Grocery Challenge 2014 [Threads Merged]

Davy

Jan and Feb threads merged

livinsane

I can't edit my first post but as you can see the monthly threads have been merged into one general thread. I think it might work better and people won't have to wait for a new thread to be created every month. It might encourage general discussion too.

I'll get the ball rolling. I've started to do a big weekly shop with the last two weeks. For years we've done a few small ones per week and thought that was working well but I'm beginning to reconsider. We cook all our meals from scratch but are bad planners so sometimes end up doubling up on ingredients or buying things we already have in the freezer, but don't have the time to defrost.

This week I planned all our meals before shopping. Still strayed from my list but anything extra was not perishable so will be used in time. Spent €80 in Lidl and about €20 in SV.

Tomorrow Im going through my cupboards and planning next weeks meals around the contents. I definitely don't intend spending €100 every week.

livinsane

Mother of god. I went through the presses and along with 9 small tins of baked beans, here is our collection of packet sauces:



Only one of us eats baked beans and I rarely use packet sauces but I am responsible for the multiple bags of different flours and three bags of porridge. I was going to make bolognese from scratch today but feel guilty for not using one of the packets! Maybe I'll just sprinkle some in as seasoning. To make myself feel better I've just used up some apples to make applesauce and I'll make breakfast muffins later which will use some of that porridge and flour.

Tiriel

livinsane wrote: »

Mother of god. I went through the presses and along with 9 small tins of baked beans, here is our collection of packet sauces:

Only one of us eats baked beans and I rarely use packet sauces but I am responsible for the multiple bags of different flours and three bags of porridge. I was going to make bolognese from scratch today but feel guilty for not using one of the packets! Maybe I'll just sprinkle some in as seasoning. To make myself feel better I've just used up some apples to make applesauce and I'll make breakfast muffins later which will use some of that porridge and flour.

Check the dates on them!! They're the kind of thing that unless you move house, can end up in the cupboard long past their use by dates!

Kayraa

I'm going to start this tomorrow, I'll do it monthly and my budget is €140 a month. It's just myself in the house so hopefully I will spend less than this and my budget can be reduced

livinsane

Cork_girl wrote: »

Check the dates on them!! They're the kind of thing that unless you move house, can end up in the cupboard long past their use by dates!

All in date thankfully, even though I wouldn't be a stranger to using out of date stuff.

I've no budget set but we spent €100 last week so hoping to keep it low this week.

31/03

€26 in Lidl
€2 in garage
€1 in market

---

€29

Kayraa

so with my weekly budget of €35 I've done okay. I forgot my list and bought a lot I didn't need lol

01/04
€6 in Dunnes
€21 in Tesco

---

€27

karen89

Love this thread just found it while watching extreme couponing on tv, not fair that the usa has so many vouchers/coupons and we dont

livinsane

livinsane wrote: »

€26 in Lidl
€2 in garage
€1 in market

---

€29

Adding to this:
€26 in Lidl
€9 in SV
€5 in Market
€6 in Boots

---

€46

Bringing this weeks total to €75

Man, groceries are dear. This week we bought only the bare minimum fresh fruit and veg, eggs, bread and milk. No meat. The bulk of all dinners came from stuff we already had in the house. I was expecting to have spent less. Although the baby has started solid food so I'm buying him expensive organic produce! In better news, boyfriend dearest caught a load of cod today so we've plenty fresh fish.

livinsane

karen89 wrote: »

Love this thread just found it while watching extreme couponing on tv, not fair that the usa has so many vouchers/coupons and we dont

I'm signed up to a survey site called Irish opinions. They email you links to surveys, you complete, your account is credited and when you have a tenner built up, you request a voucher which is posted to your home address. You can choose from Boots, Tesco and two online sites. You earn different amounts per survey you qualify for (could be up to €3 or as low as 75c). I probably get a tenner voucher every two months. Not a lot but I get a buzz spending them and then getting my Boots points on top. Boots definitely have the best customer loyalty program I've experienced.

Kayraa

livinsane wrote: »

I'm signed up to a survey site called Irish opinions. They email you links to surveys, you complete, your account is credited and when you have a tenner built up, you request a voucher which is posted to your home address. You can choose from Boots, Tesco and two online sites. You earn different amounts per survey you qualify for (could be up to €3 or as low as 75c). I probably get a tenner voucher every two months. Not a lot but I get a buzz spending them and then getting my Boots points on top. Boots definitely have the best customer loyalty program I've experienced.

I use this site too, I love putting my €10 towards my tesco shop especially when I have vouchers!

Kayraa

karen89 wrote: »

Love this thread just found it while watching extreme couponing on tv, not fair that the usa has so many vouchers/coupons and we dont

I know! I wish we could get more

livinsane

Did big shop for this week and spent €60 in Lidl. Got cheap mixed seafood pieces that were about to go out of date and, with the cod that was caught the other night, I made a huge pot of chowder. Have the rest of the weeks meals planned and don't envision having to buy much else for the week. We'll see...

