April 2008 Grocery Challenge 28 March 2008 at 2:18PM edited 30 November -1 at 1:00AM in Old Style MoneySaving 2.5K replies 110.8K views

Pink.

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the fourth Grocery Challenge of 2008. :hello:

If your new month starts early feel free to join this thread, or if you're still working on your March budget, then keep on posting in the March Grocery Challenge

As always this challenge is to reduce your own grocery budget to levels that you will be pleased with, not forgetting that we always recommend that you stay inside your own comfort levels and take things gently one step at a time. Remember that this is not a competition....it's designed to take you and your grocery spending to a level you are happy with.

If you are new to the challenge I have quoted the advice from Galtizz below which will help you get started.

Please post into this thread for help and advice and support at any time. Good luck to everyone taking part!

Galtizz wrote:

I have said this before, but for all the newbies to the challenge;

For the first month I took a guess at the budget but I really had no idea how much I was spending.

I found the best thing is to have a guess the first month but SAVE ALL OF YOUR RECEIPTS (and yes, that does include the ones from the local shop when you run out of milk ), then at the end of the month add them all up and have a look if you were on budget, if not, it doesn't matter because your budget was a guess. For the next month you can use the total of your receipts and take a bit off to get a realistic budget, just shave off as much as you think you can, it could be £1 a week or £20 a week.

If you are currently spending £200 a month don't suddenly drop it to £100 - you'll never do it but if you cut £20 a month off for a few months you'll get there eventually without feeling you're missing out on anything.

You might think you've done everything you can in the first month but someone always comes up with a new idea and, if you try it you often find you save a bit more (unless you are SarahSaver who is an expert at this and could only save more if she turned her back garden into a paddy field and lived on rice ) In the first month I thought, I'm planning meals, I couldn't possibly save any more, but then I started double cooking and freezing, and making soup instead of buying it in tins.

I've been doing this since Feb but only saved ALL of my receipts last month, it has given me a much better idea of where it is all going. Budget for next month is £80 for 2 of us, I'll start on 30/4. I could probably save more, by eating different foods but I can afford to live on £80, I have saved a lot of money since Feb. and I don't waste food or money any more. So I'm happy with my budget.

I hope it's a good month for everyone!

Pink

DonnaP

Hi all

This is the first month I'll be doing this (OH paid today, so its Day 1 for me)and I am so determined to stick to a budget of £250 for 4 of us (twin 4 year old DD's who eat as much as us!!).

I have my spreadsheet set up and I am proud to say I have only spent 30p so far! OH is calling at Aldi with a very small list to tide us over the weekend (I am using some things up out of the freezer) and over the weekend I am going to attempt a bit of a monthly meal plan, so I can go and get a decent amount of shopping in one go.

It feels so liberating to be in control for once.

I look forward to reading about how everyone else is getting on.

Donnax

gunsandbanjos

I'm in:D This is my 2nd one, and i'm not reducing my budget this month as its a 5 week month and i only just came in under budget in march. I will aim for £200 again. That is for me, DH who has a big appetite, LO who is 4, 2 parrots and some fishies:rolleyes: My month just runs as per the calendar, hubby and i both get paid weekly.

