April 2022 Grocery Challenge

weenancyinAmerica

Vanlady - it's easy to grow you own bean sprouts in a jar. Maybe you can start Mr. Van on a new hobby.

PipneyJane

Quickly popping in to declare a small shop.  £3.70 spent in our local C0-0p on 250g feta cheese (£2), some baby-plum tomatoes (70p with offer) and 2 Reece’s Nutrageous on offer at 2-for-£1.  I was originally thinking of walking to one of the larger supermarkets, about 2 miles away, but discovered that they aren’t open today.

The above brings our total GC spend for April to £93.78/£142.10, leaving £48.32 for the rest of the month.

- Pip

Vanlady

What a great idea Weenancy, just googled how to grow beansprouts, seems very easy, something to think about.

A small spend to declare yesterday, £3.03 on beansprouts, a bath sponge and a jar of sandwich pickle. I wasnt in any rush for this but it was on my list so as I was in a large-ish sm I thought I would grab. Though......I did downbrand  instead of buying the famous make, so fingers crossed that's a win.....hope so as quite a price difference.

Transformed 1 kg of sweet potatoes and 1/2 kg of carrots and lentils into an Indian spicey soup. Portioned up into 8  ready to be frozen for lunches.

No more shopping needed now till the end of the week.

Total: £82.60/£180.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning!

No spending here, but I can't say that the budget paucity isn't beginning to bite.  LG was trying to be helpful this morning, spreading the olive margarine on the toast.  DH was notionally supervising.  The first slice went quite well, but then LG got a bit over-enthusiastic, and tried to apply about a 1/3rd of the tub to slice two........  It's a very fine line to tread between encouragement, pointing out when things aren't quite right, and trying to at least proffer some reasoning as to why budgeting/portioning or even, dare I say it 'rationing' has to happen sometimes......  I don't think it was handled right - but don't know what the 'right' way would be, and can't help thinking that not alot has changed since my 1970's memories, of not being allowed to help because I would waste/use to much/eat X, Y or Z ingredients..... Ho hum.

On a food/groceries theme, if anyone is interested, Jack Monroe is the featured guest for 'My Life in Food' on the Food Programme on Radio 4 next Sunday.  The programme is usually repeated on the following Monday, and of course, will be available on eye-player after airing.  

The veggie bobotie has been made up for tea tonight.  I managed to burn it in the PC 🙄 The majority was saved, and I have washed off the burnt on layer from the bottom of the PC 🙄 Wonder if I went back to bed, and started today over, it would help......??🤔

Greying X

atrixa

Spends to report in Mr M of £7.72. Total now up to £143.79/£135. 

At least it's less than I would be spending last year...

OrkneyStar

Small top up shop of £10.10, I had 10p in my purse (made up in 2ps), so that's £10 taken from the 'cash in hand' part of our food budget. Reduced lettuce, reduced raspberries, mozzarella balls, cheddar, pasta, chocolate for DS.

Pinwheel

Hello

I've bought some bits for a picnic and some Easter choc this weekend mainly from L**l, I spent £19.25.  

I think I've got everything I need for the next few days so I'll try and stay away from the supermarket.  

ragz_2

£72.35 at Aldi, £4.99 of that was the click and collect fee as I really couldn't face Grocery shopping today. 
Bit lost on my running total as I've been keeping track in two places and they don't tally so will have to go through that later. The lower value remaining is £72 odd, which will be a stretch, but I hadn't factored in easter eggs, cooking a huge dinner for guests yesterday or my bulk buy of low carb bread when I set my target, so I'm accepting that I will be a fair bit over this month.

Plenty of leftovers from yesterday though, loads of gammon and enough lamb in gravy for dinner today with bubble and squeak made from the leftover veg. Gammon will probably do a few meals. Probably gammon egg and chips tomorrow and the scraps frozen to go in the next pasta bake/maceroni cheese. 

dustydigger

Hi people!I am only observing for now,maybe will try to participate next month.

two years ago when covid reared its oh so ugly head,and my surgery were vehement that I stay in hiding from it due to my badly wrecked immune system I had to switch over to online grocery shopping,and my OH who without a care in the world still went into the city several times a week (he's 82 and as fit as a flea!) and would get bread,,fresh veg and meat and fish at the city markets. Now that my family - 4 kids,6 grandkids and 5 great grandkids -  could no longer visit en masse for our Saturday gathering,its amazing how much less I am spending there.

Mind you that is relatively speaking. My OH wants fresh food freshly cooked twice a day.He loves casseroled beef and in particular teder lamb dropping off the bone,roast potatoes,and veg.Almost no processed foods,but I spend an awful lot of time in the kitchen. No quick fish fingers or fishcakes for him. The only fish he eats is fresh salmon. He has a minimum of 4 meals a week,mostly about 5 or 6 meals,he never tires of it. But the cost! Ouch.He refuses to change his habits,and from his point of view why should he,at 82 he can run for a bus,run up and down stairs without a stick or using the bannister . Totally jealous of him But sadly the Tesc* store he frequented has closed down,at end of March.I am now going to have to do all my shopping online at Asd@

 things are getting expensive.  The salmon alone has increased for a whole fish by £4 to almost £20. I hate looking at the prices and muttering ''oh that has gone up 30p since last week''.Depressing

II now do my whole shopping list,gulping at the prices,and going back and reducing the number of items in each category. Last week it was about £74,and I cut it down to £68. Then I realized I hadnt added easter eggs i was short of,and added them on and ended up at £79!after all lol.

So I am going to check things out,get ideas,and hopefully start in May

weenancyinAmerica

dustydigger - you need to start teaching him to cook his own meals. What if something happened to you, what would he do? Use that as your excuse to get him to do more in the kitchen!