Kayraa

I haven't needed to do shopping again yet, however planning a BIG shop in Aldi for €50 so I get €10 off using the Irish independent voucher. (It's in todays paper for anyone interested)

livinsane

Have only bought one loaf of bread since the shop last Tuesday so pretty happy this week. Was heading to the shop today to buy green thai curry paste when I remembered that I had frozen a batch of excess sauce from a previous curry...last July. Still tastes lovely!

alliemac

Gonna try this out. We are a family of 2ad2children. Both under 3 so still in nappies. I try do nappies wipes shop for month at start of month and then do week to week shops. I like to have variety of dinners I think this is why I spend so much. So I spent €137 sat in tesco a good few extras like shampoo etc. but only 2 meat products really bad planning so gonna look through presses now and plan for week! Here goes!!!

ae86chic

Since starting this i have brought my week shop to 90€ for 2 adults and2 toddlers and with the tesco using aldi vouchers I have bought 105€ of food and paid 80€ with coupons

makeandcreate

I'm going to start this challenge too - I want to take the kids away on a cheap UK holiday but still need to make some big savings if I'm going to do it.
I have a few basics in the cupboards and the freezer is pretty full - so hoping to keep my budget for shopping and leisure at under €100 per week.
I've taken €100 from the bank and today I did 2 shops - being a BH Monday I scored quite a few things half price - Supavalu €8.64 (Choc brioche rolls 1.39, Chix Thighs -1.50 (markdown), Apples and Oranges - 2 for €2, Roast Chicken ready meal €2.50 - (markdown), 2 rhubarb crumbles €1.25 (markdown) Tesco €13.83 Finest Cottage Pie - 1.75 (markdown) Innocent Smoothie litre €1 (markdown) Turkey meatball Marinara (markdown) 40 cents, Fresh Strawberries €1.99, Blueberries €1.75, 4 pack Yorkie yogurts 87 cents (markdown), Scallions 29 cents, the rest I spent on creme eggs and choc bunnies for the kids.

Total Spent - 22.67
Remaining - 77.33

Need to do a big meat and veg shop tomorrow - add a loaf and hope that will see me out until Saturday. Kids off school means have to find cheap things to do and keep them occupied - Slieve Blooms tomorrow and park on way home with a picnic.

ae86chic

€31.93 aldi
€24.78 tesco
That's my week shop done bar bread and milk monday & Wednesday

Kayraa

I got a €65 for €29.90 this week all in Tesco.

ae86chic

Kayraa wrote: »

I got a €65 for €29.90 this week all in Tesco.

How'd u mean?

livinsane

This week's big shop was €52 in Lidl. Bought three loaves of bread and two litres of milk for the rest of the week and spent €4 at a farmer's market on duck eggs and rhubarb. Made 12 scones this morn with the rhubarb. I'm trying to have wholesome snacks in the freezer to carry with me whenever I'm out for the day. Making sweet potato waffles tomorrow.

Kayraa

ae86chic wrote: »

How'd u mean?

I had a tenner off voucher, and had coupons too so my shopping was less than I first thought it would be

makeandcreate

Dug a €1.50 disposable bbq out of the shed and spent yesterday in the Slieve Blooms with a pack of sausages - Ridge of Capard and Glenbarrow, absolutely fabulous trails - so well laid out and easy for the kids to do the shorter trails. We took jam jars and the kids came home with tadpoles.
Spent €4.20 on ice lollies on the way home and €1.58 on a loaf.
No shopping today.
€77.33
- 5.78
€71 55

So far - so good.

lisatu

Can I join too? A bit later than the rest of ye but anyhoooo.

I'm feeding 3 adults and 2 kids and could easily spend 100-120 on a big shop and numerous small shops during a week. I may be 10 days to 2 weeks before I go to do a big shop again but the money id have spent in the local smaller shops would add to about the same as they are more expensive and living near them makes it easy to pick up bits I don't need.

Id be hoping not to spend over 100 per week.

So far this week (lets make is Saturday to Saturday for me) Ive spent

75.80 in Aldi (my big shop)
8.50ish in Centra
Total 84.30

I have yet to make a meal plan as going to Aldi today was a last minute decision but I think ill only need to buy buttermilk and hand wash for the week. Bread may be needed as we use a lot but if I get the buttermilk ill make some myself.

Kayraa

I'm doing my shop tomorrow, really don't wanna spend more than €30 but I'm not hopeful lol

livinsane

Groceries this week were €75 in Lidl, €14 in SV, €3.50 in Clon market (duck eggs and olives) and €7 in Midleton market (carrot cake and purple sprouting broccoli) so total of almost €100. We bought a good bit of meat including a free range chicken. I'd like to start buying more at the markets. It will probably increase the overall spending but I'd feel good about it.

Kayraa

So I spent a total of €34 on my shop in Tesco's, not as bad as I thought

lisatu

So ive gone over what I was hoping to spend.

I spent and additional 18 euro in Centra, 8 of which was for my brothers birthday so wont really include that. I also ended up in Aldi again which is rare as they are not in our village and spent 20 euro.

