January 2008 Grocery Challenge

MERFE

ok am in as usual, really helps to keep check of the spending this challenge. Am budgeting 180 pounds for january as we seem to spend around that amount, I'm just waiting for mr t to come at the minute so can put my first spend in once he gets here, can't remember what i've ordered as i dont it before christmas hopefully i was good.

pipkin71

Hi everyone.

The grocery challenge was a bit hit and miss for me in 2007. Some months I stuck to budget, others I went completely overboard.

We've made some life changing decisions recently, so I need to totally re-organise everything - including the budget.

Anyway, I plan to do the grocery challenge every month in 2008. I will be going shopping today for the first week's menus, and have made a list of what we need - not much thankfully, due to christmas excess.

I have a budget of £200 for the month, but my aim is £150 for three of us - myself and 2 DDs.

I want to buy a sealed saving tin today and the value of any money off coupons will be going in the tin, so for example, a 30p off coupon will see 30p going in the tin.

I also want to save my receipts for a while, to see where unnecessary spending is happening.

So yes, count me in at £150 month for the challenge.

Pipkin xxxx

Jacks_xxx

:wave: I'm in of course (It's becoming a way of life for me. )

I haven't quite set my budget though.

I'm working on a bare bones, back to basics, budget busting bulk buying meal plan that relies heavily on bulk purchases of pasta, rice, porridge and beans but I've not quite finished number crunching yet.

Can we put me down for £300 which is the next logical progression? (Novembers target was £350 and December was specially high so it doesn't count!)

Our monthly average spend has been £306.02 the past three months since I've been on the GC (again not including December) so to keep it attainable after the excesses of Christmas I'll just lop off the £6.02 and see how the land lies at the end of the month.

(I'm not one to be over ambitious am I?!)

Happy New Year and Happy GC-ing!

Love Jacks xxx

cheerfulness4

Well a change in our circumstances means no pence for me until Feb 2nd, so I've got £22 in my purse and whats in the cupboards and freezer. Obviously won't be enough but my challenge is to record everything I spend and keep it down to the bare minimum. After this month will be fine again.

We have a little money put aside from a tax rebate which is ear marked for paying off debts but we will have to dip into that, so the least spent the better.

Have lots of reduced food in freezer but its the milk, loo rolls and cat food that cut into my money.

Wishing you all well for your challenges.;)

Angelraesunshine

sunshine6650 wrote: »

How does this work, do we post weekly how much were up to? Does this start on the 1st?

how this works well thats up to you some people keep an update on there signature and write on the board when that have been shopping. some people do a weekly spend others do a monthly spend it can start any day you want, again some are from the 1st others from the payday choose what ever suits you.

personally i set a monthly budget then have spends for each week, i do a monthly big shop online then tops up at the stores. if i buy any thing i come on here and put on a post. My month starts on the 1st delivery i get for that months shopping so my January shops starts today when my delivery arrives which should be any minute. so most months i start from the 28th/29th/30th of the month and finishes about the same.

HTH

FBF2007

FBF2007 wrote: »

My Wife and I have been lurking and we're going to give this a go in January for the 2 of us plus 2 under 3's.

Not sure what our usually spend would be but our stretch target is going to be set at £200 for the 4 weeks commencing tomorrow. I'm off to Asda and the farmers market in the morning to [hopefully] make a good start.

M&J

Off to a good start this morning as I only spent £26.71 at Asda and then £6.39 at the farmers shop for a total of £33.10.

Still got a few bits to pick up at home & bargain but this should see us through until next Saturday. Not a normal shop though as we've already got quite a bit in, including some meals already frozen.

This weeks meals will include the following :-

- Steak & mushroom pie
- Sunday lunch at the in-laws
- Chicken Pesto
- Roasted Vegetable lasagne
- Chilli con carne
- Spanish chicken and cous cous
- Chinese from Asda deli (special offer at £1 a portion)

FunBrum

Okay....i'm in if you please!

Have lurked and shurked long enough, although lately I've been sticking to my own personal grocery budget, and haven't been doing too badly:j

Put me down for £100 each month for me and my teenage son. I usually feed my BF too and he sometimes brings in a food bargain or two, but I will add that in with my budget.:D

Jacks_xxx

cheerfulness4 wrote: »

Well a change in our circumstances means no pence for me until Feb 2nd, so I've got £22 in my purse and whats in the cupboards and freezer. Obviously won't be enough but my challenge is to record everything I spend and keep it down to the bare minimum. After this month will be fine again.

We have a little money put aside from a tax rebate which is ear marked for paying off debts but we will have to dip into that, so the least spent the better.

Have lots of reduced food in freezer but its the milk, loo rolls and cat food that cut into my money.

Wishing you all well for your challenges.;)

Oh honey, I am sorry to hear that. I really hope you have well stocked cupboards. :eek:

We had a month last year when due to changing pay dates and being more than a little gungho in paying off a debt before we could really afford it we had to live on "fresh air" for a month.

It wasn't fun, but it was very educational.

We were terrible. We did loads of visiting and took up every offer of cake, biscuits, sandwiches, lunch and dinner that came our way!

I wouldn't wish to do it again but I'm proud of us for getting through it. I hope you feel the same at the end of your month.

Have you got a plan?

Love Jacks xxx

Fitzio

I would like to join in too please! Been lurking for a while and trying to cut spending. I am going to set the budget at £150 for 2 of us, which I hope to reduce over the months when I get more used to this. It's already less than I used to spend!
Thanks for all the tips and hints I have picked up so far.

fallen_angel_shelley

just been to tesco to pick up a few bits. it came to £36.78p, but that did include £10.50p for non food stuff, new kitchen knife and baking trays, so im just going to call it £26.28p. never seen so many grumpy people in tesco in my life, and they all seem to have lost the ability to talk to ask you to move if they wanted to get pass you. i will have to go back towards the end of the as i could only carry so much on my own.

meal plan for this week (if DS comes home from his dads)

-pasta bake with garlic bread x 2 nights
-home made pizza
-chilli con carne x 2 nights (unless we go to DS dads for new year)
-soup and homemade rolls + sandwich
-veg sausage, mash & beans

if we do go to DS dads, we will be having roast beef with all the trimings, so the above list will last a couple of more days.