April 2020 Grocery Challenge

elsiepac

Hey everyone, popping on to declare my April spends - I'm not quite sure what happened but I suddenly went massively over budget!  I bought quite a lot of mediciney things that were expensive, just because my local small town Tesco doesn't do them and I had to go to the bigger one as my prescription had arrived at the Boots next to it so I took advantage (it was hell - much prefer using the small local one, they are so much better organised with the queueing etc and even have seats if you need them which I occasionally do due to still recovering, and even a water station.  Big Tesco had nothing, just a very circuitous route that was terribly confusing!).

Still, not quite sure how I managed to muck it up so royally but came in at a total of £497.55  I'm in shock lol

But my freezers are full as are my dry goods - so this month I will focus on using some of that and focus on buying fresh stuff. Jeez... 

One upside is I kept a very accurate track this month, which I haven't for a long time and whilst I went over, I did have the money to do so.  So will focus on the positive!!

Anzac_Biscuit

A couple of small spends over the last couple of days, and a takeaway meal that will come out of the grocery budget. Up to $638. I'll do a proper shop on the weekend, though I'd forgotten about Anzac Day on Sat meaning shops will probably be shut or open for limited hours. 
Also, I've been going through all my 'weird' (potato, tapioca, gram, coconut) flours with an eye to using them up. Turns out tapioca flour crepes just behave oddly. I think I'll combine it with a different flour next time.
Next up, a polenta cake! Not that I think polenta is weird, but it's less appealing now I'm dairy free  

supersaver1000

Thanks for your post elsiepac I am almost the same with the overspends.  I haven't had extra things to buy apart from having one extra mouth to feed, so I'm in shock I've spent nearly double.  But it seems it isn't me, it must be lockdown.  Bracing myself for another month like this and then hopefully back to normal spends 

Suffolk_lass

elsiepac and supersaver1000 we have a reverse meal planning thread going if you want to join us - that is meal planning from your cupboards and freezer rather than meal planning for your shopping list. Lots of substitutes and ideas in its' first month - we might do it again for May

Merlin's_Beard

£130.81/£100 for this month. Oops. Better luck next month? I think a lot of that is rubbish, that I am eating because I'm bored. Need to stop that!

thriftwizard

Aaargh! I think I'm just over target, at £301.72. But as OH is working from home, and fretting loudly about the whereabouts of his running shorts (he usually goes to his employer's gym after work) I'm not totally sure whether I'm coming or going arithmetic-wise! It's about right, adding up my supermarket bill and the cash that didn't come home from the market & the baker's. Which makes me cross that I caved in & bought myself a packet of Twiglets at £2...! Ah well, I need to ask DD1 to bring home some milk & cream too, so will end up a bit further over; the cream is for making ice cream & Eton mess, as I've bagsed a carrier bag full of ripe strawberries & raspberries for £3 at the market & we have enough eggs to sink a battleship, so making meringues (and custard) seems like a good idea. Anyway - not too bad, considering that veg prices have gone rocketing skywards.

snowbird20

there is still alot of talk about possible food shortages and that makes me a bit nervous so I was able to get a pick=up time and placed an order for $145US.  It's all those things we usually eat first-fresh veg, cilantro, cheese..things like that.  So this week I've spent $157US for that pick and eggs.  

Doom_and_Gloom

£5.32 spent on a few items after work today.
555g easy peelers 
225g red onions
Cucumber
Lentil sprout mix (reduced)
Vegan chicken strips (OH loves these and I picked up the pack reduced)
Pot of organic houmous (reduced)
1L mighty pea milk (sounds odd but I like it and it was on offer so bought it as a treat)

£158.90/£200.
£41.10 left.

Shouldn't have any spends until our A&C delivery scheduled for Monday totalling £24.85 out of the grocery budget at this time; small fruit and veg box, OHs milk, 1kg onions, 4 lemons and a bottle of tomato ketchup.

GreenFairy

A couple of small shops during the week, and I’m cashing out at €401.27. Could have been better, could have been a lot worse! 

PipneyJane

Anzac_Biscuit said:

A couple of small spends over the last couple of days, and a takeaway meal that will come out of the grocery budget. Up to $638. I'll do a proper shop on the weekend, though I'd forgotten about Anzac Day on Sat meaning shops will probably be shut or open for limited hours. 
Also, I've been going through all my 'weird' (potato, tapioca, gram, coconut) flours with an eye to using them up. Turns out tapioca flour crepes just behave oddly. I think I'll combine it with a different flour next time.
Next up, a polenta cake! Not that I think polenta is weird, but it's less appealing now I'm dairy free  

Hi @Anzac_Biscuit.  I don’t recall the shops being open at all on Anzac Day, but I haven’t been home for Anzac Day in years.  What are the arrangements this year in Oz?  Are they still doing services?  I normally go to the London commemorations at the Cenotaph, followed by a service at Westminster Abbey.  Both were cancelled this year.

I have a very small spend to declare.  Tuesday, on our afternoon walk, we decided to drop into L!dl and buy the two items we were low on: mushrooms and creme fraiche.  (Since we weren’t planning on shopping, we only had a Fiver and didn’t have a bag on us.).   £2.65 spent.  

Sadly, the change included a £2 coin and we have a household rule: £2 coins don’t get spent; they go into the Running Away Fund money box instead.  We save 5p’s, 2p’s and 1p’s, as well.  Once I’d cleared those out of the GC purse, reimbursed DH his £5 and “banked” the £2 coin, we’re left with £2.60 for the remainder of April.  Fortunately, we’ve got a lot of food in the house.  I’ve already started my shopping list for May but it is mainly items to restock the pantry.

This means our total is now £127.36/£130.90. 

- Pip