Grocery shopping challenge

There is talk of $100.00 per week food budgets & other ideas of a no spend week - or even $25.00 per week shopping. WOW! This might of worked well for us over the last 2 months when we were on a 3 & 4 day pay week, but due to the way I shop it will not work for me.

I price shop & stockpile & I tell you our stockpile sure came in handy over the last few months. The kids commented they didn't notice any difference living on less pay.

I keep a good price book & been doing it long enough to know the supermarkets cycles & stock up accordingly.Photos are of this weeks stockpile/bargains. Only impulse product is licorice. New World & Woolworths have good specials - BUT you have to be strong & not buy products not on sale as their standard prices are higher than pack n save - I find it well worth checking their fliers, looking at price book, making a list & then just zipping into the two shops. Doesn't take me long. I challenge myself to buy only on special at these two shops.
Total cost was $101.00 New World & $54.06 at Woolworths. Total spent $155.06 Plus I got a rain check for chickpeas that were all sold for $1.59 tin - a good buy!

The items I brought work for our family - they may not work for yours eg I buy paper towels as use them a lot in cattery, tissues for colds, and I like 3ply loo paper just can't do this finger poking 1 or 2 ply stuff! Brent enjoys a beer with friends & a glass of wine at night - I even stockpile this & this week there were some specials on beer & wine.


I'd like to set a challenge for other kiwis to begin stockpiling, share their best buys of the week which they record in their price book - I can't rave enough about price books. And as you build up your stockpiles you will end up shopping from home, making your menus from what you have on hand.

The Challenge..

Your weekly food budget must include:

• All food items consumed by the family including packed lunches for all of the family. Any brought lunches needs to come out of the food budget.
  
• All cleaning products, toilet paper, shampoo, soap etc.
• All fruit & veges from markets
  
• Foods grown in the garden have a zero dollar value - nothing like encouraging you to grow your own.
  
• Each week share on your blog your total amount you spent on shopping budget, any bargains you got & how your stockpile is growing and any thing from your garden you supplied the table with.
• Weekly share your families menu plan - another key to keep your food budget under control is to prepare ahead.
  

Anyone else up to the challenge to watch their food budget, price book, build a stockpile & eat healthy - let me know if you are jumping on board too so I can add you to the side bar!

If menu planning, stockpiling, price shopping/book, buying from local markets, or making lunches is new to you - just choose one thing to begin with & slowly you will find yourself shopping a different way & have more cash in your weekly shopping budget for healthy, enjoyable food.

I've blogged before here about how to make a price book
I've blogged before here about how to stockpile
Ive blogged before here about how to menu plan
Ive blogged before here about packed lunches for Brent