Anyone want to join me on my $100 per week food challenge

[Halex]

I go to the  supermarket & buy anything & everything.

I have set myself a challenge of $100 per week to feed us 3 plus visitors who stay & friends that come over. I am trialing this until the end of June if anyone is interested.

It means I have to menu plan rigidly & use up what we have in the house first.

Today, yay $0 spent.

H

Here we go, anyone else or let me know if I left you out.
Halex.  Budget $100, spent $98.80, $98.48, $99.06, $98.25, $99.25, F/n bud $235 $233.84,] $150, $111.75, $52.46,$106.70 F/n $290, $0, $117.58! $97.75, Rosie B
Michele
Robyn
Nazar
Goldfish
Astarra. Budget $100, spent $94.87, $0.00,
Keiramax
Jude59
Faffa ?
Merlin
JeninWA
Chookie
Marina
Deedub
Marina
Brumington
Dede
Judy. Budget $100  - spent, $106.88,  $69.69,  $0,  $143.50,  $137.04 (inc $78 meat),  $73.40,  $117.38,  $55.19,  $0,  $137.70, $40.90, $86.11,  $152.60,  $0,  $128.99,  $145.12,  $72.60,  $135.31,  $84.24,  $131.40,  $52.60, $70.08, $125.26,
Gert
Jakodai
Katie J
Thermo18 Budget $100, spent $98, $85.00, $92.00, $120. $92, $60
Joon
Meganjane
EmeraldSue
Queen Be budget $250 per f/n
Obbie, Budget $100, spent $88, $120
ElleG
Fodiepep

[astarra]

I'll give it a try - might help me clear out the freezer and pantry a bit!!!!!!!! 
I currently budget $150 a week, so any less will be a good challenge! 
$ spent today = 0

[judydawn]

Even though I don't have to Hally, I budget for an average of $100 a week for the 2 of us by shopping more carefully and not running to the shops every 5 minutes.  I make sure I have enough of the basics each week then choose my meals as per what is in the fridge and freezer. I've had 5 shopping free weeks already this year so I'm certainly on track to meet my target again for the 3rd year in a row. I keep a diary and write down every single cent spent on food (this includes cleaning products & toiletries) but does not include eating out as that comes under entertainment.  I get a kick out of there being more money in my pocket than in the supermarkets' tills.  Good luck with the challenge you have set yourself.

[keiramax]

Would love to join in.  What are the rules?  Are you purely talking food or are you talking about supermarket shopping in total (cleaning products, mags, other stuff in my case nappies, baby wipes).

[faffa_70]

lol not a hope from me 

though I was pretty excited last week to shop for under $200 for all 7 of us 

 note to oneself ... I must do my menu plan for this week 

[Jude59]

I have been doing this lately just to try and encourage my girls and their families.

There are only the two of us at home but I host Sunday lunches for anyone in the family that wants to come and mostly they and the lovely grandchildren come. I also take lunch up to my eldest daughter on a wednesday and for the past couple of months have come in at around $100. I used to spend around $300! So I will join in too. Won't be posting much for a few weeks am having an indulgent time in the Loire Valley and Provence ATM haha!  Have a lot more spending money because of being more careful with the past few months grocery shopping

I have been buying in season and whatever is on special and then deciding what to make rather than shopping with a planned menu in mind and that seems to be working best for me. I also try and pop specials into the freezer and just generally use the freezer a lot.

[goldfish]

You're on!!

[RosieB]

I will give it a try.
I am under instructions at present to empty the pantry and freezer and this is just the shove I need.   
I do pretty well at keeping my grocery bill down as we have a fixed income, but I don't have a fixed weekly budget.
Shopping day tomorrow.  I will have to resist any impulse buys.

[Halex]

Great,  fantastic, the more the merrier.

ok we can all help with the rules.

Fodd only, if you need soap, shampoo, dishwashing liquid etc this does not count, but would be a good exercise to keep a weekly note of that too. At the end of June we can compare notes on non food items. We can all make this fun. then have money to spend on other things

Money cannot be carried over, each week is a fresh start.

Eating out does not count unless you eat out more than twice, then it woud have to be a percentage, we can work this out.

It includes 3 meals per day & snacks etc, basicaly what goes in the families mouths.

It includes juices & soft drinks, tea & coffee at home.

It would be great to encourage each other & help with cheap meal plans etc.

I think we should document our spending each few days.

I have started as of today.

I must admit I am a food hoarder so I do have a lot of food  in the house but its still a great exercise.

Jude, well done, my bill is around $250 - $300 each week.

Faffa, your budget can be $230 works out about the same per head as me.

Please put up your menu plans

Anyone else like to add rules, please do so.

Ok my menu plan for this week, lunches are normally left overs soup & or sandwiches for the 3 of us. Breakfast cereals, yoghurts, toast, porridge & eggs at weekends

Monday. - left overs & baked custard
Tuesday - roast pork, vegges & baked custard
Wednesday - left over roast pork in either a wrap, stir fry ror friiter, rice pudding or semolina
Thursday - pasta of some type, left overs  from wednesday desert
Friday -  chicken & veg soup, bread desert not sure what yet, lemon surprise
Saturday - lamb & veggies, might be casserole or roast, not sure yet
Sunday -  pizza or nuggets

I dont eat desert often but ds & dh do

DH & Ds eat breadwith every meal too


Happy Days Saving money

H

[Cornish Cream]

Just converted the $100 to approx £63 Or €78 for those living in Europe

[Halex]

Well done CC.

Are you joining in

H

[Cornish Cream]

Well done CC.

Ate you joining in

H

All I can think of is babies at the moment H .But I think it's a fabulous idea,will join in later

[Jude59]

Last week we were in Paris and eating out a lot. This week we have a house here in Montrichard so we decided to see how much we could buy locally for around 70€ and how long it would last. We do tend to go out a lot though too but for the past two days and today we have been cooking for ourselves - getting over the lovely restaurant meals in Paris

Haven't spent anything extra and so far have made:
- Scallops with fresh taglietelle in butter and lemon with fresh chilli and parsley
- Salad with fresh cooked beetroot and Roquefort cheese olive oil and lemon dressing and more chilli
- Salmon steaks cooked in butter and oil and more lemon and a splash of champers with roast sweet potato, zuchinni, olives and tomato and reheated leftover taglietelle from the previous night.

We have been snacking on pistachio nuts and fruit (all included in the 70€)
Wine I have not included. DH buys that

It's a bit of a limited palette because we don't have sauces, marinades, spices etc just the olive oil, lemons, parsley, chilli, garlic and balsamic that we purchased. it's kind of a fun challenge though to work with what you have and produce great meals!
Today will probably be the beetroot and cheese salad again as have plenty of beetroot. Tonight probably the bought quiche . Tomorrow we will go out.

[Halex]

Jude, sounds like your eating very well, roquefort cheese olive pil, omg sounds devine. Cheese s my weakness so fitting that in the budget is going to be hard. Here I am making baked cstard fr dh & ds because its cheap

JD you do so well with yiur food buying

H

[Jude59]

I quite like the diary idea too to keep track. It's amazing what you can do when you really pay attention to what gets spent. Having a TMX has certainly inspired me to skip pre made or pre packaged food. I love the fact that I used to spend $1200 a month and now $400!!!  I did have a lot of stuff in the fridge and freezer though so was a great start.