elsiepac can you please put me down for £400 ?

That will take care of the farm order we’ve made for Boxing Day along with other end of year food / stock ups. 

I’ll spend some time catching up on the thread after we return this weekend. Cheers all and happy December!

Blackcats

Have been doing some grocery shopping including buying a Thai ready meal from cook to have as a quick and tasty treat on Christmas Eve.  We were also very responsible and bought a pack of pigs in blankets from the butchers to test for quality control purposes 😋.  They passed the test and were delicious so 2 more packs bought but that comes from the Christmas budget.

I've put together a meal plan and shopping list to take us til new year and we will go to Lidl tomorrow.  I'll need to split out the spends to keep track of Christmas costs.

so, updating today to show 

£157 balance 

Gettingmyshiztogether

Hello me again, another spend today as I nipped into s@inos for a voucher for my mum and step dad for their Christmas gift and some wrapping paper. I forgot the wrapping paper so had to go back in 🙈 luckily I had only got so far as the car when I realised! 

£15.25 spent on x2 quorn roasts (on offer for £2.50 instead of £3.75) x2 Cranberry sauces, x3 custards, a toffee nut latte to make at home (disappointing! I do not recommend!) And some Mozzarella sticks for Christmas buffet. 

Interestingly, there were a few other bits in the freezer that I would have usually picked up for Christmas, this year I know that I can make it myself (better, cheaper and in larger quantities) and so I didn't buy them! 

So my total for this month so far is...

£218.96/ £460

Which is to include the Christmas food this year. I am pleased with how its going so far as have been squirreling away Christmas food items for a little while and so don't need much more "special" foods. I always buy too much anyway. Besides, it will all be reduced to clear on boxing day!

atrixa

I've gone over. £134.16/£120- I blame my lack of self control around Christmas food. I've also caught covid, so relying on someone else to do my shopping. Always ends up costing more, but I'm very grateful

Gettingmyshiztogether

atrixa said:

I've gone over. £134.16/£120- I blame my lack of self control around Christmas food. I've also caught covid, so relying on someone else to do my shopping. Always ends up costing more, but I'm very grateful

Get better soon 💗🎄

herebeme

£13 on household items including dishwasher tabs that should last at least 4 months. 
£8.06 in the local Turkish supermarket….mmm lots pf cheese, yoghurt, and hoummus. 
For a total of £21.06.

Now at £83.13/£150 

Gettingmyshiztogether

Weekly shop done. I spent £86.82, which includes a meal for my mum and step dad tomorrow. 

I probably could have spent a lot less, but it seems, on reflection, because I knew I wasn't going to spend a lot I decided to slip in a few treats for Christmas. I nearly dropped down dead when he told me the total 🙈😨 I was expecting it to be around £60. 

Anyway, we are where we are. I am still within our budget and we have most Christmas foods in now anyway. And I can see my downfalls! On the plus side, I only need to get a few bits for next weekend 🥳 and veg is only 19p at L!dls 🥳🥳 carrots, Sprouts, Parsnips, swede and potatoes 🥳🥳

Total to date £305.78/ £460
= £154.22 left available to spend

thriftwizard

This week's catering has been sorted today, between the market, the supermarket, the butchers & the bakery coming in at £80.35. There was a £30 posh-lunch-things spend midweek, and a £40 takeaway, but they were birthday treats & come out of the "entertainments" fund. The clan is starting to gather; DS3 returns on Sunday, but DD1's BF has just gone down with C0vid at his mother's so he's out of the reckoning this week. I may need to pick up a few of DS3's preferred foodstuffs (i.e. ham & Boursin) early next week, but a few months catering for himself may have broadened the range of things he will eat - it did happen when he was teaching abroad!

herebeme

£1.70 this morning. Total bargain. Had a £5 off a £5 minimum spend at Co-op and then weekly offers of a £1 off total plus £0.25 off veg. So got £7.95 worth of groceries for £1.70. 

Now £84.83/£150

Soontobeoap

Went to Aldi to take advantage of swedes for 19p then discovered it starts tomorrow. 🤦‍♀️. Still bought ferrero Roche for £5.99 (£7.00 in co op), box of dairy milk chocs and a bottle of Whisky all as gifts. Also some milk, bin bags, floor wipes, digestives, mince pies, parchment paper, choc bar treats for us (well it is christmas⛄🤶) and a few other bits. Total £46.26 but £25.47 is from gift budget. Using up fresh stuff in the house now as going away for 5 days at the end of next week. Must remember those few days between christmas and new year as they always catch me out.
Need to use up potatoes,onion chutney and eggs. 

Meal plan:-
Tonight - sausage, mash peas, gravy and onion chutney.
Sunday- sweet and sour chicken and rice.
Monday - egg and fried baby boil potatoes,
Tuesday - pizza
Wednesday savoury mince and rice. 
Thursday away untill 28th
Friday 29th - sausage pasta ( means we wont need to shop on the day we come home.) 
Dd and SIL  with 3 GS's coming for new years fireworks on the beach and staying overnight so will need to do some shopping then 😊. Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and really hoping that we will all have a great New Year. 🤶⛄🎅🌲🎉