October 2018 Grocery Challenge

hedgesparrow

Spent £9.67 in Lidl on a big block of cheese, coffee and a box of chocs for friends who are cooking us dinner on the weekend.

YorksLass

Hello everyone, sorry I haven't been posting much this month. The old 'pooter is dying a death :mad: and only working on an "as and when" basis i.e. when it feels like it. Can't complain as it's just over 10 years old and has given good service. I'm going to have to take the plunge and get a new one. Not an ideal time, as October and November are already very tight for me so the credit card may well get an airing.

Week 1 was very spendy, a total of £83.92 :eek: with shops in Morries (stuff I can't get nearer home), a large Sainsbugs online order to replenish cupboard stores, a small top-up shop in the Co-op and £8.60 in the market.

This week has been much more restrained with just £11.44 going out of the budget today at the market, leaving £44.64 for the next two weeks. Not as bad as it sounds, as meals are already planned for Week 3 and we're well stocked up, so Week 4 shouldn't be a problem either. I'll probably just buy milk and top up on F&V to come in on budget. The freezer and cupboards will definitely be my friends for the rest of the month.

thriftwizard

Oooer, I seem to have spent £65 at this morning's market. I've added it to my signature, but will go off & check that because it seems rather a lot, although I did come back with a trolley-full which should last us virtually all week. Back when I've written it all out & double-checked...

ETA: no, it was actually £52. A bit better, but not much!

Doom_and_Gloom

Since last post we have spent £18.15.

Alpro 4 pack yogurt, Alpro cherry yogurt, large cucumber, edamame beans, 2 bunches spring onions, 500g brussel sprouts, 1kg carrots, 300g mushrooms, 155g parsnips, cauliflower, 1.24kg bananas, 155g easy peelers, vegan mince, 2 pack vegan burgers, grape and peach squash, 2 bottles jerk sauce, deli ham, beef mince and 3 mini garlic breads.

The mince (£2.50 for 400g introductory offer, usually £3) and burgers (£2, pack weight 227g, again introductory offer usually £3) are the new 'the meatless farm co' ones. Vegan and gluten free. I was really surprised to see it so had to buy it .

Shepherdless pie mix and jacket potato for dinner tonight for me. Using the vegan mince so hope to say what it is like later or tomorrow.
OH is having ham and cheese pasta again it seems.

£110.17/£200.
£89.83 left.

Edit : meal was very filling, a bit more filling than the lentil and bean version, not surprising as it is 21.1g protien per 100g as sold and added some beans and quite a lot of vegetables. Also has 5.2g fiber per 100g so good there too. Had a good portion size and have 4 'takeaway containers' on the side cooling now so not bad going there for leftovers. I liked the texture it had and it went nicely into a meal I usually use green lentils in. Next time will remember to soak the lentils and use both though to help keep cost down.

[Deleted User]

Third grocery shop, spent £6.01. Got wraps, 2x coconut milk, coffee, carrots, salad cream, golden syrup & mushrooms. I am on £15.86 for October, which is £2.86 over on my £1 a day, but it should even out, as I only want tomatoes - possibly avocados.



Made a great recipe from Jack Monroe - salad bag pesto, basically blitz up your 'lurking' salad into a pesto instead of throwing it. I used pine nuts, nutritonal yeast and sundried tomatoes, as I always have this in stock. Tasted beautiful. Her new book, 'Cooking on a Bootstrap', is #1 bestseller on Amazon and has been reduced to £6 (including postage), for a short time. It was £15.99 excluding postage, so a bargain. Have a lovely w/e everyone.

bellyflop

Third weekly shop of the month has been delivered. It came to £41.73 and included supplies that will make meals for next week plus some storecupboard items.

thriftwizard

Aaaand £15 added back on, for a leg of lamb (3 meals for 2 plus a large Moroccan-style soup) and a bag of onions! I was beginning to panic, thinking I had 3 weekend shops left to do, to feed 4 adults on slightly over £100, but actually there are only 2; we've had 3 already, plus the big non-perishables shop. There's stuff in the freezer that must be used up, and the allotment's still producing beans, squashes & courgettes. It's do-able...

JingsMyBucket

Evening all. I have some spending to report for yesterday and today.

€15.20 at Lidl yesterday for 2-for-1 detergent (9.99), 2x bacon, a small box of passata, shredded mozzarella, and a nicer quality mozzarella ball.

€8.28 for 2 huge mangoes, ginger, tangerines and pecans at a huge open air market in my city. I took a friend there because she'd never been to that one and I showed her around. It's like a giant souk with absolutely everything you could want. My friend and I split a set of 5 avocados for €1 but she didn't charge me the 40¢ for the two avocados I took.

€5.60 for pork and pork fat from one of the meat stalls at this same large market. I bought it to grind my own sausage. I miss American breakfast sausage and good Italian sausage.

TOTALS SO FAR:
€132.99 / €300.00
4/12 NSDs

I'm feeling pretty good about the total so far. Tomorrow I'll get some canned pumpkin and a bit of milk to make the oat bars I posted earlier this week for @SaveDosh. My fridge feels like it's getting a bit full so I'm planning to make tomato sauce to use up the previously cooked ground beef, some old cherry tomatoes, and the remainder of the spinach, mushrooms and red pepper.

Later next week I'll head out to get some items at Lidl and grocery shop for the dinner I'm hosting on Saturday evening.

Hopeless_Case

Had a 'spendy' week last week so I've now spent £167.1/£200, so with 2 weeks to go looks like I might go over budget, although I'll try not too.

I think it's a combination of a really low spend last month, with me letting things really run down before we went away, so I've had to buy a lot this month, a birthday present being included in this total, and a stressful month at work resulting in spending on extra 'treats' at the supermarket (instead of spending even more money eating out so the lesser of 2 evils I guess )

I'll try and get my frugal mojo back!!

Highland_Fling

Good morning everyone
was half way through a post and it disappeared
Anyway haven't been back at shops since my grocery delivery on Monday (I think) but will have to go today to buy milk and bread.
I will not take my purse to avoid the temptation of buying more than I need from the shop.
I have half a quiche still to eat up so will be having that for Sunday dinner.
If I prepare a more traditional Sunday meal I know the quiche will end up in the bin so I haven't taken any meat out of the freezer.
Going out for lunch with a friend tomorrow and supper with friends on Tuesday. So only need to prepare a couple of snacks over the following few days. I am on holiday this week and I usually catch up with various friends visiting coffee shops and restaurants.
We do, now, all pay for our own although I do still enjoy treating them occassionally.
I will make some "bottom of the fridge" soup today in the soup maker. Just throw it all in and wish for the best. I really live life on the edge.
Miserable weather yesterday and today so I am staying close to home.
Have a peaceful Sunday everyone.