May 2022 Grocery Challenge

JingsMyBucket

@Wraithlady no worries, I totally get it. I've noticed that behaviour too online. That's also happening regarding restaurants jumping straight to vegan for dishes and a lot of vegetarians I know are missing the dairy/cheese so much right now.

@Greying_Pilgrim thanks for sharing that Senegalese salad recipe. I've added to my recipe collection. It looks like it would go well with some spicy grilled whole fish. 

A smallish spend of £7.01 to declare from M & S today, including some good YS deals. YS puff pastry (2.25 -> 1.44), YS mild cheddar slices (2.25 -> 45p), Cornish cheddar slices (2.75 -> 96p), some ginger and cilantro, quart of milk, and a croissant and a pain au chocolat for Mr. Jings. The bakery smell was calling to me and I gave in this time. The puff pastry and the cheeses went directly into the freezer. 

We also have a veg and fruit box coming on Friday, so £20.00 on that. I requested they omit cauliflower and apples for this box. It takes us SO long to get through the cauliflower and I really don't like it honestly. 

Current totals are £167.80 spent so far. £82.20 / £250.00 remaining.

I didn't get a chance to stop at Iceland for meat this afternoon because I had to rush back home to a meeting this afternoon. That said, I remembered this evening that Morrison's has really good 3 for £10 meat deals. That'll likely be my destination this weekend along with Aldi to restock on meat for the freezer. To keep under budget, I may limit myself to £25 for restocking the freezer meat. 

K9sandFelines

Spent £6.54 today in Waitr*se. Used all my coupons. Finally got the cherries! Had ran out of edamame and had a coupon so got them. Also, vegan "kyivs" (coupon), milk (technically free as the coupon was £1 off, and I selected Waitrose original soya for £1). I also got some sandwich meat (you've guessed it (with a coupon)! 

Tissues and loo roll bought aswell (both with coupons), as I had ran out of both. The latter will last three months (pack of 24). I don't count it in this food budget, but I do track the spend for my own purposes. 

Think that was it. 

Will need to buy a few bits at weekend as DD2 here. Kale and rocket have yellowed( so have been food binned), despite being in Pyrex in the fridge. Wraps. Pop and crisps/chocolate (weekend treat). Cereal, Coffee, vegan sausages and bananas. 

Think that's it. Hoping to keep it to a tenner, as I'm already a third into the budget with three weeks and three days to go 😲

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning GC'rs

Thursday already.  Tea has already been got out of the freezer to de-frost.  Tonight (Matthew), we shall be having Turlu Turlu, which I made a batch of in the PC a few days ago - to best utilise (in a careful and considered fashion), the produce from MrL boxes.  I do have aubergine in my Turlu Turlu (the recipe I have linked to does not), because unfortunately one of the aubergines that I got from MrT for 29p was starting to go rotten.  A quick intervention with a knife minimised wastage, but also meant I needed to use up the rest of the aubergine PDQ. I shall need to add in some spinach (i have some frozen), in place of the chard leaves.  I shall make some bulghar to go with, and a choice of either green beans or broad beans - haven't quite decided yet.

I noticed that the blog/website that I got the👆recipe from has been resurrected - I've had the recipe for yonks, and the website was on hiatus, but it's worth a peek around to see what Choclette has been up to.  I'm interested in giving the 3 ingredient carrot pasta recipe a go at some point - will it make LG eat more carrots? 🤔

I need to get the shopping today.  Just the basics.  Cheese and eggs are needed and will take up the bulk of the spend.  I don't think I will get to the end of May without going over £100 spend, but in managing to keep spends targetted, it has helped us to limp out of a real-life, very sticky, financial patch - not of our own making.  This has not been a drill.   And whilst previously I wasn't a mindless/profligate spender on food/meals out etc etc, even I recognise that I've had to really "think" about meals/ingredients/SM spends again, and that reminder is no bad thing. And it's important to note that I could not make targeted spends if I didn't have store cupboard ingredients/frozen food or meals to complement my expenditure. 

Greying X

Soontobeoap

Have just read that Iceland a d food warehouse are offering 10%discount to over 60,son Tuesdays from 24th May. Some good news amongst all of the rising prices. 😊

Soontobeoap

@Greying_Pilgrim. I actually don't know how you are managing it. Makes me realise that I could cut costs more though. Thanks for posting. 

