October 2018 Grocery Challenge 28 July 2018 at 11:09PM edited 18 September 2018 at 10:32AM in Old Style MoneySaving 284 replies 25.4K views

XSpender

Please can I rejoin with a budget of £360? We really need to get control of our grocery spending as it is impacting on our budget in other areas.

I have split different types of spends into categories so I can see where we can cut back.

My budget will run from 1st to 31st of October. We are on holiday for a week and away for a weekend but food spends then are from a different budget.

Meal Plan for this week:

M - HM veggie pasties with wedges and mushy peas
T - Chicken and chorizo spanish rice
W - Cheese and bacon omelette, beans and chips
Th - Pork loin, mash, cabbage, carrots and gravy
F - Vegan chilli and rice
S - Beef/bean burgers and wedges, corn on the cob
Su - Sausage, mash, cabbage, carrots

flubberyzing

I'm now onto the October spend.

I did a very small shop this morning, but was still using September's cash. There shouldn't be another grocery spend until next Monday.

I did make an impulse purchase on loo roll today, which was on special... I'll say now, that "nice" loo roll is about the only thing I won't compromise on! Life is too short for the horrible, thin stuff! So got 9 rolls of Andrex Quilted for £3.50. I don't normally see it that cheap. And as a singleton, 9 rolls, plus the two I already still have at home, will see me WELL into next year.
I rarely make impulse purchases, or buy something not on my list, but that seemed a good deal.

chocolatelover93

Spent £4.10 on drink out with friend and £3 on car food and zoflora

thriftwizard

I'm up & running in October proper now, having spent £37 at the market on Saturday morning; £22 on meat and £15 on cheese, fruit & veg. Then another £10 today, on 14 lovely big plaice from our allotment neighbour, who has a boat & goes out after plaice & mackerel of a weekend. So that's tonight's tea sorted (plaice, refried potatoes, HG runner beans & courgette) and 10 lovely fish in the freezer for later reference; that'll do two full meals and a "pescatarian option" when OH & I are having something a little more red-blooded.

I'm about to buy oats, raisins & cake fruit out of the "bulk-buy" purse, which will hopefully see us through into the New Year, and I can make some mincemeat from our own HG apples. I'll need to order flour as well, but will leave that to next month as stocks aren't that low yet, and I'd prefer to source some sensible-sized storage tins before buying more; we go through 8Kg sacks well-within their BB4 date, so it's large rectangular tins I'm looking for! (ETA: bulk order done, still inside budget with room for flour!)

I also need to order a delivery of logs (which cut down on the household fuel bills - swings & roundabouts really as the CH goes off when the stove's alight) and get the boiler serviced, but if I can keep the grocery bill under control and all three vehicles from dilapidating any further, we should be back under control well before Christmas. Touch wood!

taka

XSpender wrote: »

Meal Plan for this week:

M - HM veggie pasties with wedges and mushy peas

Hi XSpender Do you by any chance have a link to your HM veggie pasty recipe please?

First spend of the month on a couple of items that I couldn't get yesterday: £2.90 spent. The bonus was I miraculously had enough Ho11and & [email protected] points (for the 1st time since I got a loyalty card for there several years ago) to get 50p off my tub of Marigold bouillon. Thank you very much!

medsdemon

Can you please add me for £250for October please starting today till 24th when my new month will begin. That will include all cat food and toiletries/cleaning products.

I recently left my job, and just back from holiday, so need to tighten our belts in some areas ( and be healthier 😊).

First big shop done today at A*da of £72.77 leaves £177.23.

Should have plenty in for the week apart from a milk top up.

XSpender

taka wrote: »

Hi XSpender Do you by any chance have a link to your HM veggie pasty recipe please?

This recipe is from a cooking for 2 book and make 2 pasties but I usually double it to make 1 for me, 2 for my hungry DH and have one for my lunch the next day. They are just as nice warmed up and DH will even eat them cold.

4oz shortcrust pastry (or tortilla wraps which I am using tonight)
3oz frozen mixed veg
1 tbsp baked beans (I always add more)
2oz cheese, diced small
1 tblsp chutney (I use sandwich pickle for a bit of bite)
Salt and pepper
1 egg yolk (you can leave this out if you want)
Milk to glaze

Preheat oven to 190/375/gas mark 5.

Mix together veg, beans, cheese, chutney and most of the egg yolk. Season to taste.

Divide and roll pastry into 2 6" circles if using. Divide mixture between circles or wraps. Leave a small border around the edge. Add a little milk to the remaining bit of egg yolk and brush pastry edges. Fold pastry or wrap over to enclose filing and crimp the edges.

Place pasties on a baking sheet and make slits in the top and brush tops with any leftover egg/milk mixture.

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. The wraps cook quicker.

It works with gluten free wraps too but they don't seal, taste good though.

Hopeless_Case

£24.63 spent today which makes £54.31 out of £200 but I'm quite relaxed as it includes £10 on a bag of dog food which will last about 6 weeks, and £15 on a birthday present which I didn't buy last month and had to 'steal' from food budget as there's no where else for it to come from , and we're quite well-stocked, so not a problem atm!!:)

NeverendingDMP

So I finished last week at 120. Was aiming for 100 a week so am already playing catch up. Aaaaargh. Really need to make budget this month as will be our third trip to the vets since Thursday....
Still working my budget across the month but monitoring weekly. Spends so far this week is 53.90 when it's delivered later on. X
Good luck all

Mrs_Cheshire

Had my first spend today in B%M, spent around £6 but will update once I have the receipt to hand.
Does anyone have an good treat recipes that can be frozen, thinking cookies, cupcakes etc!