February 2022 Grocery Challenge

Focus27

@Focus27, each L!dl store is different.  My regular shop will have them near the entrance, with some of the other offers.  However, when I bought tuna the other week, we were in a totally different branch and I had to look carefully to find them.  I’d almost given up when I found them by the tills.

Thanks @PipneyJane.  I’m delighted to report I found them easily . They were right by the front door in my local store.  Thanks for your help. 

QueenJess

Cleaning stuff purchased today (laundry/dishwasher stuff) for £14.49.

Total spend £291.50 / £400

EskarinaWeatherwax

How do all. First spends for the month - £25.78/£180 so far including milk delivery and £6 on community pantry, £1 of which was my joining fee. 

Loads to catch up on after a busy few days so I'm going to get a cuppa and read the thread. I'm expecting seeds this week so hope to be busying myself planting those soon - my lettuce seedlings are showing life in the cold frame!

JingsMyBucket

MissRikkiC said:

Needing to comment as I have a few posts to mention. 

@JingsMyBucket thank you so much. You really do get loads dont you! I’ve order my first box for delivery next week.. let’s see how it compares. Are the items you have organic btw?

@MissRikkiC I think a few items may be organic but it’s not expressly an organic box. 

MissRikkiC said:

I also feel your frustration around buying items which are cheap(er) but still spending so much and it caused me to discuss our weekly fajitas at home the other day as it’s quite a costly meal. I was accused by my husband of taking his only luxury 😂 

Have a heart, don’t rob the poor man!

mumtoomany

First spend of the month so far, £5.61 for milk and cheese. Cheese up 10p since last week! Spends for year to date £170.78/£2640. Mumtoomany.xx

MissRikkiC

£91.84/£300 from the food shopping budget. Quite a lot more than expected but £20 on tuna and £25 on 3 butchers whole chickens in there. 

Having loaded the new freezer I can see what we have clearly so tomorrow I will make a stock list and meal plan but even just using veg and stores I think we should only need milk and bread this week. Bread at a push as we had a wonky bakery delivery Friday so probably won’t need one. 

I also know I have enough ingredients to make a loaf if I get time, so may do that instead. 

I still may have a veg box this week as I don’t think it would arrive until Wednesday, but not from the original provider as they want £40 min and other than fortnightly that doesn’t work for us. Somewhere else is £20 again and photos show great value in the items, so if I have it this week to scratch the itch I probably won’t order next week. Kitchen is fully functioning (minus the sink) now so it’s lovely to cook again! 

NoraNoir

First week sticking to £25 week budget. Went over by £1.17 but I’ve got my shoebox freezer full of batch cooking, a massive pan of soup for the week & I’m considering skipping next week’s veg box as long as I eat strategically this week & get a Ldl £1.50 too good to waste veg box. First week doing this and I’m finding it hard to strictly meal plan - some days I like to eat what I feel like eating, rather than what I have planned. That said, I’ve lots of options, so just need remember to prioritise the fresh/perishables. 

Hoosrice

@NoraNoir, I agree. I am not very good at eating what I have planned for the day, never mind weekly meal planning. I can take something in the morning, but by dinner time I’m not in the mood for it... luckily have quite a few options in the freezer too. 

pamsdish

PipneyJane said:

• Coffee.  While I will happily buy and drink Douwe Egberts instant coffee when there is an offer - I use their jars to store spices - 

On coffee PipneyJane my Amaz0n S&S for D0uwe has been cancelled twice now, think prices are getting too high for them to fulfil their orders

elsiepac

Suffolk_lass said:

elsiepac said:

Started the day with £39.83 left and I didn't go shopping since last Saturday's big shop and then my Lid1 shop on Wednesday.  As predicted I had quite a few fresh things still left so I tried to keep this week's shop as minimal as possible.  As I said before, I've already got enough tofu for the month and today I bought the rest of my "milk" for the month - I use Alpr0 almond barista in my coffee; if I have that I never feel like I'm missing out so it's one of my non compromising things!  Like my pricey coffee actually lol..but I buy that in bulk on subscribe & save each month.

So today I spent £10.80 on my almond barista milk - that's 6 litres (it's long life) at £1.80 a carton and is about 2 cartons a week.  I can relax a bit knowing I've bought it and I had that set aside within my remaining money.

I also spent £6.51 on actual groceries to top up what I have in for the week.  I'm very pleased with that:
Cauli 79p
Broccoli 49p
Carrots 40p
Tomatoes 75p
Large Garlic 60p
2 chestnut mushrooms 59p each so £1.18 total (clubcard offer usually £1 each)
Romaine £1
Mr T own vegan herby sausages £1.15
YS Finest seed & grain bread 90p was £1.20
YS 2 6 packs wholemeal rolls 30p each so 60p was 98p (49p each)
YS 3 packs malted grain & rye folded flatbreads 35p each so £1.05, was £3 (£1 each)
Mr T own dark chocolate digestives 60p

Total £9.51
used £3 clubcard voucher hence £6.51 + the £10.80 for almond milk for the next 3 weeks.

I think I chose well, and I have plenty of beans and pulses and grains and a few fake meats in, as well as peppers, aubergines, courgettes, bit of broccoli, a leek, 2 carrots, few mushrooms, 1 little gem, red and white onions, new potatoes, sweet potatoes and maris pipers left from last week as well as veg in the freezer if needed.

I already have a loaf of bread frozen so I'll keep my YS one out for eating certainly for the beginning of the week and see how it is going.  Rolls and flatbreads things will be frozen.

£22.52 remaining in the budget.  I did want vegan butter and cheese but couldn't justify it so I'll see where I am next week.  Going to try very hard not to shop again till next week...then it should be £10 each week for the last 2 weeks which is basically for fresh veg.

That sounds like quite a lot of food. Very interested in your meal plan if you are happy to share it @elsiepac

I don't have one!! I'm still not doing well with meal planning lol but thinking about it I do have some meals I make regularly an d I vary them according to what I have in:

- Peanut noodles at least once a week if I have flat rice noodles in - I use any veg in this
- Lentil bolognese at least once every couple of weeks
- Sausage and roast veg in tomato sauce pasta at least once every couple of weeks
- Vegan "item" (like a Linda M southern style fillet for example) with potato and roast or steamed veg
- Stir fry in many, many different forms
- My patented "big fat salad" - less often in winter

I'm going to keep note of what I eat as I really struggled to make that list!!