Greying_Pilgrim

Soontobeoap - that is kind of you to say.  I just feel now like there is too much that is having to be cut out.  Even if I am able to go back to our 'normal' budget next month, restocking and prices rises will just cause that money to evaporate.

Well, shopping's done, scores are on the doors.  Doesn't make for a good read, with 12 days of the month still to go........

I spent £11.91 in MrL.  There were no £1.50 veg boxes at all today, so I will have to get creative with what veg/fruit I have.  However, I did buy smoked tofu for 99p (Vemondo brand 180g) and a 6 pack of lentil curls for 85p.  Neither of these items was on my list, but the tofu was a good price and smoked tofu is my preference, and I bought the lentil curls becasue a) they were in stock b) I like to have a bag of crisps if we take a picnic somewhere and c) you've got to have a treat once in a while....... Milk (blue top) has gone up to £1.29 for 2L - I believe this is on a par with other retailers, and my (whole) cucumber was 49p - I think it was only 45p last time I bought one a week or two ago?????  The SEL for olive spread is still showing 85p, whilst the till charges you 95p - grrr!  But I put it down as 95 in my totting up as I go round the shop anyway now, so am not caught out at the till.

I then went to MrAl and picked up 4 x chopped tomatoes at 28p a tin and 12 med. eggs for £1.65, as MrL's egg offering was dire and damaged.

In total I spent £14.68 and I am now £1.61 overbudget 🙁  And with a major headache of trying to come up with a meal plan using what I have.........  But at least I still have my turnip....... 😬🤣

Greying X

FrugalHedonist

@Greying_Pilgrim, not sure how much of a fuss pot your little one is but the Thrifty Leslie website does a nice spiced carrot tart that I like to make 

Bluegreen143

@Greying_Pilgrim as with everyone else, I’m really impressed by your ingenuity and how you make a budget stretch. I know you are vegetarian and have one less child than me, but I wouldn’t have believed it was possible for a family to have such a varied, interesting, nutritious diet on such a low budget. Well done 👏 

I was just inspired to get up a prep the kids a snack tub for after school based on what needs using up & would have to be thrown out tonight otherwise (cocktail sausages, mozzarella - this is aspirational and they may not eat, but I had the other half at lunch! - cherry toms, an opened tin of pineapple and strawberries). Usually I wait til the last minute when I’m logged off my work laptop, and then end up always making peanut butter sandwiches or hot chocolate for them to have with something out of the fruit bowl. 

Bluegreen143

Oh and in an example of not doing very well at the challenge, I’ve spent £315.52 on food, £16.07 on cleaning & toiletries and £13.15 on misc household stuff already this month, I do smaller shops twice a week so still have four to do 🤣 plus the milkman bill is nearly £10 a week now!! Won’t get another veg box again til next month though. 

Unlikely to stick to my target which I think was £500 all in, but I’ll do my best! 

Soontobeoap

 We went into sainsburys today to buy some shorts for me to garden in and some mugs. Unfortunately hubby was with me and felt the need for marmalade, Jam, icecream and chocolate. I have no control over him!!!! We also bought bread and sweets for the grandkids. ( they are my weakness). Result £19.94 spent on food shopping! Got the mugs but not the shorts as unfortunately I am not a trim size 8 or 10!!!

what have I learned from the last 5 months whilst doing this challenge I asked myself:-

1) Obviously not to take hubby shopping with me.
2) I have become a bit lazy again with meal planning and could work harder to cut budget. ( desperately just trying to clear 2 shelves in freezer to take all of the allergy foods for grandkids at half term)
3) £50 a week is an easy to stick to budget for the 2 of us at the moment. Knowing that it should be easier for me to set realistic budgets that I don’t go over.
4) Having stocked up recently on cleaning stuff and toiletry’s there must be some cheaper months to come!!!!

seriously, I take my hat of to all of you who are feeding young families. My budget rockets when I am looking at healthy snacks and food options for the little ones. It is nice to give them a few treats too.

good luck everyone. Hope you have done better than me this month.