March 2020 Grocery Challenge

franby64

Hope everybody is doing OK during this stressful time.
After being away I've bought a few things today and ordered some washing up liquid and fabric conditioner online and have @£41.50 left. I tried to do an online order but there are no slots left atm! So my options are to walk down town to Asda (going out) or making do with what arrives in the local shops (going out but quicker). I find NSDs very hard to achieve but need to try.
I don't have big stores in the house but we have enough and can be quite flexible so hopefully it will be OK. We have both found ourselves thinking about having a casual bit of toast or a sandwich and then thinking no, we don't need it, save the bread. It has changed my perspective a bit!
Hoping to make my food budget as the weekend has destroyed my 'everything else 'budget!

thriftwizard

£70 spent at the market this morning, and now I don't stand a snowball's chance in h3ll of making my already-enhanced budget this month! Everything had gone up, e.g. spuds that were £9.99 last Friday & £11.99 on Saturday were £15 now, not that we needed any. And the general populace had suddenly remembered that we have a market; it was heaving, quite hard to keep a sensible distance, and people kept saying "Is that all? Are you sure?" when charged, because they're used to supermarket prices! One thing that amused me slightly was that a number of them had to ask what some vegetables were, and what to do with them - moolis, sweet potato, fresh turmeric & ginger, for example - bless! But at least they are asking, and realising that supermarkets are not the only possible source of food.
On the plus side, we're lucky enough not to be short of anything. If we had to isolate now for 14 days, with 4 at home, we'd be absolutely fine, and could keep going for quite some time after that although it might get a bit boring. Which would mean staying inside the budget! But I'm determined to keep up the flow of good fresh food to keep everyone's immune system in as good condition as possible; I have two "key workers" to keep in good working order!

Naomim

£11.85 spend in Sainsbugs. I bought some kitchen roll as I'm on the last roll and only 1/4 is left of that, some actual bars of soap 🙂 bubble bath, posh hair conditioner for my appalling frizz, cheese & red cabbage.  Eclectic mix of bits🤣

StartingAgainAt29

StartingAgainAt29 said:

StartingAgainAt29 said:

StartingAgainAt29 said:

StartingAgainAt29 said:

StartingAgainAt29 said:

StartingAgainAt29 said:

Just spent £20.36 in Aldi, so that's £67.98 left for the month

I spent £18.59 in Aldi today, bought an extra box of cat food to start a little stock pile just in case! That's £38.95 spent, £51.05 left for the month. I have 10 meals in the freezer that I'm going to work through over the next couple of weeks so I anticipate spending a similar amount next week.

Spent £1.65 today in Sainsburys for the guacamole that had been eluding me in Aldi...so that's £40.60 spent, so £49.40 left!

Spent £1.20 in Sainsburys on bananas....so I've spent £41.80, £48.20 left.

Spent £4.26 in Home Bargains today on work snacks, so that's £46.06 spent, and £43.94 left!

Quite a big shop for me today, couldn't get exactly what I wanted so some stuff I had to get more expensive versions. I spent £31.46 in Aldi and £6.35 in Tesco, so that's £83.87 spent and £6.13 left I think I might be able to do it although it will be cat food that pushes me over if anything as I couldn't get their normal (cheaper) stuff in Aldi.

I spent £3.50 in Aldi on chocolate, was meant to also get cat food but can't find it!!! £87.37 spent, £2.63 left. Definitely need to buy some food once I can get hold of it, I've got people looking out for it for me. I have enough for another 6 days but I won't last out the month!

Herbyme

Well, that’s me £25 over already, and it’s only 21st. It’s a mixture of everything being more expensive/no offers on anything, the strong urge to buy anything I need when I see it, even if I don’t need it now, and probably buying more expensive alternatives to the things I  usually buy. I know, it’s not the biggest deal anyone is facing at the moment, I am just disappointed because I fall off this wagon all the time, and I’ve managed to stay on it for longer than usual

PipneyJane

@GreenFairy big hugs to you.  I hope you managed to get a hob.

@thriftwizard, my sister phoned from Australia this morning.  She reported that eggs had more than doubled in price there.  She’s also kicking herself that she decided, at Christmas, to run down her store cupboards.  

We went on a shopping expedition yesterday. Started with the Osterley Park Farm Shop for fresh veg and eggs.  They were decimated.  Two weeks ago, they had their normal stock levels, yesterday they were down to a tray of red onions and some cabbages and contemplating closing for the duration or possibly permanently.  (The National Trust has now declared that they’re closing the grounds of their properties, so they’ve been closed by the landlord.)

Two MrT’s, a visit to L!dl and an Indian shop (for dried black eyed beans) and we managed to get most things on our list, including fresh veg (carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, spring onions, peppers, potatoes).  The only thing that was impossible to find were eggs.  DH is going to pop to one of our local shops tomorrow lunchtime for those (the shopkeeper told him he’s expecting a delivery in the morning).

We spent our remaining Clubcard vouchers and raided both the Meat Fund (bought chicken in L!dl) and the Bulk Fund (cooking whisky for hot toddies and sweets for DH).  I think the GC purse has £12 left in it. 

- Pip

Herbyme

@PipneyJane it’s ironic that we have to go to so many shops to get the food we need

PipneyJane

carolinerunner said:

@PipneyJane it’s ironic that we have to go to so many shops to get the food we need

Oh, I totally agree!  It’s all due to panic buying.  I saw a headline on the BBC News yesterday: apparently there is now £3billion extra food in people’s houses.  It’s a pity that so much of it will go to waste.

- Pip

Anzac_Biscuit

Just dropping in to report another shop, hopefully the last for March (I live in hope). We are now very well stocked with fruit and veg - I just need to make sure we use it all! Should take us into April I think. I didn't buy any meat at all as we have enough in the freezer to get by, but did stock up on laundry detergent - the one thing I'm worried about running out of, with a toddler in cloth nappies!

2Scratters

Matron_Midge said:

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

That's the first time I've seen someone say what I have been saying if we run out too of the loo roll, it won't be an issue as still money saving. 
Pay day is coming up this week and the grocery purse is a healthy balance of over £95!!o:) I really didn't think much of needing to buy and extras, still doing ok. It has pushed me into the freezer a bit more but that is what it is there for. I can tell due to the amount of plastic tubs stashed in the cupboard now. I would  think that we here will be being joined soon by more and being able to help others out with support.
Stay safe Peeps