February 2021 Grocery Challenge

elsiepac

Budgets updated to here

@flossyblog I keep an inventory - not of fresh stuff but of my "stores" - basically for all my staples I like to keep a spare, or a few for certain items, so when I use the ones from the kitchen, I replace with the ones from the store and mark it off on my spreadsheet, and that then forms my shopping list.  Essentially it's for all cupboard stuff.  I also have one for toiletries and cleaning products.  I have a baseline amount of things I like to keep "in stock" and it's based not only on frequency of use but also how accessible they are to buy - for example I visit W8rose once every month or two so I make sure the couple of things I can only get in there, I have 2 spares of so I don't ever run out.  Same for 5uperdrug for toiletries as I either do a big order online every few months or I do one big stock up shop when I am (very rarely) near one - that's why I always have a minimum of 6 deoderants for example, so I know I won't run out!

Still on topic, I funny did my fridge inventory today to work out my meal plan and what needs using as I did a very large shop last Weds and the fridge(s) were groaning! I now know what needs using up quicker than others, and I had already done some meal prep so have added 3 curries and 2 mexican rice bakes to the freezer to allow me to use up some fresher items. Won't need to do a shop for at least 3 days and to be honest it should be minimal after that.

Suffolk_lass

@flossyblog I love the idea of an inventory of stores but my previous attempts at keeping a list of the freezer contents falls into the epic fail category as I am just hopeless at keeping it updated. I certainly should as I do have the potential to hoard food - stupid really as I buy dry goods in multiples when on offer and I make store cupboard things from my frozen garden produce (passata, for example - we have 10 jars I made). I am finding open shelving in my larder is good but my toiletries have the potential to get out of hand - £20 of toothpaste at one point.


Some on here will remember the Bogoff lady who had insulated her loft with the packs of toilet rolls (not during lockdown, I am talking years ago) she could not resist and the Asbo price match thread where glitches in the app were exploited - there were gleeful people with spare rooms stock-piled to the ceiling with things they did not even use. It's a cheap form of warehousing for the supermarkets if we do that - paying them to store their stuff.

candygirl

Just had my first spend of the month; £20 at Morrison's , so that's £20/ 120 up to now.
We have a few Indian supermarkets here, n I just love them. Their fruit n veg are so cheap, n I love all the herbs,  spices n chutneys too 😋

thriftwizard

Another one confessing to an epic fail on freezer-inventory front! My excuses: 1) I lost the notebook, I think some "helpful" soul probably recycled it, as does happen to paper left on the kitchen table, and 2) DD1 brings stuff home from her supermarket when on special offer or YS, and stuffs bits in there too. Hence we are still running two chest freezers and one under-counter... heyho, stuff is getting used up one way & another!
Just added £94.27 to my total; that's £60-odd for the L!dls trip, £20-odd at the butchers this morning, and £14+ on milk, yogurt, cream & redbush tea at the supermarket. There will be more at the market tomorrow, on fish, fresh fruit, veg, cheese etc. Slightly alarming that that will take us halfway through the budget on the 5th of the month, but I'm determined...

elsiepac

Finally caught up on my receipts/banking app and I'm at a somewhat terrifying £198.71 / £250
However, my stocks are all brought back up to date, I have meals for the next few days from fresh food, and I have 2 portions of a mexican rice bake I made up and 3 curries added to the freezer - all of which I'm hoping to use next week. That's alongside the other few meals that are in the freezer already.  Really hoping to keep next weeks spend low by using mostly what I've already made/got in and then have a relatively normal last two weeks.  3 weeks left for me.  I very nearly increased the budget but I thought no, that's silly because I'm only doing it to avoid using things I have in which is stupid!! My logic is illogical sometimes!

joedenise

I'm with you there @elsiepac!  I seem to spend on stuff even though there are ready meals I could use in the freezer!  I'm going to try to use much more from the freezer this month otherwise I'm going to go over my Feb budget.

peb

Waves. Apologies for not updating in January. It was a very odd month starting working from home, snow meaning odd shopping (Food Warehouse was not successful) then two days confusion with broadband fitting. Or not.  Whilst I doubt I overspent I truly can not face going back to see - I shop for three households and drown in receipts.

For February £125 please as usual

I was in shock at spending £35 last week however I bought an iron and knickers so it was a more usual £25 from the grocery budget plus £2 for stockpots.  I had really bad tummy issues so I went gluten free for a week, resolved now and fortunately gluten wasn't the issue. £3 for bread and£1.50 for pasta😱

£27 spend out of  £125.

try_harder

I am also buying my milk now from the milkman and ordering food online then collecting , it has definitely helped ,i order my fish from the fishmonger who also delivers and have a veg box delivered most weeks ,it certainly stops me from buying so many sweet things , if i dont see them i am not tempted .

joedenise

A small top up shop today as don't want to go out next week as snow is forecast and we live on an unmade road at the top of a cliff which gets really slippery when there's ice around and only have a small car!

Only spent just over £6 so now have £172.17 left for rest of the month.

2Scratters

Went to the Indian supermarket yesterday to see what was what. The intention was to get some herbs and spices.(hubby came too on this occasion, I know, its frowned upon) no list made. He bought Garam Masala (which we already have) A large bag of spicy nibbles (I'm now paying the price I assume). 2 packets of wholemeal Chapatis and a bottle of sarsons!! I will be going without him and taking a shopping list next time.
2Scratters