How do you do it?

kukujang

Make your lunch before you go to bed that way you just grab and go. Keep a banana or an apple handy for attacks of the nibbles that way you won't be tempted to chow on the way home from work.

good luck also..;D

Mariel

If you like snacky things you could always try shopping in the evening, there's often stuff reduced to 10p that's freezable too, I do it a lot.

janb5

Hiya
I was in a similar position to you. Last month my friend at work and I saved all our food receipts. Well I knew it was high but I was really shocked. Over £500 for me and two teenagers. The only thing I can say is that there is no waste as they ` hoover` everything up but still it is FAR too much!

This month I am saving the receipts again having noted th:j e original amount and am aiming to reduce it by using a set amount of cash each week and not rushing out for odd things we have run out of ( and buying extras en route) As someone else has said little steps and you will notice a difference. Good luck to you.

EmptyPurse

Ben84 wrote: »

I used to be very excessive with my shopping budget. Well, I say budget like I was actually counting what I was spending... I just went shopping and bought, bought, bought.

I think that's where I've been going wrong. Much as I try to set a budget I've never forced myself to stick to it; if I hit my monthly limit I just carry on spending and count what I'm spending - because, after all, that's how you budget, right? :rolleyes: I just can't bring myself to do without anything - be it food, books or a day out. Even the thought of sticking to a pre-set budget brings me out in a cold sweat: I can always find a reason to justify my spending and everything's an "exception".

I'd love to do the Grocery Challenge as I could really do with the support/accountability. However, I get paid in the middle of the month so my budget is out of synch with everyone else. Does anyone else have this problem and, if so, how do you get round it?

gunsandbanjos

Everyone on the grocery challenge has different targets/cycles. Some people run a weekly target which might work for you? It doesnt matter when you get paid or when you start, that thread is fabulous and has saved me a fortune:beer:

Uniscots97

EmptyPurse wrote: »

Any tips for a complete slacker?

First things first, you are not a complete slacker otherwise you wouldn't care and you wouldn't be on here doing something about it.

I can sympathise with the eating alone thing, when I was single (and was single for a long time) I hated eating alone. So once a week a friend and I would get together and cook. The rest of the time I made sure I sat down to eat in front of a programme I enjoyed and apart from that helping I also looked forward to seeing my friend for a natter over dinner once a week.

If you have a fridge at work get some low fat yoghurts that way if you feel the chocolate in the vending machine calling your name you can resist. Tesco Value low fat yoghurts are really nice as well as cheap. if you don't have access to a fridge then the idea that someone else had of the fruit is a good one too. Try and swap your snacks during the day for fruit or low fat yoghurt and apart from a difference cost wise you'll probably see a difference in your weight too, I know I did.

Uniscots97

gunsandbanjos, hadn't noticed before you're in my neck of the woods (where i work anyway)

supersaver1000

Hi Empty Purse

Just read this thread and love all of the tips and now I'm going to read through some of the other links members have posted but had to respond. I'm nearly at the end of my second month of budgeting now and its been really hard but I'm really pleased with myself. I too just spent and spent and must have been the supermarkets dream - always buying the buy one get one free etc. I still buy the bargains but only when I know I'm going to use them and now that I've set a budget it makes me think twice about whether its worth using up some of that for a 'special' offer. I haven't bought work lunches for ages now and prefer to save my money for a better evening meal. I occasionally take in a sandwich, or put some bread and bananas in my bag (I keep a tub of marge in the work fridge) and my latest craze are the noodle pots from Blue Dragon which even have a fork included (61p in Morrisons) and are the nicest I've tried.

I did succumb and bought a big tray of bargain free range eggs from Asda so have been making pancakes and yorkshire puddings (instead of buying them) but have also made some choc chip muffins to take into work (Asda choc drops are about 25p). I've also been making chocolate Rice Krispie cakes really cheaply too and they go well for a work time treat.

Off to read the other threads now - good luck - one step at a time definitely works.

gunsandbanjos

unixgirluk wrote: »

gunsandbanjos, hadn't noticed before you're in my neck of the woods (where i work anyway)

Yup, good old sunny- ish Edinburgh:D

Uniscots97

gunsandbanjos wrote: »

Yup, good old sunny- ish Edinburgh:D

:rotfl: it was sunny when I drove in this morning