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May 2022 Grocery Challenge
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That’s a darn good value @Greying_Pilgrim. Our Lidl doesn’t seem to have those boxes, but then again, I don’t really visit that often. @MissRikkiC thanks for reminding me that YS flowers exist. I’ll be sure to keep an eye out next time in Tesco or M & S.After lunch on the high street today I stopped into M & S and spent £3.16 on fusili pasta, grated mozzarella, and a YS milk.£88.64 spent so far. £161.37 / £250.00 remaining.
Half the fusilli was used in a baked pasta dish this evening. I made the sauce using the YS ground beef from Sunday, leftover passata, the last couple mushrooms, a green bell pepper, leftover roasted eggplant and red pepper, frozen spinach, and a bunch of fresh herbs that won’t seem to die. After spooning loads of sauce into the pasta, we still have a good amount to use later or go into the freezer.The result was solid. Mr. Jings had 4 helpings while I had 2. To be fair to him, he forgot to eat lunch and was practically wilting away by 6:30pm, poor thing.About 40% of the dish is left so that’ll give us some good lunches for tomorrow. We also still have a lot of veg in the fridge. I uncovered some haricots verts from April just yesterday that are still punching back with life!
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I wrote a large post here earlier and lost it!Another £13.27 spent today, however this included a really good TGTG bag, reduced price tulips, 6 cartons of dairy free YS milk for my daughter (win!), milk, YS freezer ready meals and 2 packs of chocolate bars. One pack for my daughters key worker who leaves this week and 1 for me as labour snacks 😬Follow here for the daily life of an ADHD mum with 2 children and a new mortgage to pay
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6570879/life-in-our-forever-family-home-and-the-mortgage-that-came-with-it#latest5 -
I'm just about to stagger off to bed but just wanted to catch up on what everyone was doing and say that instead of nipping to the shops for a couple of ingredients I didn't have this afternoon I substituted quite successfully and am very pleased that I can record a NSD for today.
I also did some baking and made this Benjamina Ebuehi recipe and managed to eke out the end of my jar of tahini to give me just enough for the mixture with an extra tablespoonful of water shaken inside the jar to get the last few drops.
I've tasted one (just to be sure they're good enough to offer to others you understand) and they're lovely and chewy with a nutty flavour so they're going in my successful file.
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Morning!
Thanks for all the 'box' love everyone 🥰 I knew you would understand my relief at securing one. And yesterday it was good that there were some boxes for others too. Yesterday's tea (Lebanese Gaspacho) didn't happen as planned, as we had unexpected visitors, which was great, but it was also LG's activity night, so everything got truncated to fit in as much nattering as poss, before we had to go our separate ways. LG did get some of the box blueberries on their yoghurt for a pudding.
I'm aiming for a NSD today. Tomorrow's shopping list will be laser targeted to a few essentials, but I'm pretty resigned to going over budget this month 😕 But even I can see how heavily I relied on stores in March and April, you can't use the stores twice 😉 IF I end up going over budget, the challenge will then to be to minimalise over-spends. I know that I still have the notional £50 'store stocking' money to use.
