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May 2022 Grocery Challenge
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Well, I'm ashamed to say I blew DD1's boyfriend's contribution to the grocery budget on a Thai takeaway on Saturday! It's been a busy weekend; we're looking after the neighbour's dog & I kind of feel I haven't done anything much except walk for miles - she's not very big but just keeps on going! We've done the riverbank 3-mile full-circuit 3 times & the short 1-mile circuit four times though I only did two of those (DD2 did the other two) and played tug-of-war with her toys for hours. I was just too tired to cook yesterday! So I will definitely be going over, at present I'd guess by about £60 but we'll see; I will try to keep it as low as possible.Angie - GC Jul 25: £225.85/£500 : 2025 Fashion on the Ration Challenge: 26/68: (Money's just a substitute for time & talent...)8
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Evening all. I can't believe it's past 10pm already. This weekend flew by way too quickly.
After several days of not spending, this afternoon I put in a Tesco order for £55.34. I call this a victory because our Tesco orders usually run the £70 – £80 gamut. With this judicious order we got: lemons, strawberries, bananas, onions, garlic, spring onions, avocados, mushrooms, parsley, eggplant, butter, cheddar, cream cheese, Boursin, milk, Greek yoghurt, balsamic vinegar, crackers, oatcakes, oat bars, pasta, frozen garlic bread, frozen chicken slices, matches, and a load of dishwasher tabs.
The matches are funny because we're finally running out of matches after about 3 years. Just heads up for sales at Tesco: there are some good sales on dishwasher tabs. Also one of the cream cheese tubs we bought is a new Philadelphia plant based recipe with almond and oat milk. It's only £1.50 as a new item sale price. OH really wanted to try it so into the cart it went.
£143.98 spent so far. £106.02 / £250.00 remaining.
We're going to request another fruit and veg box likely for Wednesday or Thursday delivery. The freezer meat stocks are going down and I may have to restock that pretty soon. This afternoon I pulled out 2 bacon chops and a ham hock from the freezer. The bacon chops were eaten for dinner along with a lentil salad and I boiled the hock to have general snacking throughout the week.6 -
otb666 said:405.65/600 I tend to leave my hubby to his own devices as well And he came outta shop with wrong drinking chocolate (DS dont like instant) £3 which will go next to the previous one he bought in error in food cupboard.weenancyinAmerica said:When my roommates buy the wrong thing - that none of us will really eat - I donate it to our local food bank.
@Vanlady - my response to that is "If you don't write it on the fridge list, how do you expect me to know I need to buy it? You'll have to wait until next month when I stock up!"- especially if he only occasionally eats it. There are always Porridge oats, eggs and yogurt. It sounds mean but it helped pay off our mortgage early.
Feeling mean this morning!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 here10 -
Suffolk lass you have made me lol!
Love the 'mix it up, they have changed thex recipie' idea
Mr Van tends to err on the side of being fussy with food, but to be fair, he does eat porridge 5 days out of 7.
Sometimes though, I really think, I didnt sign up to be quartermaster of this house!
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Budgets updated to here
You guys are moving so fast this month!! I love itI've been 10 pages behind for about 2 weeks haha but I'm finally fully caught up!
I made a lovely soup in the pressure cooker yesterday - fairly basic lentil soup - sauteed onions and garlic, added celery and carrot, diced potato, dry green lentils, 2 veg stock pots and the key ingredient - Green Harissa paste! This is definitely going to go on my regular list as it's a really tasty different kind of flavour - think jalapeno and coriander so it's really tangy and delicious with a kick but only a little one - my mouth is watering just thinking about it! It's one I found in Sainsbobs a month or two ago and grabbed in excitement at a genuinely new product I'd never thought of.
Anyway, it made the soup something really quite special and what was even better weas the potato and carrots I used were both wonky ones from Sainsbobs - I live in a small country town so our supermarkets are of the smaller variety and therefore don't offer a lot of the ranges some of the huge ones do - wonky veg bags in Sains being a prime example! So I was very excited, and even more so to find the potatoes were actually YS'd as well - carrots were 30p for 1kg, and the potatoes are usually 89p for 2.5kg but mine were 69p! They are going a little rooty as it's quite a lot to get through but they are fine when peeled carefully.
