March 2020 Grocery Challenge

Jacs205

I totally overspent last night in Sains, not particularly on us but my sister and my son's friend had been having issues finding nappies, wipes and formula for their wee ones and when I saw them on the shelves it was quick messenger pics to make sure on sizes etc then I bought a couple of bags/tins/packs for each.  My youngest is 22 now and I had forgotten how expensive baby stuff could be!  However, I'm mindful that we are all in this together and what goes around comes around.  Stay safe all, I'm still at work since schools are still on and hoping today to find out what the plan is for some of us to take care of kids who are vulnerable or whose parents are key workers. 

pamsdish

GreenFairy said:

I'm just up the creek on this now....Ridiculous levels of bust, but I'm gonna keep on keeping track anyway.
This week I've no kitchen bar a microwave/kettle/toaster/instant pot. I knew I'd have a temp kitchen but presumed I'd have the oven, so stocked the freezer accordingly. Builders broke the door off the oven when they were moving it, and shattered my hob when they were connecting it to the electricity So I've got a packed freezer that I thought would take us through the month and I am still having to buy groceries that I can actually feed us with. We've had two nights of takeaway this week as well when I'd no kitchen at all.

Going out now for a socially distanced walk, and to get milk, bread, toddler snacks, sandwich fillings and some consolation ice cream. Ready for a little cry today. Given that it's 4.30pm now, there's sod all chance that my temporary replacement hob will arrive this afternoon as promised. 

I feel so sorry for you, along with all our fellow virtual friends on this thread I`m sure, times are trying enough with how difficult "normal" life is without the added stress of a kitchen re-vamp, hugs, kisses, sympathy to you, if you need to vent/scream/shout/cry we can take it on here, we will offer our virtual shoulders to support you any way we can.

pamsdish

£10 on a sack of spuds to share between my neighbours.

Herbyme

That's just rotten @greenfairy. Sending much sympathy and warm wishes. 

pamsdish

Took 2 friends to shop in the silver slot, picked up a paper and some y.s. oysters for myself, chicken for the dog, coffee pods another friend, told them will not be doing it again.

GreenFairy

Thanks for the moral support folks. It's really appreciated. I was ready to burst into tears several times yesterday I was so miserable. Sun's out today though which is helping. I'll go ballistic at them if I don't have a replacement hob for the weekend though. 

Matron_Midge

Declaring for March on £407.33/£400. Slightly over but I have got full cupboards, fridge and freezer. Only thing we really need is loo roll. There are 4 left and with 4 of us at home and one more coming back from uni, I need some PDQ. If all else fails, I will use old flannels and boil wash them but I am hoping we won’t have to resort to that.
See you over on the April thread and stay safe everyone x

StripeyTightsSpottySocks

Mar £94.85/f £100 Month (Annual 27 Dec 19 - 26 Dec 20) £177.36/£1,325 cat food £64.15
Spent out of £100: Jan £77.77 Feb £99.59 Mar
Cat Food Jan £71.33, Feb £64.15, Mar £66.36
A huge £39.67 spent across what felt like several hundred shops! I have not only been shopping for me but for relatives with underlying health conditions and are in the high risk category. Whilst their spending isn't included in my total it meant i was going to more and more shops to get their usual weekly shop with a few extras due to all the empty shelves which we are sadly seeing. Luckily no toilet roll or kitchen roll was needed this week for any of us. I am fortunate that my underlying health conditions do not come under the high risk category and family, who are relying on me, said i need to 'stay fit and healthy' bless.
£39.67 was a combination of buying things for this week that i hadn't managed to buy already - a few at a higher price than i usually pay. I also bought most of next week's shopping - just a few bits of fresh things needed. I thought i'd do it this way because all the travelling has cost me in time and petrol and i wouldn't want to do it all again just for me. Family are seeing if they can manage now until the start of April except for fresh things. This is mainly to reduce contact.
I hope to come in under budget this month and set the usual budget for April.
I'll catch up with everyone now.
Oh and a bit of cat food was bought too.

StripeyTightsSpottySocks

Greenfairy ((hugs)) and i'm glad today you're feeling a bit brighter - i also hope the hob arrives today for you.
I also hope others are all doing ok.
As I said, i've been to many shops this week for family, as well as trying to get our shopping. I've still been going into work and 6 supermarkets are on my journey in, I have called in most days on the way into work or home to try and get what was needed. Before the restrictions I saw many people with trolley fulls often with multiples of the same thing - sanitizer, nappies, milk, bread, whole trays of tins etc. When i could finally buy some tins on the list i just stuck to the amount we needed - it is enough for this week. Even on the way into work shelves are empty - i get there around 7am. On the way home, like others have said, all the fresh things are also gone.
This week i have noticed the few items left are the more expensive items and also there has been very little in the reduced items section and the amounts of the reduction are not much. It is a bit of a worry in terms of the ongoing cost of shopping.

Merlin's_Beard

Jacs205 said:

I totally overspent last night in Sains, not particularly on us but my sister and my son's friend had been having issues finding nappies, wipes and formula for their wee ones and when I saw them on the shelves it was quick messenger pics to make sure on sizes etc then I bought a couple of bags/tins/packs for each.  My youngest is 22 now and I had forgotten how expensive baby stuff could be!  However, I'm mindful that we are all in this together and what goes around comes around.  Stay safe all, I'm still at work since schools are still on and hoping today to find out what the plan is for some of us to take care of kids who are vulnerable or whose parents are key workers. 

Overspending on others - especially right now - is money well spent. As you say, we're all in this together! 

As a (probably, waiting for confirmation) key worker, I don't anticipate any shortening of work hours any time soon, so I'm definitely hoping that the supply chain catches up with the manic demand. Luckily I'm a hoarder so the only thing I've  run short of is cat litter, and to the cat's immense relief I just forked out for the more expensive stuff (she better not get used to it!!). That comes off a different budget so all I've got to add is 75p of oranges.

Stay safe, all, and remember that this too will pass, eventually.