Wouldn't have got this far without you guys though, so thank you 😘
Greying XPounds for Panes £7,005/£10,000 - start date Dec 2023
Grocery Spend July 2025 £292.82/£300
Non-food spend July 2025 £96.71/£50
Bulk Fund July 2025 £9.10/£107 -
@MissRikkiC, the farm foods offer is probably short lived, most of there offers seem to be. I'm lucky in that DD3 works there part time, so tells me when things come in. I also get to use her staff discount which knocks another few pennies off
@Greying_Pilgrim , thanks for the inspiration. I made pasta with asparagus, peas and onions last night. Everyone is fed up of asparagus now, I grow it in the polytunnel. Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxxFrugal Living Challenge 2025.8 -
mumtoomany said:@Greying_Pilgrim , thanks for the inspiration. I made pasta with asparagus, peas and onions last night. Everyone is fed up of asparagus now, I grow it in the polytunnel. Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx
Greying XPounds for Panes £7,005/£10,000 - start date Dec 2023
Grocery Spend July 2025 £292.82/£300
Non-food spend July 2025 £96.71/£50
Bulk Fund July 2025 £9.10/£107 -
Meant to add i put bacon in the pasta dish too. Yes, we've just finished eating, and selling on the gate, all the broad beans i grew over winter in the tunnel. The grandchildren love them, but the 'big' children don't. Mumtoomany.xxFrugal Living Challenge 2025.8
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Just getting back to posting after hols and visiting friends and Mum but I don't have time to post and catch up - I have had one week's milk bill, (£6.86) a total so far of £37.68 GC plus stores 36.85 this month. I need lemons to make cordial but waiting for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee pudding/dessert/cake recipe to be published after Thursday's TV program to announce the winner in case I elect to make that for the village lunch over the holiday weekend (I may need to practice it
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Save £12k in 2025 #2 I am at £4863.32 out of £6000 after May (81.05%)
OS Grocery Challenge in 2025 I am at £1286.68/£3000 or 42.89% of my annual spend so far
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the Grow your own thread
My new diary is here6 -
Got to add another £14.66, leaving me with £45.72, so got to start being inventive! OH is poorly - it caught me out.Keep reading books!
July grocery challenge START: £150.
total SPENT £127.53, REMAINING £22.37.6 -
Hi all. So far I’m at:
Food £175
Treats £9.62
Cleaning & toiletries £8.49
Household misc £8.35
I’d love to keep it under £500 in total this month but we’ll see as we’ve already been quite spendy.
I do think I’m now in a better/cheaper rhythm with reducing carbs where it’s a sensible compromise that allows me to hit my weight goals but still save a bit of money and eat with the family. Basically I’m striving for lower carb almost all breakfasts and lunches (not cutting back on pulses, root veg, fruit etc - so by lower carb I mean not refined carbs really). Then mainly eating with the family (on workout days) or eating what they’re having with no carbs on the side (on rest days). I’m working out 5-6 days a week so mainly I can have normal family meals.
This is the mealplan I’m using Mon-Thu this week, I mealplan twice a week:
MON
B - banana, Greek yog, nuts & seeds
L - lentil & tomato soup
S - hot chocolate (proper cocoa made with milk, I don’t like instant hot chocolate made with water!)
D - spaghetti bolognaise & salad
TUES
B - smoked salmon on one slice toast
L - Joe Wicks cashew chicken curry
D - tomato & lentil soup, followed by a small bowl of ice cream (I saved up my calories for this 😅) - family had bread with their soup too
WED
B - avocado berry smoothie
L - Joe Wicks paprika chicken
S - if I need it, I’ll have some fruit or nuts mid-afternoon
D - chicken pesto bagel & salad (family will have chips too)
THU
B - avocado berry smoothie
L - cashew chicken curry
S - fruit or nuts as needed
D - beef & salad burritos
The paprika chicken lunch recipe was because when I poached the chicken last night (for our bagels), there was one breast left so I made it into a lunch for myself.There are a few low carb meals which he does which you can prep in advance and they include plenty of veg so are all in one - this is necessary, as no way can I take a long enough lunch break to make a stir fry or curry, but I don’t want to resort to sandwiches.I’ve lost 7lb the last 3.5 weeks so really keen to continue on with the eating plan - but making some tweaks to reduce costs.Part time working mum | Married in 2014 | DS born 2015 & DD born 2018
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6542225/stopping-the-backsliding-a-family-of-four-no-longer-living-beyond-their-means/p1?new=1
Consumer debt free!
Mortgage: -£128,033
Savings: £6,050
- Emergency fund £1,515
- New kitchen £556
- December £420
- Holiday £3,427
- Bills £132
Total joint pension savings: £55,4256
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