June 2020 Grocery Challenge

Anzac_Biscuit

$170 to add to our spends from the weekend. We seem to be tracking pretty well, though I've been a bit less careful and the planning has been a tad haphazard lately! Must make sure I create a proper meal plan for next week.
Welcome back, @Bluegreen143 - I remember you!

Charliebear

Checking in to add a massive spend of £45.97 at Aldi. This included Laundry detergent and household cleaning supplies. 13 days until the end of the month so hopefully this should see us through. My budget still has about £15 remaining so hopefully should come in on budget. 

Hettyhound

Well we ventured to Aldi last Friday, haven’t been there since lockdown.  Someone told us about another store a mile further away in the opposite direction which is quieter.  There, back, shopped and all put away in an hour!  No queues, hassle, no one kicking off and everyone being courteous; best shopping trip since March if there Is such a thing 😉 Also spent £31.88 which was £8 cheaper than I’d spent the previous week in tosco for a comparable shop.  We are going again this Friday for a small top up of fresh stuff and I don’t feel anxious about the prospect, fingers crossed for another good shop.

MazzieD

Thanks to everyone for the replies about grocery coupons.  It's interesting to read all the different ideas, I was near the food hall when it opened this morning so went and had a good look.  I have to say it's lovely and a reasonably big one although the prices are more than I would normally pay.  Decided to use the coupon for treats, if anyone likes Belgian chocolates or biscuits might be worth having a look in your local M&S store as they have reduced quite a lot to half price due to short Best Before dates.. Not sure if it's local or national but got a huge 1kg tin of biscuits for £5.00.  Don't think I'll need to buy any treats for at least 2 months.

With just a week to go to my month end it's looking really good.  Think if I manage to come in under budget I'll roll any money left over to July budget.  I will probably have to buy some eggs in the next few days.

sarahj1986

sarahj1986 said:

sarahj1986 said:

sarahj1986 said:

sarahj1986 said:

sarahj1986 said:

Hello all

Could I be added to the list again please?
€300 for June 

I had to suspend mine in March due to the lock down here in Spain. I couldn’t use my usual supermarkets due to the restrictions and my husband was doing the shopping and he’s guilty of picking up things we don’t need. He is  now back at work (kind of) and I’ve been in the supermarkets by myself and we are allowed to go further so I can visit the ones I like. 

I’ve spent €8.50 today on tuna, veg and water €291.50 left

Hello all

€28.50 spent

this is from yesterday and today. I went to Eroski for things on offer. Safe to say I enough chocolate to last the month! Aldi today for meat/fish on offer. Today’s menu -

breakfast - I had banana pancakes with honey and Greek yogurt. My daughter had weetabix and a pear 

lunch - daughter had croquettes and peas and I had mine with salad and mayonnaise 

dinner - for all three of us lentil and minced beef lasagne. All homemade apart from the pasta. I will do homemade garlic bread (well I’ll add the garlic butter to some part baked baguette)

Daughter has yogurt, biscuits and ritz for snacks 

€263 left 

Haven’t been on for a few days but spending tracked -

€85.51 spent

i did a “big” shop in Mercadona on Monday. There’s things in there I prefer and with the lock down easing here I finally felt confident enough to venture that far (as I walk past 2 other supermarkets to get there)



€177.49 left 

Hello all

€20.28 spent today

my first trip into Lidl post lock down easing. The gloves in there are such a pain to get on but of course I fully appreciate the need for them. I actually went in mainly for the summer clothes they had on offer. I got a playsuit and loose fitting trousers for the summer. I’ve deducted them from the cost above. While on there I got things I like specifically from there (cheese, spaghetti pasta, yogurts) plus fruit, peppers, pulled pork on offer and cat food. I’ve been feeding the strays the last 4-5 weeks so that’s now part of our budget. 

