November 2020 Grocery Challenge

joedenise

@Finstickle - you could join in on the Reverse meal planning thread.  You might get some ideas from it if you have a read through.

mumtoomany

First spends of the month, but shop. £91.94 spent across six shops. Lots of bargains, including six large cauliflower for £1, four kilos greater cheese for £2, two kilos each of ham and turkey sandwich meat for £1 kilo. Hopefully that's mostly all for the month other than milk. Mumtoomany.

MrsDippy

So last month I went down to two supermarkets shops.  Very pleased.  Feel in control with a plan.   This month I’m also focusing on plastic reduction.  So far plastic free is turning out to be money savings best friend.  I did my normal supermarket shop online then went all through the basket and replaced anything I could with non-plastic alternative, and some things just got the chop all together.  The expensive ready made snack stuff, bye bye.  The pre-prepared fridge stuff, so long.  The brown sauce my Mr Dippy eats by the bucket load. No glass alternative.  Got to go.  But wait, we all know the how much the brown sauce means to Mr Dippy and it was his birthday.  But I removed it from the basket. I’m a tight, mean and wanna-be green machine.  No not quite.  So instead I sourced all raw ingredients plastic free as far as possible (one thing came in a plastic bag – how did that escape my attention!) and made a giant vat of the brown stuff from scratch this afternoon.  We are good for brown sauce for a whole month at least.  And we all found out what he had really been consuming all these years. Dates.  Just one regular guy.

Tahlullah.H

Spent £17.00 on the first food shop of the month.  All fresh ingredient with a small amount of frozen.  As the cupboard wasn't exactly bare at the start of the month, this should mean a smaller shop next week. Now overrun with baked goods, veg, pasta and fruit.  

gemmm

Had to buy honey from the shop so that was £3.15 leaving me at £49.38 / £320

[Deleted User]

@MrsDippy - would you mind sharing your brown sauce recipe? I'm close to running out myself! 🙈

MrsDippy

Sure @smushesma it was  bbcgoodfood recipe called homemade-brown-sauce - cant post as link as this is telling me I'm not allowed yet.
I'm hoping I'll only need to top up the dates to make two more batches from all the other ingredients.  Also we are finding it is so rich that less brown sauce is being consumed :-)

joedenise

That sounds good @MrsDippy!  Will have to have a look at that recipe.  Don't need brown sauce at the moment but will do in a month or two!

PS - Just had a look at the recipe and look like it makes loads.  Can you tell me how much it actually makes please?

killielila

 let's not mention Oct, shall we? I did so badly both for my budget and waistline I NEED to stop eating take out sign me up for 10 a day so 310  for the month for me my ex who still living with me and my dog with the BIG  challenge of only 2 take outs the month otherwise we are on beans on toast for Xmas. 
so far 93.94 but  that has a freezer full and  this weeks fresh stuff so only be  fresh stuff  rest of month  * fingers crossed*

MrsDippy

Hi @joedenise the  brown sauce it made was a large 1 litre kilner jar full, but it very thick, reckon I could have watered down and would have made more easily.  It is like a chutney... which has made me want to make chutneys... mmmm chutneys...