January 2024 Grocery Challenge

thriftwizard

Ok, another £11.65 added for a handful of things we'd run out of & I felt did need replacing before DD1 & BF return. Next week's shop will include both supplies for their return and for feeding DS3 who will be here from next Friday until they're here - he's her twin & did an academic year's studying in Chile plus two months volunteering in Peru himself, some years ago. So I would be at least £100 over target, I think - not good, but it is a kind of special moment in family history.  But I'm actually going to account for at least some of it from the Christmas fund, which didn't all get used this last year. They weren't here for Christmas; a bit of a celebration is a good use for it! 

Angelica123

I am up to £127.32/£250. I have been getting Oddbox boxes but I am not sure if they are really value for money. My other issue seems to be top up shops. 

London_1

Only two things on my shopping list at the moment Potatoes and biscuits, but I can make some biscuits during the week, and the spuds, I have a bag of mashed in the freezer in balls, and several tins in the cupboard so I can do without for a bit longer I think. Not worth the effort to go to the shops for just one thing I'd probably end up buying more stuff I really don't need so 19/21 NSDs today only 10 more days to the end of the month

  JackieO xx 

keggie

As I needed milk, I decided to do next weeks shop today and out of this weeks budget. Still below £80 for this week and going to try not to spend next week - hopefully a £70-£80 bonus to move across to the entertainment pot! 

So £35 at Aldi and £4 at the coop 

W3 £65/80 MTD £162/320

wishus

Gone bust at £201.

I got a bit busy last week and did make a plan but didn't make a proper plan for the last week, next week. After shopping in Sainsbobs - which is more expensive, even with Nectar card reductions, especially if you're with OH who gets embarrassed at using Perkbox. 

Hence, the trolley has ended up quite meat heavy, but with the saving grace that we definitely have enough to see us to month end. 

Retrospective meal plan tomorrow.

sarahj1986

sarahj1986 said:

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sarahj1986 said:

Good evening 

I’m starting this again. Things have been all over the place! Moved home in August, daughter started school in September and our son was born in October. I’ve let things slide and honestly when I look at my bank transactions I’m disgusted in our food shop spending. We have a holiday booked for August, we need to cut back in order to pay for that 

As I have a newborn, he is breastfed but his nappies, wipes plus all our toiletries, household cleaning are included on this budget. We start giving him solids in April. 

Factoring all that in I’m going for £360 a month, ideally less but I think around £80 a week is right, some weeks will be more, others less. I’m determined to do it 

so @elsiepac I’m down for £360 per month 

First spend today 

£13.52 spent 

made up of the following 

£2.25 in Poundland on Barney and Party rings, neither on CC so cheapest in there

£4,90 on toothpaste and a new toothbrush for my daughter. I always let her pick her toothbrush and the toothpaste for her is safe price as Tesco and the sensitive toothpaste is cheaper there than Tesco 

£6.37 M&S. I find their beans are the nicest, 50p a tin but still decent price, plus bread and milk (same price as Tesco) and some tea cakes I found reduced to 92p a pack 

£346.58 left big shop due tomorrow 

£73.43 spent

£12.69 in Morrisons. My daughter loves the weetabix melts, only place I can find them locally. They aren’t cheap either £3 for a small box. Plus I’d forgotten to order honey, soy and cornflour 

£60.74 Tesco delivery due shortly. My husband is doing dry January so about £15 of that is a few packs of 0% beer for him that will last a few weeks. Plus nappies, wipes, some household items, 

£273.15 left 

£11.70 spent 

£5 at a cafe that does a kinda “cake and savoury” sale every day. So we got 4 items for £5

£3 in Poundland on Skinny bars usually £1.25 everywhere else

£3.70 in Tesco on reduced sausages 

£261.45 left but we dont need a massive shop next week as we’ve got loads in - don’t need crisps, snacks, toiletries, cleaning stuff, toilet roll. We will need fresh things like fruit, veg, milk. We have a lot of frozen meat/fish so should be ok there. 

£49.35 spent

I went over to Lidl for a change. I picked up a few bits not on the list but reduced/on offer and will get used. We will only need milk and maybe bread till next week and potatoes as I couldn’t carry them home (although I only need to carry thrm
over the road) 

£212.10 left 

£5.36 spent 

unexpected of sorts. I pop into M&S often because they can have decent reductions. I got 2 nice pizzas and 2x6 potato skins for £5.36 which is good for M&S. I don’t even think Lidl would be that cheap for what I got. That’s an easy freezer meal one night 

£206.74 left 

£10.38 spent

Split over Aldi and Lidl. I needed milk yesterday so Lidl is closest plus a few of their energy drinks in case I need the pick up. I went into Aldi as there was a baby event on. I got my daughter and son a few things (taken off as it’s not food). I did however get some mayonnaise as I didn’t realise were out and 2 boxes of Weetabix melts as they were in the middle aisle for £1.99, they are £3 in Morrisons! My daughter likes them so grabbed 2 boxes. 

£100 spent 

this is an (over) guesstimate as it is my daughters birthday today and we had her party was yesterday. I did all the food and I ordered from Tesco yesterday. The order had party food on and food for the week and that’s my rough over estimate plus today I went into Lidl as the milk we had from a few days ago was off. I also got some meat 30% off for the freezer. 

£96.36 left eekkkk it’s gonna be tight 

£8.28 spent 

needed milk and fruit. We renewed our daughter’s passport and done our sons first. As they are separate departments they both come separately. Anyways my daughters was coming recorded between 9:06am-1106am. It was more like midday which is fine. It meant I didn’t have much time before collecting my daughter from school and I desperately needed and walk and my son needed a sleep (he only seems to sleep in his pram on a walk during the day). So whilst I was out M&S is closest, as I knew my sons passport was going to be despatched and arrive tomorrow I decided to take the hit and go into M&S. I only needed milk and some fruit. I paid a tad more for the berries but needs must. 

£88.08 left

£68.88 spent 

tesco shop which should hopefully last me the rest of January with a small top up. I’ve still got lots in especially my freezer. I need to find out when my husband is having his days off next week because it’s easier to get the shop in when he’s here so it may be calendar wise January but for February (if that makes sense) 

£19.20 left which I’ll use for bread, milk, fruit etc 

otb666

550/600 I am reporting final figure and going to change my monthly target from 600 to 550 for February as bills are now 700 so 550 food 550 everything else. Total budget still 1800 pm. We go from 23rd to 23rd and today NSD.

elsiepac

February GC Now Live!

Suffolk_lass

We went for a bit of a rummage in the outdoor chest freezer and wrote down everything in there. As a result I am shopping from home now. I have just removed a portion (half) a pork loin joint, a pack of chipolatas and a couple of lamb chops that will be our meat for the week, along with veg from my "quick few bits" chop that ended up bigger than planned - we have carrots, cabbage and potatoes to go with meat, plus leeks and cauliflower, either or both of which are a quick supper baked in a cheese sauce, with or without a potato. So no shopping for me unless we need milk

London_1

Good Morning all, ready made chicken curry out of the freezer for tonights dinner, with rice , lunch will be mushroom soup and cheese and crackers. and some trifle from the fridge,  breakfast was porridge. 

NSD number 20 today out of 22. Using up stuff in stock instead. 9 days left of January and roll on the spring I hate the bad weather ,but today after last nights very blowy storm although breezy the sun is shining at least

Only spent £31.29 so well under budget, handy having my cupboards too full this time of the year I'm glad I did all the batch baking a week or so ago as well

  JackieO xx