January 2025 Grocery Challenge

JingsMyBucket

Thank you so much @elsiepac for running the grocery challenge. Your work is saving our bacon! 😂

This is a 4.5 week month and I’m trying to rein our spending back under £300/month. In January I’m also going to try a “pantry/freezer” challenge to reduce spending. I’ll also try reducing Tesco online orders to avoid running up the bill. This will mean more walking for me but hey, I need the exercise anyway. I’m aiming for:

£300 for January 1 — 31. 
£60/week x 4.5 weeks = £270. Add in £30 for bulk/restock.

We’re 2 adults who need to eat less carbs / white foods due to health. 

BudgetingBelinda

15/550

Cheated a little with using a voucher! But all supporting groceries for what’s in the freezer and feeding hungry DS’ who are as usual on a staycation all inclusive buffet while on xmas hols.. 🤗 and I got a very good reduction of meatballs at under £1.50, batch cooked up and will do 3 meals.

I am definitely reducing my consumption, partly as I’m mindful about the grocery budget, waistline, general health but also I’m kind of sick of food and eating now! 

Since it’s not even Jan yet I’m not going to pat myself on the back just yet 😆 but happy with where I am grocery and prep wise for this month.

Doom_and_Gloom

Thank you elsiepac for doing this thread.

2025 is nearly here! Here's hoping that 2025 goes better than most of 2024 for us.
Also hoping that 2025 is a great year for all others. 

Our January starts on the 1st.

Our January budget is going to be £248.
The month goes 1st to the 31st.

This is for two adults; my OH and I. Includes all food and drink (except alcohol, that has a different budget), cleaning products, toiletries etc. More than I'd like the budget to be, however both OH and I think for now it is better to leave the budget as it is (£8/day) and see over a few months more yet before we reduce it if we can.
December isn't finished yet but it looks like we are going to be nicely under budget.

My parents as usual sent us home with quite a lot of food after staying with them at Christmas. The fridge is very healthy looking with all the vegetables in there. OH also has loads of meat in the freezer due to going to Waitr*se and finding 4 good joints reduced at a price that would have been stupid to leave behind given we had space in the freezer. He kept two as joints and the other two he cut into steaks and also strips he can use for stir fry/fajitas or the like.

Hoping that we stay within budget for January. 

£0/£248.

£248 left.

Soontobeoap

Got home from Christmas away yesterday. Had a lovely time but it is really great to be home.

I  have split today's Tesco order between Dec and Jan as it was bought to feed family of 12 of us for 8 days. £185.00 for Jan. 


I have bought cake etc for the gluten free members of the family but did make a couple of fruit cakes and a lemon cake this morning.

I am trying a different approach to start this year I have stocked the freezer with meat joints that were reduced rather than veg.we were not at home for all of the reduced veg but joints were earlier this year and spread over a longer period so I have taken advantage. I have also taken advantage of the heinz beans offer in my Tesco order today. I bought 4 packs of 6 at 2 for £8.00. This offer saved me over £5.00. with the family here I am not going to have much time to scout out bargains but will be making the most of everything that I have bought in. I never know when we are going out for a meal or if someone else will suddenly decide that they are buying the food to cook so every meal I have bought can be frozen and eaten by us later if not used for all of our guests.

We have company until 5th January now so wishe luck.

Cassingtonbear

£52/£650 spent already on a bit of a bulk shop.

Sausageroll14

Put me down for £25 this month for 2 adults. 

I've double checked the stores and everything is full bar toilet paper. 

I've come up with some suggested meals and it takes us to February......

Ideally I will supplement with Olio but I really want to get creative and stop the food waste as well. 

Mrs_Cheshire

Hi all, 
Thanks @elsiepac for running the thread again. I've just totalled up the spend for last year (I'm missing Jan so have added a little extra) Yearly total is £6500. 
This year I'll track takeaways and drinks/food outside of the house too as it adds up to a significant amount over the year.

Grocery budget for Jan is £400 

This is to feed 2 adults, 2 teen boys and a tween. We've got a well stocked freezer and store cupboards, plus plenty of treats from Christmas. I know I need washing powder or liquid (will try and find a good offer). 
Got an order arriving today which I'll add the total to January's budget as the majority will be eaten when we return from visiting my parents for New Year  

clootiedumplin

May I join for January? Single household, long time lurker and seldom poster but now need to give myself a shake!
Could you put me down for £100 please. This is for all groceries including cleaning products.

EcoIntent

I'm starting now, got food in for this week and the meal plan done, so the budget starts from this coming Saturday, £130 per week, household of 3 plus a cat. I know this is probably higher than it should be, but want to start consistently keeping to this as a starter for ten.

thriftwizard

EcoIntent said:

I'm starting now, got food in for this week and the meal plan done, so the budget starts from this coming Saturday, £130 per week, household of 3 plus a cat. I know this is probably higher than it should be, but want to start consistently keeping to this as a starter for ten.

@EcoIntent, there isn't any "should be", it's basically what you can comfortably do, afford and digest! It's always good to hang onto as much of your hard-earned money as you can, but not at the expense of your, or your family's, health or sanity. £130 p.w. sounds like a great place to start; it's being conscious of what you're actually spending, and how much of that you are really using to the full, and whether you need to rein it back in, whether you could find the same things cheaper elsewhere without racking up extra expense or compromising on quality, & whether there are ways of cooking & cleaning that would work better for you than what you've always done. Basically, being (and staying) conscious of it all is halfway to budgetary success!