September 2021 Grocery Challenge

goldfinches

@scotmumof3 - sorry to hear about your positive tests, glad you've managed to find your silver lining in using up stocks.
@jozbo - am very interested in your comments on Asda GF particularly baking ingredients if you could bear to comment on here, thanks for any info, goldfinches.
I forgot to add in a couple of bits I bought at Sainsby's the other day as they were mixed up with the baking ingredients on the receipt so I spent £1.89 on y/s seed mix with dried raspberries and bananas both of which are intended to make breakfasts less boring for the next few days. 
That makes my new total £49.16/£120 and my average daily spend £3.51 and I've spent 41% of my monthly budget and we are 46.66% of the way through this month.

nannygladys

Suffolklass - courgette and cheese fritters, will definitely look into that one, I do use a sort of courgette pancake base to make a pizza base when I have plenty from the allotment (as now!)

I haven't spent anything today on food, but will be going to the community pantry to get a few things on Thursday, so that will be my spend day this week.
Nannyg

nannygladys

Goldfinches - you doing so well.

Couldsavemore

@Finstickle..
Mr A does some nice vegan convenience / ready meals both fresh n frozen.

I live with my 10 year old son, he gets school meals and then Gran gives him his tea (as he gets home before me) so most nights I can't be bothered cooking for 1!
Last night was coconut and apple Dahl ready meal from Mr A. Some days.. I just make toast.
I also get a free lunch lunch at work, though they've cut this back to a sandwich and fruit.

Had to buy another loaf of bread on Monday so now up
£95/200

Suffolk_lass

I hope you are both feeling OK @scotmumof3. I also have a stash worthy of a medieval siege. Added to it yesterday with three large bags of cane sugar (not for us, it is for feeding our bees!) - £10.50 for 15k.

I took up DH's offer to go shopping at Sains. £56.25 later...

LadyWithAPlan

@Suffolk_lass I will try making that cabbage pie. I love cabbage

Grocery challenge 43.96 of £170
Looks good but I was away seeing family last week so no real spending beyond trains etc.
Also am away now this week with food provided so beyond cabs as in countryside I will be hopefully limited food wise spending.
I did buy some chips in the hotel  but I have a restaurant budget separately.

This writing down what I am buying  is useful as a large portion of my spend is on sweets and crisps. I do have a spare cash pot but am currently counting the junk food as still food.
This tracking may yet get me to give up those sweets - I bought many of them whilst travelling or when I am tired.
Being GF means I can't just grab a sandwich.

At the weekend I will do a big veg shop but stil a fair Amount of meat in the freezer so I want to start using it up

elsiepac

@scotmumof3 hope you are both over it soon and that you aren't suffering too much.  It's crazy how different people's experiences are with it.  Glad you are able to use your stocks though!

@nannygladys thanks for the cabbage pie recipe idea! Definitely something I can work with!

As for me, I'm doing the best I have in a very long time with using what I have in.  Couple of my meals so far have made extra portions than what I thought so whilst I'm sticking to the plan I made, I'm having to adjust it a tiny bit but in a good way!! No spends to report.

My favourite thing at the moment has been a kind of cheating vegan pad thai although that's quite a generous description!

I first was doing it with Teriyaki tofu (TofooCo) as it needed using up, but last night made with torn up plain tofu that I had marinating all day in a mix of sesame oil, sriracha and soy sauce.

So I cook the tofu in my air fryer, meanwhile cook rice stick noodles (my favourite thing but I've totally run out now, boo!) and saute carrots I cut into matchsticks and shredded cabbage in stir fry oil along with ginger, chilli and garlic (I buy these frozen anyway so I always have them to hand) - then drain the noodles and add to veggies, then pour over leftover marinade or just make a quick sauce with sesame oil, sriracha and soy sauce, add the crispy tofu and good to go.  So delicious!! 

Had leftovers from last night for my lunch today which means I still have lentil soup for lunch tomorrow and Friday.  Tonight for tea it's smoky red beans and rice, again using freezer veg and tins etc.  Great easy SW recipe I've made before.  Should make 3-4 portions to carry on with.  Feeling quite accomplished!

Did a quick check of toiletries as I bought so much in bulk, and I only have 2 spare deoderants left.  So planning for next month I popped on the Soooperdrug website to check prices so I could plan in buying some more and they have discontinued it.  Fuming!!! It was their own brand antiperspirant aerosol, and I love their own brand stuff as it's all vegan, not tested on animals, and best of all, pretty cheap!  So now I'm at a loss with what to replace it with.  They still do their equivalent roll on but I do prefer a spray.  Any suggestions welcome! I'm also down to the last 1/4 bottle of shower gel but I'm just being frugal with it until pay day. If I do run out it's only a quid (I use Or1ginal S0urce) or more likely I'll just use a bit of hand soap!! I'm not proud haha!

Money_Choices

Hi

I had an appointment today in my nearest big city. I decided to do some non food shopping and look around the indoor market. In the market I spent £2.10 which makes my spending so far £26.29/£80. I bought  4 pears and 1/2lb of mushrooms. 

Money Choices

goldfinches

Waving rather exhaustedly to all as I spent this afternoon in two local museums of natural history and then anthropology and ethnography where the display cases are brimful of interesting items and even the smallest details of the buildings are exhibition standard. 
Anyway by way of breaking my trudge home I stopped at M*rks and bought 4x milk, 2 tins of chick peas, 2 bunches of beets, small baguette, y/s butternut squash, 2 x y/s radishes, y/s fennel, 3 x fresh figs, y/s apple, celery and walnut salad, cucumber, y/s rolls, y/s wraps and some treat crispy seaweed for £13.52 and then bought f/f cottage cheese at Mr T for £1.30.
That makes my new total £63.98/£120 and my average daily spend £4.26 so I think tomorrow will be batch cooking time. 

ETA: sorry, forgot to add my congratulations to those who are managing NSDs especially @nannygladys and @elsiepac, very motivating to read about I find.

Hettyhound

Hello, late to the September party and missed August’s, although that was £3.96 over my £190 budget.  Sadly September not going so well!  Already up at £160.81 from a £190 budget and we are only half way through.  I am finding each weekly shop of very similar produce is rising by a few pennies all the time.  Anyway we won’t starve but I seem to going through a lot of frozen peas and sweet corn bulking things out!  Potato and bean curry tonight with an extra portion for the freezer 🙂