March 2021 Grocery Challenge

elsiepac

Budgets updated to here

Welcome, and welcome back, to everyone!
My budget is £230 this month.  I have done my first shop on Friday in Mr T - £42.78 spent.  Mostly a big veg shop but some luxury items in there such as a couple of packs of the very expensive vegan chicken I like and some treats, absolutely not needed!  Anyway, that's all so far, my month runs 26th-25th every month BUT we just found out our payday is changing to the 1st so I'm fine this month but April I'll have a few extra days to allow for.  So as this is a short pay month for me I'm going to try and have a few extra bits in my stores so that in April I don't feel the pinch so much.  Annoyingly had to change all my big bills which I've mostly done now, but waiting to hear back on the biggest one, rent.  I'm sure it'll be fine though, even if I have to pay a few extra days.  
Couple of lovely recipes from the new SW pasta book for pestos that I've been enjoying, and they go a LONG way too:

Red Pesto
1 jar roasted red peppers in brine, drained
50 drained sundried tomatoes in oil
1 clove garlic
2 tbsps tomato puree
1 tsp dried herbs
25g oats

• Blend all above - should make about 16 tbsps at 1/2 syn each on SW

Spinach and Cashew Pesto
150g baby spinach
2 packs fresh basil
3 cloves garlic
25g cashews
3 tbsp parmesan (I substituted nutritional yeast to make mine vegan)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsps cold water
Juice half a lemon

• Blitz the spinach and basil until really chopped down
• Add the garlic, cashews and parmesan (nooch!) and blitz again
• Mix the oil, water and lemon juice together then pour in to the food processor slowly whilst it's running and blend until it looks like pesto! Should make about 16 tbsps at 1 syn each on SW

thriftwizard

Oooh, that Red Pesto looks lovely, elsiepac!

NSDs for us yesterday & today, in the end; I'll have to buy the odd bit up in town tomorrow when I do my posting, because the health-food stall on the market didn't have several of the things I needed; coriander & bay leaves, mainly. I didn't bother going back down there today - it's only about 400 yards away - as that was really all I needed. I'm kicking myself at having to buy bay leaves; we have two whacking great bay trees, and a smaller one in a pot, but the leaves I cut in autumn to dry at home weren't mature enough & just crumbled when I went to put them into the jar. Obviously I can cut & dry some more, but they're best dried slowly so I won't have any for a couple of weeks if I don't buy some. A real First World Problem!

Mrs_Cheshire

Evening all, small spends of £17 at the past best before warehouse, was passing to popped in to stock up on the kids favourite cereal and a few other bargains. Other spend of £5.18 in Ice!and, popped in for chicken kievs for tonight's tea, picked up milk, bin bags and washing up liquid too. 

PurpleJay

Hi 

I can’t believe it is March already!

My budget for this month is £300 although I am working to an annual figure. I have already done a big shop and the plan is to do 3 smaller ones throughout the month plus milk deliveries and any cleaning products (I use Koh which I won’t need this month and Smol which I probably will).

i account for pets, toiletries and medicines separately and don’t drink alcohol anymore. There is just me and DS (14j - who has hollow legs 😀 We have quite a stash in the brexit/ covid cupboard and I am torn between using it up and being prepared. I need to find a happy medium!

wishus

Hello! Joining again for March - hopefully a healthier month for me, post-Covid. Still not got much of an appetite for stuff except chocolate, ice cream and soup, which are more kindness for the brain foods than kindness for the body. We have already spent £40 on kitty supplies to last this month and beyond, and even have the cat's Easter egg sorted. So, the budget for the month just concerns us 2 adults, trying to be healthy, trying to be frugal, trying not to be exhausted. The frugal thing, well, they won't let husband back to work while he's still coughing, no matter what the NHS say about contagious symptoms. 
Anyway let's do this. £170. Sound okay? This means no takeaways, Wishus. Whaaaa? Yep. Come on, you can do this!

Florenceem

We normally do the weekly shop today but have lots of stuff still in stock so will see how long we can hold out.

PipneyJane

I have a small spend to declare for yesterday. Just some nibbles bought in the C0-0p for £2.37, while we were out on our walk.  We usually buy the paper there on a Sunday and DH couldn't resist their cookies.

The above brings our total spend for March to £38.57/£141.40, leaving £102.83 for the rest of the month.

wishus said:

Hello! Joining again for March - hopefully a healthier month for me, post-Covid. Still not got much of an appetite for stuff except chocolate, ice cream and soup, which are more kindness for the brain foods than kindness for the body. We have already spent £40 on kitty supplies to last this month and beyond, and even have the cat's Easter egg sorted. So, the budget for the month just concerns us 2 adults, trying to be healthy, trying to be frugal, trying not to be exhausted. The frugal thing, well, they won't let husband back to work while he's still coughing, no matter what the NHS say about contagious symptoms. 
Anyway let's do this. £170. Sound okay? This means no takeaways, Wishus. Whaaaa? Yep. Come on, you can do this!

Hope you both feel better soon, @wishus

Welcome back @JingsMyBucket.  It's good to have you back on this side of the Pond.

- Pip

moneyonmymindsam

Up to £25.79 spent £1.69 today on YS goods. 
Doing OK but threw meal plan out window this evening so will replan it tomorrow 
Sam x

flossyblog

Good evening everyone,
Budget = €250 per month  -   Annual €3000 

Starting march with inventory of freezer and storecupboard contents. Most items stocked up on special offers,

Freezer
4 chilli con carne 

5 steaks 

2 chicken fillets

1 butter 

1 petit pois

1 haricot verts 

1 edamame beans 

3 tubs roasted onion  for chilli/ bolognaise

4 portions  fresh minced garlic 

2 potions tomato puree

2 pizzas

storecupboard

1 jar tomato sauce

1 tin chopped tomatoes

2 packs spaghetti

2 wok oil

2 tin kidney beans

1 tin black beans

5 jars thai green curry paste 

10 packs basmasti rice

30 packs coffee capsules

10 packs all bran cereal

olive oil

sunflower oil

Spent €22.68 at the supermarket tonight, soup for for emergency lunches, fruit&veg, tea  and baked beans for storecupboard.  

Need to batch cook bolognaise later in the week, just need mince for that.  Will be visiting the oriental supermarket tommorrow.

Shortie

£13.59 spent on chicken food and bedding, and then £35.01 in Tescos this evening on more bits for the children for lunches, milk, cat food, and a few other bits. Total updated in signature
Have a good evening all :-D