MRSMCAWBER

Alli_baba2 £250
Angle08 £250
annaangeluk £100
Apple_Mint £150
Angchris £150
AngelNikki £350 £346.02
Angelraesunshine £300 £290.09
annie123 £350 £271
Applemella £400
Arconite_babe £300 £326.53
Aril £200 £142.23
Atlanta £370
Babymaker £300 £279.82
Baby mother £300
BargainRzl £50
Bemuzzed £280 £272.81
belfastgirl23 £130 £142.92
Bertiebots £220
Betterlatethannever £85 £54.29
BigMummaF £350 £361.28
Bobbykins £225 £264.83
Boredofbeingathome £180 £179.98
Candygirl £100 £94.71
carolt2 £210 £192.45
Casper the friendly ghost £50 £89.85
cheerfulness4 £140 £170.11
Chewy62 £350
Chimp Choker £200
chicken pie £180
Choosy £160
Claire2305 £130 £99.87
CleosMum £200 £198.83
Clowe1 £375
CRANKY40 £150 £92.63
Cruiksl £250
Cupid_S £80 £133
curly cabbage £100 £32.68
Curv £350
Daisydoll £200
Daisy_Steiner £150
Decla £220
DesperateHousewife £250
Diane-239 £200
Dinx1972 £320
DonnaP £250
Doom_and_Gloom £30
Earthmother £210
EC12345 £175 £171.33
egon £230 £321.73
Elle_gee £160
Emptypurse £100
Ess-six £275 £229.95
EverTheOptimist £100
fallen angel shelley £80 £71.34
Fedupnow £350
fi27 £300 £297.74
FindingMyFeet £380 £394.56
frankerooney £180
funkyfunkymonkey £200 £202.35
galacticgreen £200 £199.39
Gemmzie £370
Gettingsortedsarah £200 £223.10
Girl least likely to £190 £186.02
GFN123 £150
Guns banjos £200
Helliecopter €420 £406.38
Icecubequeen £100
Ice_Maiden £400
Ifonlyitwaseasier £150 £151.21
in-it-to-win-it £180
IntheRed £200
irishwexford £150
izoomzoom £200 £272.36
jackie_W £300
jackiegibbo £200 £224.45
Jacks xxx £250
Jamiedodger £150
Jak £72 £72
Janeryan £150 £147.73
JayJay14 £200 £202.12
JayneC £240
Jenid £120 £120.88
JennyBee £200 £173.02
Jessica Rabbit £50
Jessie18 £375
JillD £350
Jinky67 £250 £286.30
JulieJim £250
Jumps £250 £324.50
Justamum £300 £480.64
Kattiesmummy £200
Kaz2904 £200 £234.14
Keiss 21 £400 £459.32
Kippers £240
Kitty £264 + £35 pets £332.45 + £40.73 -pets
kittynortheast £350 £424.57
kiwi88 £300
Kiwikaz £250
lainz £80 £70.99
Lillythecat £250
lil_me £300 £241.32
Lil Monkey £200
lilmisskitkat £200 £175.39
LingoJingo £160 £133.04
Little Miss Naughty £200
LouiseJ £250
Madmittens £80 £77.19
mama67 £170 £224.16
Mark88man £595 £690
meanmarie €300 €320
mhe £200 £197.35
mikeD £236
Minibugetgal £250
Mischiefmaker £350
Miserlymum £235 £234.28
Missimaxo £300
Miss Minnie £80 £73.59
Miss_Saver £120
MKwotsit £280
M0neysav3r £175
Mollymop5£150 £198.06
Moniker £300 £277.31
Monkey22 £300
Moo2Moo £250 £261.06
mookybargirl £160
Mooloo £290
Mortgagefreeforme £270 £270
Mr+Mrs T £250 £258.50
MrDT £60
Mrs Bartolozzi £200 £221.73
Mrs. Irwin £250 £386.47
MrsMoneyPenny £500
Mrs Pinkerton Trunks £250
mrssnowy £200 £203.38
Mrsmcawber €50 €46.16
MSHAWX £100
mummygems £300
Mummyleads £350
mumzyof2 £130
NannyOgg £200 £217.48
natzini £120 £148.72
Newlifeahead £250
newlywed £280
Nicky1306 £400
nykmedia £100 £97.05
oldMcDonald £180
Orchid-96 £250
Pam2802 £200
patent girl £260 £360
Penny Pincher £250
Pheonixchix £150
PinkCloud9 £300 £275.26
Pink Princess £475 £328.06
Poohbear59 £240
Pretz £180
Purple_Sparkles £100
purple vamp £300
rachelmk £100 £101
razra £60 £68.52
redmel1621 £260 £363.26
redsquirrel80 £40
RussetRed £325 £406.48
Sashanut £250
Saveaholic68 £80
Saver03 £120
Savingfortravel £200 £56.99
Savvy mummy £300 £298.59
Sazzledazzle £250
Scared1980 £200
ScotSaver £250 £249.22
Searching me £200 £196.70
Shazzer22 £80
Shelley84 £250
shelovestobuystuff £120
Singlemum £160
666paw £175 £286.92
Skint_Catt £175
Skintscottslass £120
SmellyOldSock £300 £290
Starlett £50
Stenephe £200
StrawberryLaces £250
Sue09 £250
SunnyDay £150 £204.52
suzialwaysbroke £350
Tara66 £200
tattycath £200 £207
Teedy23 £50 £77.30
Telute £250
the_cat £300
TheBees £340
Toniwoty2009 £250
Tylersbabe £70 £103.64
UbaMother £250
Valjk £250
waddy80 £120
Wee Missy £200
weezl74 £40
Welshlassie £260
Wendy24g £250 £238.08
Willow Girl £200
witchmabel £250 £407
Wmf £200
WorkingHardDFW £300
Zeddy £150
Zend £150

Weekly

Elly2 £60
~Jules~ £40
LittleAngels3 £80
Mandy_Moo1 £60 £226.36-month
Mardatha £60
Moment of clarity £55
Nicifer_NooNoo £30

MRSMCAWBER

Hello everyone.... here we go again :T

Good luck with those budgets and thanks Newlywed for letting me know the thread had started.. managed to get the list on the 1st page....soooo much easier for everyone to find

angelnikki

I'm in again this month, £350 for me OH and DS (18months).

Good luck everyone!!

Nikki
x

kittynortheast

Thanks Pink-Winged and Mrs MCAWBER, ooh I've never been one of the first posters!!
New month, new leaf, I am going to try very hard this month to cut down,

I have bought a few (well loads! LOL) treats and alongside upgrading my meat to fresh local farm over the last month, I think that's where the extra spend has gone I have to 'fess, so cut the rubbish, cut the extra trips to the shops for things I don't need, I WILL be on course.

Good luck to everyone!

cuddlymarm

Hi everyone

March was a disastrous month :eek: :eek: because I lost track of what was being spent on food ( DS2 was home from uni and every time he or DS1 bought anything they forgot to get a receipt or bought the expensive variety or extra bits) so I gave up as a bad job. In April we go on holiday for 2 weeks so I'm going to try for a fresh start in May.

Good luck to everyone and I hope you manage to stay on the straight and narrow this month.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

weezl74

Hiya,

I'd like to join in again too please. I found the challenge and all the recipes so useful last month. Mrs Mcawber can you please put me down for £40 per month for April-june. I'll update my sig in a minute.

Weezl x

mumzyof2

Found it MRSC..Im in for £90 woohoo bring it on. Doing one big shop when i get back on 20th...but have from 1st-6th with not spending anything. :$

mumzyof2

cuddlymarm wrote: »

Hi everyone

March was a disastrous month :eek: :eek: because I lost track of what was being spent on food ( DS2 was home from uni and every time he or DS1 bought anything they forgot to get a receipt or bought the expensive variety or extra bits) so I gave up as a bad job. In April we go on holiday for 2 weeks so I'm going to try for a fresh start in May.

Good luck to everyone and I hope you manage to stay on the straight and narrow this month.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

I use to live in blackpool )