May 2017 Grocery Challenge

Skintmama

Another £36.01 spent last week. We were away for the weekend but I didn't want to leave the fridge too bare for the guests staying in our house. Having said that I was rather proud of just how bare the fridge was before I shopped. It was an absolute doddle to pack the shopping away:j

I have made a mistake in my signature and need to add another pound on after I post. Only £28 left to last the calendar month :eek: Going to be scraping the bottom of the freezer I reckon! It remains to be seen if I can come in on budget this month.

My family are learning that even if there is not a lot of food in, there is always something in the biscuit/cake tin, something to grab from the fridge, homemade bread, a piece of fruit and also the means to make a main meal.

Florence_J

Had to buy toothpaste so am now at £36.31 remaining.

XSpender

After DH said not to buy any crisps when I did the Mr T delivery I have bought them twice this weekend! DH has also bought more beer.

Yesterday I made Twinks and used a melted chocolate santa to spread on the top. I also made a Spanish tortilla in a loaf tin and a crustless quiche Lorraine also in a loaf tin. I had planned to make a lot more but didn't have the time.

I had a good trawl through the recipe index yesterday afternoon and rediscovered some old favourites and a few new recipes to try. JJs cheesy bread will be made (and consumed in about 10 minutes) tomorrow

My total stands at £458.71/£500 which leaves me £41.29 to last until 30th May. I have a well stocked fridge and freezer so am not doing an internet shop for Friday and this should be sufficient for snacks and beer for DH.

Meal Plan

M-Pasta bake, salad and garlic bread
T-Gammon, egg, bean and chips
W- Ham and pea risotto
Th- Cheese omelette, HM spicy wedges, peas and sweetcorn
F- Quorn Curry and Rice
S- Steak and chips (sausage for me as I don't eat steak)
Su- At friend's for lunch so sandwich for dinner if that
M-Beef lasagne/GF mac n cheese, salad and garlic bread

Apart from salad to go with the lasagne I have everything in for these meals and plenty of cereal for breakfast and bread and sandwich fillings for lunches.

armchairexpert

After a big shop in which I spent an eye watering amount at the butcher's somehow (rump steak for 2 people as a treat, a roasting chicken, a kg of pork steaks, a kg of beef mince = $66!) I'm teetering on the edge at $697/$900 with 1/4 weekly shops left to do. When I set this month's challenge I was banking on Mr Expert being away for the last week of May so I could feed the girls lots of pasta and soup and things, but now he's here which will make it...more challenging.

Weekly plan:

Sunday: chicken cacciatore
Monday: dhal, simmered green beans, rice
Tuesday: baked potatoes filled with l/o chicken cacciatore (will also stretch to a couple of adult lunches)
Wednesday: slow cooked 'baked beans' (made with a ham hock and dried beans) and rice
Thursday: bolognese
Friday: slow cooked pork w/ black beans and veg

t14cy_t

£10 left until end of the month. have a great Monday everyone. xx

pamsdish

£12 in Aldi for salad and veg bits, and a couple of other small items.

elsiepac

I have this delicious vegan cream of tomato soup with Italian roasted chickpea croutons, for the next four lunches! It's from the Oh She Glows recipe book and is actually really frugal and all storecupboard ingredients! (for me, cashews are a store cupboard ingredient). If anyone wants the recipe do let me know!

Ginmonster

A top-up of fruit and veg bits today for £5.73 and I am feeling super-happy with myself as I'm at £61.04/£100 with only a week to go. I'll need more fruit for next week but I should happily coast in under budget this month. This is the first month I've not had about £1 left at this stage so being more ruthless about using stuff I already have before buying anything is really working.

armchairexpert

elsiepac wrote: »

I have this delicious vegan cream of tomato soup with Italian roasted chickpea croutons, for the next four lunches! It's from the Oh She Glows recipe book and is actually really frugal and all storecupboard ingredients! (for me, cashews are a store cupboard ingredient). If anyone wants the recipe do let me know!

YES PLEASE that looks amazing! I love chickpeas in basically anything.

mhagster

I'm still within budget and another week left of my first grocery challenge.

I took $50 cash out last Monday and still have $13 left. Was going to take a further $50 out yesterday but still had over $30 at that point .

DD2 took me out for lunch on Saturday , we shared a burger and she paid! I'd said I couldn't justify it/ afford it so she said she'd pay!

Then DD1 and I shared some thai food takeway and shared the bill. We were both stuffed and an extra portion was left over for her lunch yesterday. Before I would have thought nothing of spending $60-80 on thai takeway for us all but now if we want it we can share the bill as well as the food.

Kids had bought me florist vouchers for Mother's Day so I was able to get lovely roses on Saturday. I've always bought flowers for myself since I was 17 but unless they're RTC or out the garden I can't justify them as a weekly treat.

I made a tentative budget for my weekly income ...if nothing untoward happens I should have a spare $20. This includes groceries, utillities , gardener ( my one luxury I do need , we have a huge garden and I cannot manage that on my own...forgoing flowers to keep him!) , $50 spending cash, petrol, I don't use the car very much, I walk to work ,so have no parking fees/ train fares which helps. I'm just getting my head around everything.

Have a lovely day