April 2022 Grocery Challenge

K9sandFelines

MissRikkiC said:

K9sandFelines said:

I've still got til the 13th of May left for this budget, and boy am I struggling. It's starting to consume my every moment, if I am honest; and I don't want to go down a slippery slope. If I am not meal planning, then I am watching vlogs about budgeting and prepping 👀. I've got ten pounds and a tiny bit left of £80. I didn't account for daughter being here for two weeks of uni holidays; even with her small contribution, it's been a struggle. I'm also peed off that a bag of unopened bagels I'd defrosted from the freezer, went instantly mouldy in the bread bin; so had to be disposed of. I might try having a bash at making some rolls of some sort to save keep buying them.
I so wish we had a community pantry or something here 🙄

Please try not to give up. I can understand the feelings you’re experiencing, im
totally all or nothing. I am so often searching for ways of doing things better, more frugal that it’s all consuming. But. And it’s a big but. If your minds health can cope with it, it really is worth it. It becomes your normal after a little while and maybe it’s a necessity to do this for this month, it may not always be. You’re doing great 👍 

I'm not going to, even though I want to sometimes 😒. Thank you. You're right, it's frustrating. Especially as it's taken me years to get a good rhythm and system going; but everytime I feel like I've cracked it something happens. Also, I've had to literally slash my budget in half; which is why I'm forever looking for more tips. I know most of the tips and hacks in the book; so nothing new really comes up. Id love to be able to just go into a shop and pick up whatever I fancy, I just can't right now... Woe is me 😊!! 

K9sandFelines

goldfinches said:

@K9sandFelines - sorry to hear that things are so hard at the moment and hope they become easier soon.

I can recommend this recipe for soda buns from Nigella as being quick and easy and think that any dried fruit could be subbed in for the cranberries and if you haven't got fennel seeds just chuck in something else you like the taste of instead.

These people are the driving force behind the community larders and here is their page offering more info if you'd like to start one yourself just in case you have the time and energy to spare. What is a community larder? - SOFEA

I really logged in to confess to having fallen off my particular wagon both yesterday and today so I spent £1.78 on pul biber and mild pul biber flakes, £1.55 on frozen artichoke hearts and £11.67 at M*rks on 4x milk, y/s 4x skimmed milk, f/f greek style yoghurt, ready made salad, y/s fruit salad, y/s garlic bread and a poppy seed roll and £26.05 at M*rks on 2x y/s grapes, 2x y/s feta pastries, 2x y/s peanut salad, y/s bean salad, 2x y/s falafel, 2x y/s salad onions, 2x baguettes, y/s spring onions, y/s thyme, y/s rosemary, 2x cherry toms and 3x y/s easy peelers.

What I'm going to do is to say that I've spent my full budget for this month and then count the overspent amount as being in May so that means that I'm declaring now at £120/£120 and the baking budget at £23.87/£20 and the birthday budget at £67/£150.

See you all over on the May thread.

Thanks goldfinches. I don't think I could cope with setting up my own larder right now. I've been off work due to MH, hence the drop in income; so I don't think it will change anytime soon. I only have an airfryer as my main oven type appliance, so I am going to try an airfryer bread recipe someone passed on; but if that works I will try that recipe. I will hopefully look into the community larder some time in the future. 

ancientmum

I've had a bit of a wobble after having covid, eating out of stores and now feeling better and wanting something indulgent.  I needed milk and bread from Aldi, then thought  "Now I'm here I might as well get other things I need" and ended up spending £17.  I don't think I really needed cake and crisps.  Add to that eggs and cheese in the market, and I've overspent in April.  I did enjoy the cake though.

Smoosh

@K9sandFelines I don't really have any advice but just wanted to say, you are not alone. I left work recently for the same reason and I too find myself obsessing over budgeting a bit. Have you looked into olio? When I first joined there wasn't anything in my area, but it seems to be getting more popular which is great. 

goldfinches

@K9sandFelines - I had not realised what a difficult situation you are facing, I do apologise for my insensitive suggestions in my previous post. I haven't really got anything else to say except that I do admire you for coping and keeping on going and am sending you hugs from here, (((()))).   

Greying_Pilgrim

K9sandFelines said:

I'm not going to, even though I want to sometimes 😒. Thank you. You're right, it's frustrating. Especially as it's taken me years to get a good rhythm and system going; but everytime I feel like I've cracked it something happens. something. Also, I've had to literally slash my budget in half; which is why I'm forever looking for more tips. I know most of the tips and hacks in the book; so nothing new really comes up. Id love to be able to just go into a shop and pick up whatever I fancy, I just can't right now... Woe is me 😊!! 

