May 2019 Grocery Challenge 28 July 2018 at 11:09PM edited 18 April 2019 at 10:09AM in Old Style MoneySaving 182 replies 19.8K views

elsiepac

ditty1234 wrote: »

I know i have seen organic wholesalers

Suma is a big one (based just down the road from me actually!)

Vanlady wrote: »

Elsie, so glad you didn't have to wait too long for your car replacing.

Thanks! It feels so good to have a decent car again and it's sooo nice, I love it!

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

There you go Vanlady - Elsiepac will definitely see this one

I certainly did!! :rotfl:

candygirl wrote: »

Due to a few hiccups recently in my life, i've fallen right off the OS wagon.
I'm doing WW , n had batch cooked loads of healthy soups, curries, chillis etc, bunged them in the freezer, then it broke down, so I had to bin most of it

Hope things start to look brighter soon. I'd be so annoyed about the freezer too! hope it's fixed now

candygirl

Hope things start to look brighter soon. I'd be so annoyed about the freezer too! hope it's fixed now [/QUOTE]

I sourced a reconditioned one, until I have my kitchen redone in 6 months

tighteningthebelt

I've been reading up on food waste at a national level (shocking). I'm going to do a food waste audit for my house through May. I know it's not exactly a grocery challenge, but there's a lot of overlap. Does anyone fancy joining me? I can start a new thread if people feel not appropriate on here, or that it will clutter the thread up.

Suffolk_lass

tighteningthebelt wrote: »

I've been reading up on food waste at a national level (shocking). I'm going to do a food waste audit for my house through May. I know it's not exactly a grocery challenge, but there's a lot of overlap. Does anyone fancy joining me? I can start a new thread if people feel not appropriate on here, or that it will clutter the thread up.

I will happily follow your thread but I have reduced my food waste to plate scrapings (when DS comes round), meat and fish bones (after making stock)and fruit/vegetable peelings (the latter of which I compost). I might be able to offer a few ideas on how to minimise it for others, if you think that is helpful.

euronorris

Thanks vanlady. I haven't always been able to get the yellow sticker items myself. I've managed a few more since the easter weekend, but mostly bakery goods (warburtons bread for 25p a loaf, for example). I've been into Morries a few times since, and whilst they've had chilled stuff reduced, they haven't been reduced very much (packs of bacon the other day reduced from £2 to £1.50, but they had big red stickers on them that said 2 for £3 anyway!). So I've held out. Think I need to try a bit later in the day.


£26.52 - Morries - Nappies for the month, conditioner, gammon joint (was slow cooked yesterday), 2 packs of ham, potatoes, bananas and some yellow stickered bread.
£55.27 - Farmfoods - my big shop of the month. Fizzy pop for the month, beans, cheese, sugar, peperamis (for the little'un), sausages, coffee, birds eye crispy chicken grills, crisps, eggs (for DH to make his own fish bait with), ice poles. Used the £5 off voucher. Almost everything here was multibuys, and I couldn't get cheaper elsewhere. Multibuy savings totalled £10.72.
£3.32 - Morries - yellow sticker pork sausagemeat, choccy biccies, part baked baguettes (keep some in stock for days out/quick lunches)
£1.54 - Morris - Milk and carrots
£1.44 - Lidl - (orange stickered) Milk and broccoli


New total - £122.40


Freezers are rammed! lol So are cupboards now too. Had slow cooked gammon with mashed potato, carrots and gravy. Plenty of gammon left over for lunch sandwiches. Made a batch of cottage pie last night, so we have that for dinner. And I've got a 20p vegetable soup in the slow cooker today (reduced veg soup pack from Lidl with some free chicken stock that MIL gave me ages ago and has been in the freezer ever since). That'll do for some lovely lunches


Plan now is to not go over £150 before 17th May (holiday date). SO MUCH food in the house, I only need to top up on fresh fruit, bread, milk and maybe a bit of veg (as we get through it).


Have been walking to and from work. This saves fuel, wear and tear on car, is healthier for me, frees up a space for someone else at the office, stops me shopping at sainsburys unnecessarily (it's further to walk) and means DH has the car available to take DD out further afield/to the zoo.


Total: £34.31/£300

Lauralozzle

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

Well done Lauralozzle :T - it's a real boost when you come in either below, or only just above your budget. And the fact that you are following, tracking and recording your progress is what this thread is all about

Thank you! I'm still amazed I managed it!

Reporting a NSD today. :j Good start to the month!

LauraWxx

Managed to stay roughly inline with April, although i slightly lost track in the last week.
So target for May is £500 again please. We go on holiday the 28th, so whilst I think I should be able to come in nearer £450, we do need to stock up on dog food before we go away, which comes out of the shopping budget.

Spending Tracker for May

Remaining balance +£2.83
Coop (top up shop) -£6.99
Dog Food -£41.99
Asda delivery pass -£5.00

Balance - £448.83 / £500 target

tighteningthebelt

Hi, here's a link to my May 2019 food waste audit/diary thread, please feel free to visit or join in with me. I'm only doing the one month.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?p=75761766#post75761766

pamsdish

First spend of May credit card bill for dog food, don`t know why I put it on my card as it really annoys me when it`s paid, better debit card it`s just gone then, £75.12, which included a bag of special diet for a friend, she gave me the cash right away, but that`s long spent.

Puddleglum

Reporting my first spend for May. Went to the very chilly country and spent £17.56 on chicken, burgers, eggs and veg. I reckon that I've got 8 breakfasts and protein for at least 10 dinners. The veg should last 4 days so I will need to top up on that soon but next week's spend should be fairly low.

(Puddleglum wanders off to plot cunning plan to earn more money and afford better food)