October 2020 Grocery Challenge

Merlin's_Beard

£52.29/£100 half way through the month, so happy with that. Some unnecessary treats balanced out with trying to run my stores down in  preparation for moving, crossing my fingers that I don't get caught out by isolations.

joedenise

@JustMum89 - I think it's a guess for everyone on their first month how much they would spend.  I think we all probably think we spend less than we actually do until we keep track of it!  I think you're right to reduce it slowly rather than to try and do it all at once.  I could probably reduce our spends a bit for I'm comfortable with we spend on groceries.  If necessary I'm sure we could cut back but then probably wouldn't have as much fruit, veg and meat as we do currently and would need to increase our carb levels which I really don't want to have to do as don't want to put weight on now that we are both at a sensible BMI!

Finstickle

Also, thanks to @mumtoomany for talking about her freezer pot for bits to make soup - we have one for chilli and I had completely forgotten about it. Back on it now and nearly at enough for dinner 4 two 😀

Suffolk_lass

I've just had my first shop of the month (16 days since the last one) and thanks to having milk from the milkman and eggs from a local farm, we have not needed any in-between shops. My main shop was to stock up on things like yogurts and cheese (and I bought lots of cheese!) but I also bought a chicken that we will stretch to 3 or 4 meals, and a fillet tail that has gone in the freezer for a future stir-fry. Other than that it was lots of fruit and veg. Our total fell into four categories - cat and dog treats (£18.60), stores (£35.11) and main shop (£62.64). With some treats from the entertainment budget (the fourth category), I am hoping to stretch things out so I don't need to go again until the end of the month.

We are not buying any big containers of chocolates for "Christmas" (we just eat them if we do, and then "have to" buy more) - and repeat... . I might stretch to something posh in December to intersperse with walnuts but our waistlines definitely don't need it.

Suffolk_lass

Finstickle said:

Also, thanks to @mumtoomany for talking about her freezer pot for bits to make soup - we have one for chilli and I had completely forgotten about it. Back on it now and nearly at enough for dinner 4 two 😀

Mmn chilli. Now I need to put that in the plan - will rummage around for some suitable bits

mumtoomany

Had chilli last night, DD3's birthday, so she chose tea. Trouble is I had no onions! I'd used the last couple out of the garden for green tomato chutney. So used the top(green bit) of a leek I had picked to make leek, mustard and pork sausage. Also found two bags of "mock"spring onions in the freezer. What are mock spring onions? I hear you ask. When you buy a 25kg sack of onions in summer, they don't keep very well. As you get towards the bottom they have started to sprout. I cut off the green bits, use the onions and freeze the green shoots cut into half inch lengths. There you have mock spring onions. Didn't need to go to the shops. 
Have been eating a lot of carrots. Had carrots sliced one day, blended into curry base the next, grated in shepherds pie the day after, coleslaw the next,then back to just as a veg the next. Today we are having carrot cake, but had no cream cheese! New recipe is sieved cottage cheese with icing sugar. I won't tell them if you don't. Nobody has mentioned the amount of carrots. Maybe when we turn orange! 
Mumtoomany.

Finstickle

Another £3.90 at the greengrocers, spotted that they've started doing £1 pots, so a big bunch of runner beans, one of strawberries and some eggs.
Runners will do for maybe 8 portions and I'll be making sure to stop on a Thursday when I do a drive by

patentgirl

Spent £1.10 on fresh eggs in market today taking me roughly half spent half to go should manage really helps with list and keeping to menu plan. I will be going through all cheap balanced meals on internet later pick 3 new recipes rest old faves and do not deter from this go shopping tomorrow after work I am getting bit obsessive I must admit but works for me just need to top up milk and bread mid week will miss all tomatoes raspberries cucumbers and spinach been growing coming to end now not put anything in to replace yet.

Frugalistamama

Did my first big (small) of of the month. Spent £41.65/£200 on food at lidl. I'm only counting food, cleaning products/household etc go into another budget. Now i have a pleasingly full fridge of fresh items I'm hoping it will last me a while. I did pick up about £5 worth of treat food which I'm regretting as i could have reduced that further. It's hard to say no to some of the prices at lidl. I promised to stay out of the middle of lidl, but just found myself wandering down there and picked up 3 LED lightbulb for £3.45 which is a good price and been on my list for a while so not a disaster. I was wandering around the shop saying to myself   '....but do you really need it?' it helped a lot 😂

Pixiehouse55

Hello... Sorry I've not been a out this month. Our elderly man that lives with us has been in and out of hospital since beginning of the month. I've gone way over my budget this month. Will try and find time in next couple of days to add it up and put on here. I don't know if I'm on my head or my toes!! 😁