So my total so far is

75.80 in Aldi (my big shop)
8.50ish in Centra
10.00 in Centra
20.00 in Aldi

114.30 Total.

I suppose not having a meal plan didn't help but I did buy loads of fruit and veg so they will last 2 weeks.

I may need coffee and toilet paper . Hopefully next week will be better.

karen89

Just wondering why you spent so much on a loaf of bread, its about half that in Aldi

livinsane

Well farmer's markets block your ears because cherry tomatoes were 49c in Lidl so I bought a slab of them for making marinara sauce and relish. The big shop in Lidl cost €56 plus €6 in SV.

I totted up how much we've spent over the last 5 weeks and it comes to around €358 so we've averaging around €72 per week, which I'm very happy about.

Jellybaby1

I tried to do this privately offline, but kept forgetting some bits and pieces. I still have my credit card so now I buy absolutely all groceries and meat with that, including Aldi and Lidl now, so hopefully I will have a better picture when I get my next bill.

pkkil

61.20 this weeks shop in Tesco for 3 people I have a turkey breast for the weekend that I got in Aldi with my 10 euro off voucher a few weeks ago so that will be for the long weekend I also stocked up on dog food and loo paper I will have men in working next week in the house so that will be extra coffee tea and sambos for them I hope to have a 70 euro shop then

Sala

I'm starting this too. My first step is to clear the presses, I have just dumped a load of out of date food. :-( I reckon I still have enough to buy very little. Any suggestions in what to do with 27 tins on Tuna welcome!!

pkkil

Sala wrote: »

I'm starting this too. My first step is to clear the presses, I have just dumped a load of out of date food. :-( I reckon I still have enough to buy very little. Any suggestions in what to do with 27 tins on Tuna welcome!!

Your local Vincent De Paul might be glad of some of them the rest you can send to me we love Tuna Wraps lol

lisatu

I so dont want to share my shopping so far this week, 1 because it is alot and 2 because I plan on spending more . I am stocking up on stuff though and I had no stock pile before starting this.

85 in lidl
35 in centra
15 in polish shop

135 in total

I will probably spend about 30-35 in Aldi as I have some meat I want to buy and more milk but the meat should do 2 weeks if not more.

livinsane

To last weeks shopping, I have to add €22 (SV) bringing the total to €84. We are late doing this weeks big shop but there isn't much we need. I think Im about ready to set a budget again and Im gonna say €75 per week (Tuesday to Tuesday). €8.50 spent already.

livinsane

Total spend for last week was around €80 - €76 in Lidl, €2.50 in Dunnes and €2 in market. Fiver over budget.

lisatu

Total spent last week (Saturday to today) is

108 in Aldi
30 in local centra.

Because of my big spend on the 6th I didnt do a bug shop until Wednesday (14th) so not too bad really. I wont be going shopping until about Wednesday again this week.

Ill have to add up what ive spent the whole month to get a better idea of how if im spending alot or not when its broken down.

PetraMac

This is a great thread. I've got inspired just reading through the posts. I'd love to join in.
I have to confess until recently I was very undisciplined about grocery shopping. For 2 adults and 4 children, I would have spent per week: around €200 on the big shop, from SV or Tesco, and around €20 - €40 on extras during the week. Now I want to start budgeting properly.
My first step is going to Lidl tomorrow for the next big shop. I've just done up a list of all the things I can get there. I will have to go to SV for a few things that Lidl don't stock. Budget €150 for seven days.
Wish me luck!!

Jellybaby1

Don't forget to do a stocktake of what's in your fridge/cupboards. When I began the frugal life I was surprised that I had enough already 'in stock' to feed us without going to the shops! I was determined not to overstock in future. It's working quite well.

livinsane

Holidays last week so no big shop. Did this week's big shop today and spent €55 in Lidl and €12.50 in SV - €67.50. Got a good bit of meat and stocked up on milk for the freezer. Lidl have whole red jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese in their Mexican range - mother of jesus, I just ate a whole pack.

livinsane

Ten days between last big shop and this week. Spent €82.50 in Lidl this week, and had two extra children staying with me for a few days.

Most people have probably seen it but there's an interesting thread on grocery budgeting in After Hours at the moment.

livinsane

I fear this thread might be dying and I haven't updated in three weeks so Im no help!

Week 1: €29 in Lidl and €25 in SV - €54 total

Week 2: €52 in Aldi (Lidl is better!), €19 in SV - €71 total

Week 3 - €68 in Lidl, €7 in market - €75 total

So far I've been coming under my €75 budget for 2 adults and 1 baby. Todays dinner was caught off a beach an hour ago and the peas and greenery will come from the garden.

fillefatale

livinsane wrote: »

Ten days between last big shop and this week. Spent €82.50 in Lidl this week, and had two extra children staying with me for a few days.

Most people have probably seen it but there's an interesting thread on grocery budgeting in After Hours at the moment.

Link is invalid?

livinsane

fillefatale wrote: »

Link is invalid?

The thread has disappeared! Weird. I posted in it and it's not coming up in my post history.

dashcamdanny

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/business/supermarkets-openly-targeting-tight-bastards-2014070988412 LOL