And to the other end of the spectrum...I've nervously ordered an A&C box - well, actually 2, because I eat a lot of veg - I had an offer to sign up and get the 1st and 4th boxes half price so I bit the bullet. I'm not sure going forward it'll be a very good deal as they seem expensive, but with 50% it was worth trying. I added 4 large tofu, 3 packs dark choc rice cakes, 1 chickpea flour (to try it), 2 vegan Worcestershire sauce and 1 chilli & garlic pesto.The last 3 are items not locally available so I took advantage, and the tofu is the large size packs of the smoked T0f00 brand that I usually use - ordered for no other reason than it's convenient to have the big packs as the smoked one is the one I usually get and doesn't come in big packs round yerrr. The rice cakes again were just for convenience as like the tofu worked out no more expensive than usual and are a bit of a staple for me!! (Kall0 brand). There is also a "welcome bundle" included which I have no idea if it's food items or like a magazine or something, so we will see! In total the order is an eye watering £55.91!!!
Chickpea flour - £3.35 (expensive I know, this is a one off to try like I said, and if I like I will source a cheaper alternative!)
Chilli & garlic pesto - £3.15 (pure treat item)
Dark choc rice cakes x2 - £3.30 (staple treat)
Vegan worcester sauce x2 - £7.50 (will last ages)
450g Smoked Tof00 x4 - £17.60 (essentially a month's worth)
Medium Very Veggie Veg Box 50% off - £17.70 (so £8.80)
All Med Veg Box 50% off - £15.95 (so £8)
Like I said, I may very well cancel one or both boxes after this delivery, I mainly did it for the discount and to try something different. It was a saving of £15ish in total for the 2 boxes.
The All Med box has:
Aubergine
Cherry Vine Tomatoes
Chestnut Mushrooms
Garlic
Round Courgettes
Shallots
Yellow Pepper
The Medium Veg box has:AubergineCarrotsCherry TomatoesLeeksPak ChoiPeppery Mix SaladPotatoesRed PepperSpring Onions
I think with the 50% off that's a pretty decent deal for all the above for about £16 considering it's all organic. Hmm. Writing it all out I'm now doubting I will move forward with it in future as it will be really pricey. OK, I will wait for the boxes tomorrow and then see what the quantities/quality are like!
Sorry for huge post!!I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Old Style, Crafting and Techie Stuff boards.If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.GC: May 22 £tbc/£250 Vegan 27-8-137 -
🤣 when you put it Iike that @Blackcats it sounds very funny
I’d imagine staying within a £10 overspend will be more difficult due to being a notorious lover of food shopping and like a magpie to yellow stickers 🤪
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#latest6 -
ladyholly said:EssexHebridean sorry I misread your post. On second reading you said sardines not tuna. I think my glasses need cleaning.
Thanks for the updating @elsiepac - we have an Oddb0x veg box delivery and really like that - they also do a starter offer for £10 off your first box with a referral code if that helps at all if you are keen to try other boxes - the referrer also get £10 off their next box too. It's not organic but we're not so fussed about that aspect and keener to know we're helping make an impact on food waste.
My only aim for this week is not to spend a single penny on groceries until at least Friday - unless I see a particularly good TGTG offer and go for one of those at the end of the week, that's possible. Meals are planned out albeit the plan is a mobile one - I've already switched salad to tonight to make use of the salad veg while it's freshest. I need to check the potato situation as well to see what we still have that needs using. We had roast lamb breast yesterday which will do an additional meal yet - it's currently fridged but I may yet freeze it...when I can find freezer space...🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her5 -
Meet Ebony everyone in typical greyhound position.
Do I need it or just want it.12 -
I have really gone over now. Popped into Sainsburys for milk on way home from a lovely seaside walk. Picked up the bulk buy fairy liquid. 6 large bottles for £10.75.they would be £15.00 bought separately. My mum always said "look after the penny's and the pounds will look after themselves". Also bought lactose free milk, milk and some bulk haribo sweets for GS's when they come to stay. £18.65 in all.craft stash 2023 =161, 2024 = 119 2025 = £25.96 spent, 128 made and 5 mended,
GC 2022 = £3154.96
2023 = £3334. 84
2024 = £.3221.81
2025 = £2254.03/£3300
Jan 413.77 Feb £361.32, March £192. April £438.06 May £261.66 June £204.54 July £211.81/ £250
Decluttering campaign. 2024= 77 and half/52 bin bags full. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🏅💐DH ⭐7 -
£47.87 spent since last post between Mr S, L!do, A&C and the O~box (will arrive overnight).
£177.92/£170.50.
£7.42 over and the month ends on the 31st, epp.
These price increases are doing my head in!I am a vegan woman. My OH is a lovely omni guy9
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