January 2008 Grocery Challenge

Mollymop5

NSD for me:T on this challenge anyway .I have made bread rolls and soup for the weekend and also treat the kids by making doughnuts and muffins.Should keep them full and happy

miecherox

I have had great fun doing this challenge this month and DH has been brill too. I can't believe out average monthly spend was nearly £600 a month!! What were we wasting!!

I set this months budget at £340 ( I figured small steps would be a good start) My actual spend so far is £241.56 - to the penny!! That is for 2 adults, a 21 month old and an 8 month old. I actually think my total spend will come in at £250 but as DH doesn't get paid until next week i'll save my final total for Lil me until then...x

What I have learnt this month...

*How to make my own bread
*How to make my own sponge puddings
*How to spreadsheet my spending so I know to the penny what we have left
*How quickly the penny savings add up
*I won't die if I don't spend money every day (this has been the hardest)

The most crucial thing this grocery challenge has done for us is to reduce the pressure of me finding a job...for the time being...x

Well done everyone and thankyou for all your ideas and support xx

Amyboo

I've just made out my meal planner for a whole month:eek:

I've trailed through the recipe boards and it feels so good not to be coming home from work and thinking about what to make for us to eat:T

I'm so excited to be doing this challenge. I can't wait for it to begin.

(Does that make me sad:o:D)

meanmarie

Yes Amyboo....but only as sad as the rest of us who take pleasure in not spending every cent that comes in without taking note of what we need...in other words, welcome to the happy saddos!

Marie

Sunnyday

Hi Amyboo,
welcome to the challenge :wave:
I`ve been toying with the idea of doing a monthly meal planner too but i have not had time to go looking for recipes.
Actually i could do a plan with different meals every day for a month and just keep repeating the plan lol, wonder how long it would take DH to notice.:rotfl:
I can`t wait for Februarys challenge to start as the nearer it gets the more motivated i seem to be and i always pop back every now and then to see how everyones doing.
Everyone here is fantastic, my life has changed so much and it`s lovely that we all have our online friends to help us out when we need them. there have been some great recipes on here too and everyone is really good sharing things that they`ve learnt or ideas they have had.
Good luck for February!!
SD

tranquil_2

Went over budget today. DDs used last of millk on their cereal BEFORE I'd had first cup of tea :eek:. Then discovered I'd run out of longlife :doh: Managed to do school run before popping into supermarket on way home.

Spent £24 but did buy quite alot (beef for sunday, reduced organic sausages, milk, long-life, yogurts and pasta shapes - both Thomas the Tank Engine for DD2 who thinks she's a boy..., fruit, fruit juice, vege pate as missing the real stuff, et al). Felt had achieved something actually coming out of shop with several carrier bags of food!

Did try to say to DH that, as he's been paid today, that this should go on my February budget but he pointed out that January GC started on 1st Jan - not December's payday. It was worth a try!

I knew that I'd go over this month, once I'd realised that I hadn't accounted for several things from December's budget. Hopefully I can keep avoid the supermarket now for the next few days, and keep it just abit over. Will work out final total on 31st, when I know I can't spend any more!

rosieben

tranquil wrote: »

...
Did try to say to DH that, as he's been paid today, that this should go on my February budget but he pointed out that January GC started on 1st Jan - not December's payday. It was worth a try!

I knew that I'd go over this month, once I'd realised that I hadn't accounted for several things from December's budget. Hopefully I can keep avoid the supermarket now for the next few days, and keep it just abit over. Will work out final total on 31st, when I know I can't spend any more!

A lot of people do run their challenge from payday to payday so if it suits you better, then thats the way to go; today would be the start of your feb budget - the February grocery challenge thread will be started in the next few days.

bebee_2

Well NSD for me today and i am quite proud of it as DD3 goes to swimming lessons after school and i normal get conned into buying something from the cafe bar but today i distracted her so NSD.

Today i also took a look at the www.spendingdiary.com and WOW so much easier, i have managed to log everthing in to it since i started GC and so far i appear to be doing ok. but as this is my first month i may have mis-calculated but time will tell i have until Wednesday so will update then.
Keeping my fingers crossed.

What i have Learnt the last 2 weeks
. Think before you buy
. Don't take your purse out with you unless you really have too!
. Bake More
. Check the Cupboard more often, as what you may need could already be in thier.
. Plan ahead

Thanks for all your help

mhe

HI - just back from ASDA. :j My first monthly GC for FEB is £200 - DH thinks this is way too low and he'll never see another crisp or biscuit again!!:(
Total spend in ASDA for 2 adults 3 children for week = £58.23. :T I know this is a bit over but I bought some things today that I wont buy each week like toiletries so im hoping it will even itself out.

oldMcDonald

Just popped in to update my siggy.

Went a little over budget last week, only by 90 odd pence, but I still feel cross with myself as it was a waste of money. I talked myself into buying a cuppa when out and ended up paying a criminal price just for a cup of tea! I'm sure that i justified it to myself at the time, but I can't remember what the excuse was now!

The cupboards are now empty of all the items I have been overbuying in the past few months, so we are now left with essential items again, such as flour, herbs and spices. I found some bizzare things in the cupboards whilst we were eating our way through them, including a pot of lemon and lime sugar. I have no idea where it came from - I'm sure I didn't buy it! Don't know what on earth to do with it!

Only a few days left of the challenge now, I can't believe that it is almost February - January has gone by so fast!