October 2017 Grocery Challenge

El_Debster · 28 September 2017 at 1:56AM

Fantastic thread, count me in. I'll go from Oct 1st to 31st. Cooking for one.
I'm going for £100
That's for everything (food, toiletries, cat food and garden seeds). Freezer was well stocked this month so should be on target. I started checking my food budget this month and have realised I am going to have to give up Waitrose, except for a few things I would really miss. But maybe even they will go eventually...:money:

Suffolk_lass · 28 September 2017 at 8:05AM

Just been paid in the running costs account after the longest September month ever!

Going to make biscuits with store-cupboard ingredients ready for tomorrow's GBMcM coffee morning - twinks hobnobs and shortbread for me - they always go well and my purse will stay firmly shut. I need to stop the new habit of popping into Leedl to buy fresh croissants after swimming - we have spent nearly £20 extra three times in September, it can't go on! It's not that the croissants are expensive - it is that middle aisle that gets us - every time!

Ginmonster · 28 September 2017 at 11:20AM

A new month and a new start on the 1st for me after a not-so-great September. I'll go with the usual £100 please.

I love checking in here to see how everyone is doing. It really helps keep me motivated.

caronc · 28 September 2017 at 6:20PM

Hi could you put me in for £200 this month. A high budget for me but a combination of a five week month, visiting family and a birthday meal for 12 have pushed it up. Thanks

debtfreeforlife · 28 September 2017 at 10:14PM

Hello all, may I join in please? I need to get control of my grocery spends. Right now I am spending £200+ for one person!! :eek: It's because I do most of my shopping using organic veg boxes and a top up from Ethical Superstore for staples, but I don't eat the most expensive foods (meat) so that's just unacceptable! Setting a £180 challenge for October and I'll try and slowly reduce it.

elsiepac · 28 September 2017 at 10:41PM

Well, I've increased my budget to £220 again - as last month it was for extra stocking up for things on offer. I need to not do this now for a while as I don't want to be having such high grocery spends! Such hard habits to break

Anyway, I've done "Week 1" and now Week 2 shops, but both included some big ticket items, plus all my cleaning products and toiletries. My fridge and cupboards are bursting at the seams! Freezer too now actually, although since the big defrosting of '17, I've kept it clean and organised, which I'm really pleased with myself for.

I AM NOT hitting the shops until next Thursday now! The only thing I need is petrol which is a different budget

I'll quickly share my recipe for Harrah with you all - it's delicious and perfect if you have a lot of peppers or if they are on offer...

Harrah
1 big onion
4 cloves garlic
50-60ml olive oil (you could use veg oil but the flavour will be affected)
4 different coloured peppers (or 3 big ones)
1-2 fresh chillies
20g coriander

Chop all the veggies up small
Saute the onion in the olive oil
Add the garlic and peppers and chilli (deseeded if you want)
Saute for maybe 15-20 mins on low-ish heat, stirring now and then
You want the peppers to get really nice and soft and the flavours all to merge
Add the chopped coriander at the end and stir through then take off the heat.

This is good to serve as part of mezze with bread, or with salad, or anything really! It can be served while still warm, but would traditionally be served cold.

(I'll come back to edit the below breakdown, I have too much to do and it's half ten at night and I have to sort my kitchen out and the animals!!!

................................£200 Budget
Date.......Shop......Amount.....Remaining
26 Sep.....Ocad0.......£47.75....£152.25 (STOCK)
26 Sep.....Ocad0.......£20.62....£131.63 (WEEK 1)

purpleybat · 28 September 2017 at 10:41PM

hobbit_head wrote: »

Hi all

First month at this after a gap of about 5 years!! Budget fixed to focus on debt payoff and emergency fund so wish me luck. Our month runs from 25th Sept to 24th October We have allocated £280 for 2 adults and one child who eats like an adult to include all household,toiletries and cat food/litter

Thanks 😁

good luck with paying off debt. I finished paying off mine after ten+ years and while it seems to last forever you'll soon shift it.

can I change my budget to £170 please? I've had preserves lists today from my sisters and have just ordered it all. eeeek! on the plus side it'll give me something to do while i'm off sick

caronc · 29 September 2017 at 11:38AM

£25 today so £25/£200

Lauralozzle · 29 September 2017 at 5:02PM

First big shop of the month done. Fridge is now full and the food should last over a week, stocked up on rice and the OH has enough bread to last a while now. Also got a few treats in as they were on offer. It was a fairly large spend but beginning of the month always is as we it's payday which basically equals food!!

£73.89/£200 spent in A!di and A3da.

My next task is to start some serious meal preparation for the freezer - I plan on doing this over the weekend. I'm thinking a big batch of Quorn bolognese sauce in the slow cooker, might make some of it into a lasagne, chilli, base for cottage pie and some basic bolognese sauce for super quick dinners. I will also make some leek and potato soup for lunches, some brownies to use up some cupboard bits and some fruity flapjacks as well perhaps

I'll be cooking up a storm!!

BrassicWoman · 29 September 2017 at 10:43PM

£49:41 for the payday shop; only bought items on special offer and had £7 off coupon. So have all the soup, soda, laundry stuff, shampoo, toothpaste, loo roll I could need for a month or two. Also some cooking sauces, peanut butter, cashews, and japanese chill mayo (vegan tastiness!) And a couple packs discontinued beanburgers for the freezer.

After the grim austerity of September it is nice to have the cupboards rammed to the point I can't fit one more thing in again. Not that I have oddles of cupboards; it just feels nice.

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October 2017 Grocery Challenge

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