February 2017 Grocery Challenge

Florence_J

I picked up a big supply of food (and a hairbrush, that benefits my OH more than it does me) on Thursday and as a result I have £9.97 left.

But I am making a very concentrated effort to use up my food supply, and if I didn't buy a single additional thing we still wouldn't starve.

XSpender

Feeling a lot better today after my run in with the gluten pizza.:o

Spent £32 in asda on beer and GF beer and bagels, bread rolls, beans, coffee and snacks and a treat for the dog.

I haven't done a proper shop this weekend and will manage fine until Monday with what we have got in. Will defrost some chicken and use some new potatoes, carrots and cabbage from the bottom of the fridge with some frozen Yorkshires for dinner tomorrow and make a strawberry and banana crumble with some tired bananas and frozen berries for pud. Have ice cream to eat with it.

Will hopefully have time to rustle up some spicy turkey mince for DH for next week tomorrow afternoon.

Ginmonster

Glad you're feeling better XSpender. It must be so difficult (not to mention expensive!) having to make sure you avoid gluten. At least the labelling in the supermarkets is better these days ( although clearly it's still easy to make mistakes!).

Zafiro - don't beat yourself up about a lapse. Sometimes we just need a day off! It's progress over the long term that matters so if on the whole you're getting better budget wise then the blips don't matter too much.

I've booked a delivery from Sains for Thursday as my parents are coming to visit for nearly a week but I've tried to keep to things we'll really need rather than my usual tactic of buying everything I can think of 'just in case'. I won't count the spend until it arrives as there might be substitutions.

Suffolk_lass

Went shopping to Morries yesterday, with DH - kept it to one shop because they did the stuff from the pharmacy he needed (sooodafed nasal spray is brilliant btw! - reduces cold-based snoring by maybe 60%). £7.94 for 2

I also bit the bullet and took the Aldo's cat food I bought a few weeks ago and donated it to the local animal shelter (strangely there is no food bank box but there is a pet-supplies one). I know the small animal shelter struggles as the cats we have had from there are always lean and hungry - it means they bond with us rather quickly though! Our girl has struggled with it (more than the spoiled cat "I'm not eating that muck" iyswim :eek:)

This meant £11 extra on cat food - 3 for £11 - I do buy if it is under £4 a box of 12, and of course, having given away all my stores we needed some. Accidentally picked up a box of kitten food - well, our little princess thinks that is lovely and a close second to the cat-crack treats!

I also picked up meat on a 3 for £10 - chicken to roast today, pork shoulder steaks (repackaged into portions and frozen, with one given to DS) and minced beef - I divided this into 3 and froze 2.

Other than that it was fruit, veg and dairy - the stuff I needed.

Shop was £49.49 in total but less the cat food and pharmacy things it came in at £30.55 which is the total for my grocery budget. DH has made bread for him so I think we might be sorted for the week.

By the way, I used the third pack of mince to make lasagne with leek sheets instead of pasta, as I am trying the low blood-sugar diet (no carbs or sugar - so it is my fault it is snowing, clearly). I have tried this before and remembered when dishing up why I was hesitant to try it again - very difficult to cut through the leek sheets and presentationally rather sloppy but extremely tasty. I shall have to pre-cut them next time.

So much for planned cleaning of the greenhouse today - not doing that in the snow, so oh dear, might have to sit and watch the third rugby match of the weekend :rotfl: (come on Scotland!)

Sorry to ramble - that sort of day

SL

zafiro1984

Just done my final online weekly shop of the month - hopefully. Came in at 28.43, pleased as my shopping should be under £100 for the month. We have someone to lunch on a Tuesday so I have to make a bit of an effort hence the shopping, otherwise I could have managed on what we already had.

I used to be an unbridled foody shopaholic last year but I'm now along the path to recovery, it's lovely feeling.

