April 2020 Grocery Challenge

Suffolk_lass

Our total after three months against our annual budget of £3000 is now £612.07 or 20.4% spent so far.

I am trying flipping the meal planning thing that drives my shopping list - so planning meals from what I have in and using up a fair bit of what I have in stores (I do buy flour in 16kg sacks under normal conditions, and always have plenty of dry goods, preserves and a freezer or two full of "stuff"). I started a new thread yesterday if anyone fancies joining me in reverse meal planning to reduce your spend. There is a link here if you fancy it - rather than the items you are using, I am interested in how they are being used - so recipes (your own or others) and substitutions. It might help others, like the extensive recipe index at the front of this thread

Anzac_Biscuit

Hi elsiepac,
Could you please put us down for $800AU for April. Still way over what I think we should be spending but I want to be realistic too. Thanks

thriftwizard

£9.20 blown on a week's decent bread from the baker. Later on or tomorrow I'll brave the butchers & maybe even the supermarket, plus the market in the morning for fruit & veg. On track so far, for once!

ETA: plus £25.50 - the cat food's been delivered too.

lantanna

My month has gone totally abnormal. I’m buying for others and did a massive shop on Tues.  The positive in this situation is I’m hoping to gradually clear my freezer of older items, the same applies to the cupboards. I’ve stopped tracking for this month and will pick up again hopefully in May

ForestBluebells

I usually aim for £125 a month but given the fact im in the vulnerable category and can’t go to the supermarket (or get an online delivery slot 🥺) I’m relying mostly on a weekly gousto delivery which is more than I usually try to spend per week but I’m very grateful to even have access to this! Based on my lack of access to food and relying entirely on help getting remaining groceries I’ll be happy if I manage under £180 this month. 

candygirl

Islandmaid said:

Hi all,

just a quick note - Jack Monroe’s Tin Can Cook is 99p on Amazon kindle at the moment 👍

Thanks for the heads up hun, have just ordered it, n there's a few good ideas,  even for veggies like me 😁

taka

Can't remember if I stated an amount for April or not but it is £162 please. Thank you!

Spent £51.73 -  mostly in A!di. It was very well organised with a well spaced (and very fast moving!) queue. Very well stocked with the most types of pasta I've ever seen there including wholemeal @ 45p a bag. Only things I noticed missing were paracetamol & flour. One of the times I wish I had a car as I had to choose carefully what I could reasonable carry home / put in my cabin sized trolley bag. Bought chicken for the first time in my life too (I've been veggie since I was tiny) as SiL needed a few bits too. I even finally managed to get some mature cheddar! (sold out at both corner shops nearer to me for over 2.5 weeks). Popped into Sc0tmid for frozen veg (which I forgot in Aldi!), a magazine and box of my fave chocs on walk back from dropping shopping at Brother &SiLs and discovered lots of mini pizzas for 15p each, 3 of which are now in my freezer.

Does anyone know if I can freeze ginger. I could only buy a pack (which has far more than I will get through in the next week or 2) .If so do I prep it in any way or just lob in the freezer unpeeled / unprepped? Thanks in advance.

thriftwizard

I've always just chucked my ginger into the freezer, without peeling, but then I generally use it grated, and it's much easier to grate when it's frozen. It freezes very well.

taka

thriftwizard said:

I've always just chucked my ginger into the freezer, without peeling, but then I generally use it grated, and it's much easier to grate when it's frozen. It freezes very well.

Thank you! I mostly finely grate it too so I'll give that a go.

Anzac_Biscuit

thriftwizard said:

I've always just chucked my ginger into the freezer, without peeling, but then I generally use it grated, and it's much easier to grate when it's frozen. It freezes very well.

Oooh, thanks, must try that too!