K9andFelines - this part of your post really resonated with me.  If it's any help, it's how I feel about things too.  I shop own brand/value brands, batch cook, cook from scratch, shop YS where/if I can, use recipes with eg 5 ingredients over ones that have 47 obscure ingredients etc etc etc.  It's very hard to accept that you are doing all that you can - and bar coming across the proverbial 'magic wand', you've not missed a tip, trick or hint that will suddenly make things easier.  I've been around MSE for over 11 years, come from a frugal/poor background and have always tried to live within my means.  Sure, in theory I can 'factor in' things like school holidays, because they are set/known.  But you can't factor in growth spurts/ill health.  I didn't know covid was going to hit our household when it did, I didn't know 8 working days were going to be lost in total.  And whilst I had an inkling of the impact of SSP, what I didn't have a plan for, was for it working through during the same month as dual fuel price rises, a rent hike, telephone charge hikes and soaring food prices etc etc.  Trying to find solutions has become a relentless pursuit.  And I'm exhausted.

So here we are at the last day of April.  I raided the freezer last night, and we had a 'cheat' tea of fish nuggets (glorified scampi bites - bought for £1.25 in Her0n f00ds in March), chips and mushy peas.  Wasn't the weather for it, but I appreciated the ease - it's been a bit of a week, all in all 🙁And I was delighted that it was clean plates all round.  I have a selection of curries in the freezer to make up tonight's curry plate, so my 53p should stay intact, as even if I bought food with it today, we'd not need to eat it - iyswim.

Thanks everyone for contributing to a space where we can discuss things like this.  I greatly appreciate it.

Greying X  

Cheery_Daff

Big hugs to all Grocery Challengers. I love that this thread is here for everyone cutting back, and, like Greying Pilgrim says, we can discuss all the hard things. It certainly is exhausting trying to make something out of nothing. It's not where I am right now, thank goodness, but I've been there, like so many of us have, and watched my mum doing that for most of my childhood. Lots of love to you all. 

I'm popping in to declare 

£194.19 + £64.96 vouchers = £259.15

Not as bad as previously, but could still do better. Roughly £50 of that was booze (!) some to have with visitors, some for taking to other people's houses etc. Very confronting having your bad habits written down in front of you... 

Anyway, I am taking a break from the internet for May so I won't be posting, but I will be keeping track of my spends, and will join you in spirit, and I will hopefully be back in June xx

pamsdish

£4.68 in A1D1, picking up what I forgot yesterday, none of the mini trolleys available so chucked everything in my empty bag, that`s a ploy I will use again.
£15 in 1celand my friend spent for me, prawns and scallops. 
That should finish April.

Greying_Pilgrim

pamsdish said:

£4.68 in A1D1, picking up what I forgot yesterday, none of the mini trolleys available so chucked everything in my empty bag, that`s a ploy I will use again.

I have been lectured to in both MrAl and MrIcey, in the past, for doing just that pamsdish.  The till operative was so rude in MrAl that I wrote an email complaint about them, and got a reply from MrAl to say that the store team were in the wrong, and apologised. But the line (from both staff, in both stores) at the time was that people put stuff into their own bags and then 'forget' to remove all items as they go through the checkout.  The fact that I'm always willing to show that my bag is completely empty cut no ice.......

Right, I can now officially declare for April 2022, having just been to MrL and HB.  Everything that I bought today WILL be consumed in May (and therefore was bought with May's budget), with the exception that I bought 2 x 6 packet of crisps and I think that we will have a bag of crisps each for our lunch today.  Therefore, I am taking 37p of the £1.46 spend on crisps out of April's budget. meaning I finish April on +16pence!  An achievement, but not something that I want to keep having to repeat long term, as for the most part, my £100 budget means we have to go without; rather than achieving some sort of foodie abundance through the implementation of any high-tec, money-saving, budgetary slashing solutions 🙁

HB had a SEL showing their box of 15 medium eggs was £1.75.  Unfortunately it went through the till at £1.89.  So it's not just MrL/MrAl that are guilty of not updating their prices where the customer can actually see them.  MrL charged less for the cod portions I bought, at the till than their shelf edge label said, so I suppose I 'won' there, but I'd rather know exactly what I am being charged/spending as I go along.  Of the several boxes that were on offer for £1.50 in MrL today, a couple had stuff that was worth the asking price of £1.50, but there was too much reliance on onions - which I already have plenty of, so quantity was taking preference over variety.  I certainly think the boxes are starting to not routinely offer VFM - with specific regard to our household requirements, and can't therefore be relied on to help our budget along each week 🙁

Greying X

K9sandFelines

Smoosh said:

@K9sandFelines I don't really have any advice but just wanted to say, you are not alone. I left work recently for the same reason and I too find myself obsessing over budgeting a bit. Have you looked into olio? When I first joined there wasn't anything in my area, but it seems to be getting more popular which is great. 

@Smoosh, it makes you feel so alone doesn't it. I've been off for a while now, so ssp has stopped. Got an assessment on Tues to see if I'm fit for work. It's only me here, so one/little income.
I'm the opposite. Olio was brilliant at the start, but now the only thing listed near me is Pret stuff. By the time I get the notification it's gone. The same lady used to pick up from Tesco; but I think she has stopped, as she never lists from there anymore.

If you ever want to talk, my inbox is always open