As mentioned on last Sunday's post, I decided that my final weeks shopping, including a lot of things to be bought for Christmas, would be from Sainsbury's. I had £45 available in Nectar points when I got the self-serve tills ... so I used them all, I thought I might as well see this challenge out with a flourish.
As you should be able to make out from this receipt, as well as my £45 worth of Nectar points I had to spend £5.47 of my cash. As I had £8.45 in cash still available in the Challenge I managed to keep under budget for the year - just!!
So after a year of spending £100 a month on groceries and other items in the shops, I have a grand total of £2.98 left over from my £1,200 budget.
Although I am officially finishing the Challenge here and now, I have earmarked that cash to take advantage of the supermarkets annual vegetable wars. What doesn't get eaten from them over the Christmas period will be processed and frozen to use in the new year.
A close up of the food.
The chicken was for Ginger and Mavis, they eat a lot of chicken these days alongside their cat and dog food. The cakes were for our guests ... and the Yule Log is all mine I tell you ... ALL MINE!! 😄
The same food, only more to the right.
Todays Currency Conversion
If I didn't have a Nectar card this shop would have cost me £56.37 which is equal to:
US Dollars $71.63
Canadian Dollars $102.58
Australian Dollars $113.40
Euro 68.27
New Zealand Dollar - $124.81
Always an interesting comparison to make.
Over the course of the year I have also been keeping tabs on the freebies that I have managed to get. These have included the free giveaways from Booths, as well as the rewards from me having a Booths card, things bought with the Nectar points or the vouchers from my M&S credit card.
Over the year it seems to have added up quite nicely, and I have managed to get £121.95 worth of food items for free. Obviously, I have used most of them, but Alan has also benefitted a couple of times and of course Mavis got the doggy ice-cream. 😀🐶
It's been a good year but rather than carry it over to Christmas week I have decided to end now. I am also allowing myself two orders which I put in a couple of days ago. One to 'I Am Nut Ok' a handmade vegan cheese company, and one to Deliciously Ella, both had really good offers that I would have been crazy not to partake of.
Most of the food on the orders is actually for January or early next year, so although some of the cheeses might be consumed over Christmas I have no guilt whatsoever at not including them in the Challenge costs.
Thanks to everyone who has followed along with this Challenge, and especially thank you for all your words of encouragement, they really helped.
What am I doing next year you might be wondering? Well next year is a very strange year for me so I am having a long hard think about things before I decide to do anything. Whatever I do decide to do will be out of real necessity. 😐
Sue xx 🎄
Wow, congratulations! (Especially when you have had so much going on this year, hope your Mum is doing OK, and am remembering darling Suky).
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a good idea to take advantage of the 19p veg (or whatever it is this Christmas) and freeze things for next year, that's what I will be buying this weekend.
Thank you.
DeleteSadly Mum is not doing well, after another long stay in hospital she was discharged to her care home last week, which was in lockdown due to Norovirus doing the rounds there. She caught it yesterday, so it has been a week since we have seen her. :-(
Your challenges and how you contrive within them is incredible. Well done 👏
ReplyDeleteThank you. :-)
DeleteI am in New Zealand and our grocery costs are phenomenally high compared to even neighbours Australia but I’m planning to take a leaf out of your book and try a challenge once I get back from holiday on 30 December. Perhaps post Christmas sales will help! Thanks for the inspiration. Merry Christmas. Margaret
ReplyDeleteOoh, I should add the New Zealand currency conversion for you. You have plenty of time to plan for your challenge, good luck. xx
DeleteA job well done. Enjoy your goodies!
ReplyDeleteOh I am going to. :-)
DeleteEnjoy! Have a wonderful Christmas
ReplyDeleteThank you, you too. xx
DeleteIs it really a year! Goodness, time really flies when you are having fun!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear your Mum isn't so good.
Retirement next year ? perhaps you will do lots of travelling.
It's gone by so quickly hasn't it. This year has been our worst year ever, I really don't know how I managed to stay focused on the Challenge ... perhaps that is what has kept me sane!
DeleteYes, retirement in January for Alan, closing our company down in April and then a year without pay for me. Thank goodness for savings.
Well done on your challenge. Retirement does bring some new challenges but also the chance to make changes great and small. One great saving for me was clothes-I don’t have to be suited and booted on a daily basis and also can wear out/ mend clothes to wear at home. I accept cast offs from my daughter willingly too. Enjoy all the lovely food you have bought knowing that nothing will be wasted. Very wet and windy today here so no run out with the Moho as we had hoped. Catriona
ReplyDeleteWell done on completing your challenge under difficult circumstances and thank you for taking us along with you. I am sorry to hear things are not good with your mum, such a worry for you. Hoping for a better year for you next year. It will be interesting to follow how you adapt to retirement. I am the same age as you and have a year from May before I get my pension but we have slowed down to very much part time (in catering) until it kicks in when we will retire completely. We pick and choose these days what we want to do so it is much easier for us.
ReplyDelete