May 2020 Grocery Challenge

chirpychick

Budget Update:

- £67.74 on 27/04/2020
Left: £307.76

So I didn't think I was going to get a delivery until next week, we were running low on fresh food and I checked sainsbobs and low and behold 2 days later a delivery slot. So have got shopping coming tonight. I like that they email you during the day to say what is out of stock (antibac wipes still!) so I know how my budget will be affected.  Thanks to the missing items we are £7.26 under budget for the week. But to be honest hubby did go to the garage on Saturday morning for sausages and bacon, I don't know how much he spent but it came from his wallet not the household. (Just wanted to be honest about that!) I had brought masks when the noro was doing the rounds in November and always keep gloves for dog jobs so he went there with both and stripped to his pants on the doorstep LOL!! 
I hate Sainsbobs prices. I made such a huge conscious effort with this shop and definitely made some sacrifices but can't complain because we are very lucky by all accounts! 
Shielding though makes me miss C@stco and yellow sticker hunting, i'm not used to paying full price!
I am trying to use a lot of things and not let stuff go to waste (which maybe had fallen by the wayside a bit before). We have made pineapple upside down cake with a random tin of pineapple and homemade bread too. The dogs are eating scraps that can't be made into meals and my ASD son complains he is hungry all the time because his usual things aren't available (don't worry he's not starving, just finding it challenging).
I desperately need to get the budget even lower and if i'm to be honest with you, I am worried how we will achieve that. It's almost a given my husband will lose his job after furlough ends, we have never been on benefits before, not even when he was made redundant 2.5 years ago, so the idea of having to pay our mortgage and be on UC or have no income whilst we wait for UC is petrifying me. Now is the time to be trying to put the pennies aside for when this happens which is why i'm trying hard now. I hope it's ok that I waffled. 
Back next week with next week's update. 
Love to you all, stay safe x

elsiepac

Sounds like you are definitely in the "right" mindset for things now and to come chirpychick - post here as much as you like, it's good to get your worries/frustrations/achievements out sometimes

Aliliva

Hi All!
Can you add me to the challenge? My budget for May is £300 but hoping to keep it quite lower . That's for food and household supplies, for two people (one veggie, the other not much bothered by not eating meat every day)

Since the lockdown started I lost my flatmate/lodger and gained a live in BF. We are still learning how to buy for two, cook for two, agree what to watch, but at least we are on the same page on most thing including being as thrifty and savvy as reasonable.  Unfortunately given how everything happened so quickly, not only I lost my lodger, but my BF couldn't cancel his rent, and cherry on top we are both getting "voluntary" paycuts (don't let me started on the voluntary bit, cause it was anything but) despite working more than in pre-covid times
Anyway, at least we have each other, a roof above our heads and the means to still indulge in some hipster millennial purchases - cue one organic veggie box per week, milk from the milkman, and eco friendly household products. My challenge for this month will be seeing if I can still fit all these little luxuries while limiting our groceries bill - I'm sure with the help of Lidl and Iceland we can do it!

Lovelifeloveliving

Hi All
Could I please join the May challenge.  My budget for May, 1st to 31st is £125.  There is me and my 18 year old son.  I have a very well stocked pantry.  The budget is food items only as I have stocked up on toiletries, household items etc.  Good luck all🍀🍀

Jacs205

Can I please go for £600 this month, shops seem to have everything back and I can't make excuses anymore!  I won't include buying stuff for other people in my amount but I want to cover all the food, pet food, toiletries, petrol  and household stuff in the £600.  My May will start on Thursday.

Cheapskate

Please can I join in again? I'd like to try for £300 for May, as I'm spending less at the moment I should come in on budget for the first time in ages! 

A xo

fairy3

Good morning - can I join for May please? My month will run 1st - 31st I did the January and February challenge and was doing so well.......March went to pot after running down stores and a cancelled holiday so became a bit of a scramble to get supplies. April has seen us just getting into an odd routine of one main shop at Aldi, share of a bread delivery and a doorstep milk delivery with vegetables, fruit and some meat from a farm shop (via lovely sister). Like lots of people our working patterns have changed - two working at home, one on hospital shifts and I work in social care. The fridge is a favourite destination! Will aim for £300 (sorry cannot increase font or colour!) as have stores in cupboards/freezers and will do an inventory today and menu plan. Not planning a shop until Saturday.
Have a lovely day everyone

H2020

Please can I be put down for £360 again this month?
Had a terrible month budget-wise in April, the shops were out of most of the own brand stuff and hardly any offers! Stock seemed to be getting back to normal when I went last week though so I've been able to find some cheaper brands again, no reason to overspend!

GreenFairy

A couple of small shops adds €33 to my total. Breads, milk, cheeses, biscuits, loo cleaner, microwave chips (not a regular purchase, but I've no oven atm! So expensive! ), bbq sauce for my pulled pork (which turned out brilliant!), and a whole load of reese's eggs - 10 for €2 on clearance!

I also picked up some sponge fingers to add to the Birds trifle kit I bought with the big shop. I've never made one before, and it says it serves 6, but there are only 4 tiny sponge fingers in the pack! How's that supposed to work?! It'd be a bowl of jelly and custard and a game of "hunt the sponge"!   

lantanna

£44.15 in M nd S today. Got a couple of quiches, salady bits, half a roast chicken, chicken tenders and fruit. 

most of what I got was in some sort of deal but I did notice prices of some things have def risen