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March 2018 Grocery Challenge

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  • PennyGrabber
    PennyGrabber Posts: 1,288 Forumite
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    Hi all,

    Due to illness, trying to go back to work and the death of a friend at work, February hasn't been the easiest. I haven't kept a tally of my spending, but I think I have most receipts, so at some point will work it out. We all have months where life takes over, so I don't feel at all bad about it.

    That being said, March will be a big focus month. Will really try to count my nsds. I was so excited recently about having the energy to shop, that I went several times in a week, for stuff I didn't need!!!

    Can I please be put down for £100 for March. This seems to be a reasonable figure for us, as we don't have expensive tastes (thank goodness!) or eat a huge amount of meat. It is more than £1pppd - I'll work out how much that would be later, just because I'm interested. The nsd aim is 21. That allows for one weekly shop and one ys shop per week. More than doable...!

    PG x
    Grocery challenge for family of three - me, dd(12) and ds(11), feeding dp 2 or 3 x a week too. Only food, not toiletries. Jan £87.97/£100 Feb £0/£100
    Frugal 2018 needed! Saving and NOT spending
  • ScotinLondon
    ScotinLondon Posts: 357 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker Rampant Recycler
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    Afternoon, can I join again? My month starts tomorrow...my budget will be £130.00.

    it's doable if I keep away from an frozen pizzas etc for when I get in late from work....need to work on that and start batch cooking for evenings again...good luck everyone.

    SIL
  • lynnejk
    lynnejk Posts: 5,732 Forumite
    Rampant Recycler Debt-free and Proud!
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    Afternoon all and a warm welcome to new peoples, returners and regulars :hello:

    Thanks a million Zippy for all your work running thread over the years and all the help you've given me as well. Hope we still 'see' you here :D

    Thank you elsiepac for taking up the reins and to Coxy for keeping us correct on the targets each month :D

    Please put me down for our usual £200 for March. This is for me and DH and includes all food, cleaning, laundry and toiletries.

    I'm still in February until the very end but will pop along as the week progresses. Good luck with the challenge everyone
    Lx
    £10day.2014=3213/2015=3421/2016=3238/2017=2702/2018=498..APR=12.03/300
    GrocC.2014=2162/2015=2083/2016=218/2017=1996/2018=450..APR=17.13/200
    Bulk buy.......APR=233.76
    GC.NSD..2015=216/2016=213/2017=229/2018=39..APR=03/15
    SPC130:staradminx61..2014=1178/2015=1287/2016=4616/2017=3843
    OS WL= -2/8 ......CC =00......Savings = £13,140
  • Maisie_M
    Maisie_M Posts: 1,524 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
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    Please could you put me down for £250 again please this month. As always running 27th to 26th.

    Determined to be within my budget again.
  • elsiepac
    elsiepac Posts: 2,560 Ambassador
    First Anniversary Name Dropper Combo Breaker First Post
    edited 26 February 2018 at 1:50AM
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    NeverendingDMP wrote: »
    Couldn't get my number red but I'll keep trying
    I've done it for you :)

    I've spent a MASSIVE chunk of my March budget today (got paid slightly early but it still works out).
    I had a 15% off coupon for 0cad0 so have done a huge stock up shop of cleaning products which I was nearly out of. All 1/3 off as well (I use Ec0zone). So that was £75.04 after the discount and delivery.

    Also stocked up on Tofo0 on offer in Sainsbobs and Califia almond milks as they are on discount too at the moment, so spent jut under £20 in there.

    Then off to Mr T for my big cupboard stock up shop - last month I did partially replace stuff as I went along, but towards the end I stopped planning meals and bought more expensive veg etc and it all got a bit out of hand hence I went over. I stocked up on all tins of beans, tinned toms, stock cubes, tea (for work and home) various sauces, FryLight, a few herbs and spices I'd run out of, brown rice, wholewheat noodles (6 packs as they are still on offer at 74p but runs out in 4 days!) and a few more veggies. My fridge is stuffed to the gunnels! Spent £61 in there.

    Also got black kale and 9 volt batteries for my smoke alarm in A1di (spent just over £3) as it's been beeping for months and I keep forgetting to get a new battery for it (it runs off mains don't worry, it's just the back up battery). Now need to find some way of reaching it!!!

