March 2008 Grocery Challenge

TheBees

Evening everyone

I've re-jigged the menu plan up until the 31st and have worked out what I need to buy tomorrow. Should only need to spend about £15 so fingers crossed. Planning to do quite a bit of baking and the house needs a really good clean unfortunately!:mad:

Frankerooney-Just an idea for you - why not put your grocery money into a separate purse or pot so that you don't use that money for things like posting parcels, newspapers, birthday cards etc? It works for us! I regularly carry around my normal purse with my debit cards and a bit of cash in it plus my grocery purse containing some of my budget (obviously don't want to carry around £300 at the beginning of the month) plus any money off coupons and a sheet of paper inside with a running total of the grocery spend. I've been doing it like this for two or three months and it seems to be working.:D

Think I might try to grow some easy vegetables this year. I've grown tomatoes in the past but don't have much room for anything else really. Any ideas?

Have a good weekend
TheBees

jackiegibbo

£21.44 on shopping for me today.Hope you are alldoing well with your challenges:T :T :T

LouiseJ

jackiegibbo wrote: »

£21.44 on shopping for me today.Hope you are alldoing well with your challenges:T :T :T

I'm doing pants :embarasse

mhe

Savingfortravel - were do you work - im a teacher too and only off until 3/4/08 - 2 weeks less than you!!!!


jackie w -welcome to the club of epipen mothers - -inm glad you got the epi pen id heard they were reluctant to give them out cos u dont use them and they are expensive but once youve had them they cant stop them. How old is your son - mine is 9 and we are just getting to that tricky stage were he doesnt want to do what mum and dad say anymore - only going to get worse -im keeping my fingers crossed for the injection that will cure nut allergy.


nowa strange thing has happened - although i have gone slightly over budget this month it is less than my usual £400 spend.Just gone to Asda tonight to start spending Aprils budget and i cant fit all the stuff in the cupboards cos they are too full. I bought lots of asda fruit all at that roll back price of 20p or 22p - -thanks to whoeer it was who mentioned thet - -now have 10 bags of mixed fruit on the side trying to shoehorn it in to a cupboard!!!!!

Kaz2904

I went to Tesco and asda earlier with my April budget. I haven't added it up yet because it's too scary! Lots of stuff though and should last a long time (cue post from me next week, I've gt no food/ no money!)

frankerooney

TheBees wrote: »

Frankerooney-Just an idea for you - why not put your grocery money into a separate purse or pot so that you don't use that money for things like posting parcels, newspapers, birthday cards etc?

Thanks for that TheBees. The problem isn't that grocery money gets used; I have got a good grip on that; but, to be honest, that darling husband forgets to tell me about the incidental spends! :rolleyes: If he finds receipts in his pocket, he is good at handing them over. But it's the bits & pieces like parking charges or library fines, when you don't get a receipt. Further husband-training required I guess!! He's pretty good all in all though, mustn't complain!

Moniker

LouiseJ wrote: »

I'm doing pants :embarasse

Louise, don't beat yourself up - the important thing is that you are trying and you will learn from your mistakes and do better next month I am sure. Try to see where you went over and try to remedy it next time. But don't be too hard on yourself! Did you set an unrealistic budget? Small steps are best and the only one you are competing with is yourself.

Give yourself a big pat on the back for even trying!

Happy Easter everyone.

love from Moniker

mama67

lil_me wrote: »

CTC we're lucky in a way, my partners income is cash, I prefer to work with cash aswell. My stuff like family allowance etc goes into the bank which covers the DDs etc. He gives me a set amount per week, rest he makes on top is his for whatever he likes, many times it's more than what he gives me, but if he earns extra he can keep it, but then he's not nagging me when he wants something (several expensive hobbies/interests) I use the cash for the weekly shopping, then what goes in the bank for bills.

I prefer to pay by cash for everything, which drives my family insane as they feel carrying cash is more of a risk, if I order anything online I still take it out of my grocery budget money that I have seperately. It is easier to physically be able to see what you have left in my opinion.

EEEEeekkkkk!!! I have to have my very big freezer emptied and defrosted, probably next week when the parts arrive, so that's a big kick up the bum not to buy any more than I need to and use up what I have.

I do this as well Li_l me. I use an envelope system for alot of things.

OH gets paid weekly so I take weekly cash out split it into all the different pots etc, Tax credits cover most of the small dd and I move weekly amounts into separate online savings accounts for the mortgage and Council Tax. which are then transfered back into normal account 5 days before payment is due.

This system works well for us and it means we have been able to keep on top of things more since we cleared our debts last July.

As said if its cash and its gone then can't spend it.

Girl_least_likely_to

I'm full of cold today so it's at times like this I'm so glad I batch cook and have my freezer bursting with stuff to make meals out of minimal effort.

I went to tescos yesterday to stock up of cold & flu stuff, tissues and thought I'd get all the milk, F&V and offers I could to see me through to the end of next week. I got a whole ethical chicken for £2.45 and 8 thighs for £2.50, they were whoopsied. I got a half price side of salmon, still need to portion that up though. Tinned tomes and tortillas (sorry still not making my own ) were on bogof too.

Right, I'm off to be ill now

Keeping_Positive

Hope you feel better soon Girl least likely too.

Going to go slightly over budget becasue after defrosting my freezer it looked very sad all empty so have overshopped on the Tesco side. Alot will cover the following week for April so that will help. Dont know final value as being delivered tomorrow but bound to be over the £58 left. Did get a £10 off evoucher to work though.

Small Aldi shop of 7.08 already added to sig.