€157.21 left

€18.02 spent 

it was kind of unexpected. My husband came off his scooter yesterday and has bashed his jaw and nose up. Thankfully nothing is broken but a couple of his teeth are loose. He was stitched up at hospital last night after it happened and he’s currently in the dentist seeing what they can do about his teeth. In the mean time I got him liquid yogurt, juice, gazpacho soup and a few meat items reduced while I was in there

€139.19 left 

Hello all

Thanks to all who asked about my husband. They’ve attached I guess what would be described as a brace to the back. They cannot properly access them until the swelling goes down. He’s due back in on Friday for a further look. His face is looking a lot better today and he has been able to eat (well swallow) things that are soft like scrambled eggs, flakes fish, rice and mayonnaise. He thinks he may lose one or two teeth which is an improvement because on Thursday he was convinced it would be four. The two in question are very loose but the other two aren’t. It’s a case of wait and see

ss for shopping well we’ve gone over. The budget plus a further €10.45 spent. We got a big shop in with nappies, wipes, food etc but I don’t think I’ll need to buy much before end of June (maybe fruit). I think I may have to increase my spend now I’m feeding the stray cats every day. 

Bluegreen143

Thanks @Anzac_Biscuit!

Lots to report here.

Fruit & veg boxes arrived today 🙂 Fruit box (£10) had: bananas, satsumas, bigger oranges, apples, pears, nectarines, grapes, melon, strawberries and blueberries.

Veg (£16 this week with my add ons) had: onions, carrots, new potatoes, butternut squash, spinach, mushrooms, aubergine, courgettes, peas, celery, cucumber, tomatoes).

Milkman bill was just under £10.

Tesco shop £98 😳

- £22 was alcohol for my husband which I’m not counting here
- £15 was cleaning products/toiletries/cat litter
- £61 food

The only thing they didn’t send was any sugar. So I have been out separately to Lidl and stocked up as they had plenty - icing sugar, granulated sugar, brown sugars plus a couple of other bits. £10 in total, £2 of which was kids vitamins so £8 on food.

So I make that £105 on food this week and £17 on household stuff 😱 we aren’t doing top up shops at all since lockdown so that will do us a week but it’s double what we used to spend...

Made quiche today as a use it up meal - cooking bacon from the freezer, eggs from the chickens, leek/onion/broccoli from last week’s veg box, and served with roasted root veg and peas (again from last week’s box). Also made rhubarb and apple crumble (apple from last week’s box and rhubarb from the garden). Last night made courgette, chocolate and peanut butter cakes which were really tasty 🙂

PipneyJane

Those cakes look lovely @Bluegreen143.  Care to share the recipe?  Please!!

- Pip

Bluegreen143

@PipneyJane it’s this one https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chocolate-courgette-cake

Except I used a healthy dollop of peanut butter instead of hazelnuts (it’s nice with those in too as I used them last time). And I put in muffin cases to cook instead of one big tin. Took about 20 mins and I got 20 cupcake size cakes (most have been frozen). I haven’t bothered with the topping the two times I’ve done this recipe.

PipneyJane

Bluegreen143 said:

@PipneyJane it’s this one https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chocolate-courgette-cake

Except I used a healthy dollop of peanut butter instead of hazelnuts (it’s nice with those in too as I used them last time). And I put in muffin cases to cook instead of one big tin. Took about 20 mins and I got 20 cupcake size cakes (most have been frozen). I haven’t bothered with the topping the two times I’ve done this recipe.

Thanks @Bluegreen143.  I’ll save the recipe for the (hoped for) glut of courgettes from the garden later this year.

- Pip

pamsdish

PipneyJane said:

Bluegreen143 said:

@PipneyJane it’s this one https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chocolate-courgette-cake

Except I used a healthy dollop of peanut butter instead of hazelnuts (it’s nice with those in too as I used them last time). And I put in muffin cases to cook instead of one big tin. Took about 20 mins and I got 20 cupcake size cakes (most have been frozen). I haven’t bothered with the topping the two times I’ve done this recipe.

Thanks @Bluegreen143.  I’ll save the recipe for the (hoped for) glut of courgettes from the garden later this year.

- Pip

Me too