    Feel a bit sick spending so very much right at the start, but also feel I'm starting off on the right foot, I'm stocked up, and I've got lots of ideas for what I have in - tomorrow I plan to get some batch cooking done for the freezer which will use up some of the bulk fresh veg I got from the veg man.


    ...............................£250 Budget
    Date.......Shop......Amount....Remaining
    24 Feb.....Ocad0.....£75.04....£174.96(STOCK)
    24 Feb.....Sains.....£19.55....£155.41(WEEK 1)
    24 Feb.....Tesc0.....£61.19.....£94.22(WEEK 1)
    24 Feb.....A1di......£03.18.....£91.04(WEEK 1)



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    GC: May 22 £tbc/£250 Vegan 27-8-13
  • purpleybat
    purpleybat Posts: 477 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    edited 26 February 2018 at 12:54AM
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    hello all, welcome to march :D


    I have my sister stay in during the week from the beginning of march so i'm in a bit of a quandary as to how much to add to budget to include her 3 meals a day.
    she eats a lot of homemade soups (which are cheap) and crumpets, and then will eat whatever i'm making in the evening. i'm thinking an extra £40 a month should more than cover it so I think i'll start there and see how it goes.
    I think therefore i'll set my budget at £200 for the month please. :D
  • Daydreamers
    Daydreamers Posts: 45 Forumite
    edited 25 February 2018 at 5:26PM
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    Can I join please? :hello:

    I seem to overspend monthly despite shopping mainly at a discount supermarket and mostly cooking from scratch.
    There!!!8217;s mainly just my husband and I but last month 2 of my sons who live away were home for various visits. (One stocking up to return to uni from my stores!;))
    I!!!8217;m up to £326.00 :eek:so far and the month ends on 27th Feb.

    Aiming for £200 from 28th Feb - 27th March

    I can!!!8217;t find where to make text red sorry.
    GC Challenge March £55.48/£200
  • thriftwizard
    thriftwizard Posts: 4,667 Forumite
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    edited 25 February 2018 at 2:15PM
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    I'll aim for £400 again, please - that's feeding 5 adults (2 of them, OH & DS2, in vigorous training thus eating more than most & requiring lots of protein, and 2 of them, the DDs, pescatarian) 2 cats (1 of whom needs a special diet in order to avoid massive vet bills - seems she's mostly pescatarian too, and certainly grain-free) 2 cockatiels and 11 assorted chickens & bantams. Laundry & cleaning supplies are counted in too; also any seeds or seedlings I need for the allotment. Shouldn't need any toiletries; I was given plenty for Christmas & my birthday, and the Offspring buy their own. OH just nicks whatever's there...

    At first I thought it was a 5-weekend pay-month, which are always a bit harder, but in fact there isn't one until June. Any under-spend, should I be so lucky, over the next 3 months can be added onto the June "allowance"!
    Angie - GC April 24 £432.06/£480: 2024 Fashion on the Ration Challenge: 10/68: (Money's just a substitute for time & talent...)
  • YorksLass
    YorksLass Posts: 1,712 Forumite
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    So sorry to see zippychick go but thanks elsiepac for stepping up to the plate and also to Coxy and lynnejk for their hard work every month. :A

    Welcome and :hello: to newbies, returners and regulars.
    I’ll be in again please for £140 – two adults, groceries only as household/cleaning stuff and toiletries have their own budgets. I’m calling this Miserly March as, although this will be a 5-week month chez nous, I’ll be trying to stretch 4 weeks’ dosh over the 5 weeks! Given how much we have in the freezer, fridge and cupboards, this should be perfectly do-able – watch this space! :D

    Meal plan done for the coming week along the lines of:

    Sun – Corned beef hash (made in the SC yesterday with enough to freeze for 1 - maybe 2 - hm ready meals), potatoes & cabbage
    Mon –Jacket spud with a lamb curry topping
    Tue – Chicken in a honey & mustard sauce, mash & broccoli
    Wed – Salad (plenty of tins of fish in stock)
    Thu – Steak & ale pie, mash & cabbage
    Fri – Fish supper from the chippy, hm mushy peas
    Sat – Fakeaway prawn curry & rice

    Good luck everyone.
    Be kind to others and to yourself too.
  • starting_again_in_the_sun
    starting_again_in_the_sun Posts: 128 Forumite
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    I'm in again...250 euros this month please. Hoping to actually be under budget for once! Good luck everyone :)
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