Happy_Kitties

Do you mind if I join in?
Despite being a trained home economist, I have absolutely no idea how much I spend on food each month.
I'm very good at making extra to go into the freezer, my problem is that I have to buy prepared vergetables as I cannot chop or prepare very well bec of health issues.
I have noticed the food bill going up since my daughter has been home more-off to uni Sept, and while be both like a YS bargain and I'm good at planning so my daughter takes her turn at making a meal, if we go in to a store for just cat litter (have 5 of the little darlings), our downfall is those little extras we tend to buy.
This month's plan is to observe our shopping habits more and then next month, keep a note and log every receipt ready to start the grocery challenge in April.
I already do this to the letter for birthdays and Christmas, but I cannot understand why I haven't been doing it for my groceries. I'm looking forward:) (or will be horrified:eek:)to seeing the results of the next 2 months in preparation for my grocery challenge:T

[Deleted User]

Had a couple of spends yesterday on some dairy free cheeses, spread & mayonnaise, plus a couple of other bits. OMG the mayonnaise is Vegenaise, so beautiful. Also bought Linda Mc chorizo sausages, not needed, but I have been on the lookout for them for a good while and they will go on some pizza I'm gonna make. Seem to be whizzing through my budget. Hoping to not spend until Thursday. Have a lovely end of w/e everyone. Have updated sig.

JensFeet

Happy to hear that XSpender and Elsiepac are feeling a little better...

Welcome to the thread to Happy Kitties. I have joined in now although I don't KNOW what I've been spending on groceries so I guessed at £300 for my first month and I'm *hoping* (and working hard) to come in under that at the end of the month. I'm also taking part on the using up freezer and store cupboards thread as I have food hoarding issues which I am trying to correct. It's been SO helpful for me to stop, consider what's needed and what's not needed before going into any shops. I've actively chosen not to go into any shops unless it's planned and I have a list which supports my meal plan for the week even though this limits YS hunting - but it's not been to the detriment of our family meals and the freezers aren't going down very quickly at all. So lots of work for me to do still. It will be great to see you posting on here and benefitting from taking part.

I had my 7th NSD in February yesterday and planning another one today also. We've continued to use up more freezer, fridge and store cupboard stock although I think my ridiculous xmas brie collection has filled up any spaces that were starting to appear. I had been planning a bulk meat delivery for March to restock but I now think this is looking unrealistic. Great as I save the money for another day and keep using what we've already got... But I still 'need' to buy some chicken at one point in the next couple of weeks.

Meal plan for the week ahead:
S: lasagne, salad (will bung in as much bendy veg from fridge as I can to make the 200g mince from Freezer go further)
M: blaggis burger (F), salad, bun
T: sausage (F), egg, actifry chips, beans
W: bacon, leek, tattie bake, green beans, spring greens
T: beef stir fry, noodles (using up very thinly sliced xmas roast rib beef from freezer, fridge veg, spice cupboard)
F: chicken curry, rice, mini onion bhaji (last chicken breast (F), peppers, onions, chopped toms, rice all in 'stock')
S: bacon, cheese, veg puff pastry (F) triangles, beans
S: steak / pork steak in bourbon glaze, sweet potato mash, green beans, spring greens

I don't need to buy anything extra for the week ahead except for obligatory milk, cream (OH will only drink coffee with cream), bread, ham, fruit, yogurts for kids, possibly some butter, fruit juices.

Kids are off school so lunches will all be from what's in eg. soup, sandwiches, crackers and cheese, tinned beans and sausage, pasta, omelettes etc. Have enough fruit for a few days but think we will be out of milk / bread by late Tuesday. So planning NSDs until at least Tuesday. This should take us through to the last 10 days of February with a small spend before a final bigger shop for fruit, veg etc. I can't see us spending any more than another £100 so looking good for my final total - although obviously nothing taken for granted!!

Lauralozzle

Reporting a NSD :j:j:j

Ginmonster

NSD here too. We shouldn't need anything else now until my internet shop arrives on Thursday. That's going to be around the £50 mark so I should have around £25 left in the budget to see me to the end of the month which should cover me for fruit and unseasonal veg like peppers and tomatoes that I won't get in my veg box. Since I have far too much stuff in my cupboards already there will be no need for other spends!