May 2022 Grocery Challenge

Bluegreen143

Lovely image @MissRikkiC. While I liked a sling with my eldest, my youngest was an “unputdownable” baby - colic and reflux meant she screamed if laid flat - so she spent most of her first year snuggled into my chest, and I also have happy memories of doing everything with her snuggled in there! 

I remember we met up with my husband’s aunt and uncle at a restaurant when Bambi was a few months old, in my arms/on my knee. My husband’s aunt looked very concerned and properly quizzed me on whether I had a car seat. Only after a very cross purpose conversation where I assured her that of course I owned a car seat did I eventually realise that she meant “where is your car seat to put the baby in?” She asked me if she could sent my uncle to go and get it from the car and I assured her it was quite alright, I never took it out of the car but always kept it strapped in. Thinking she was being very odd and persistent in discussing car seats 😅 She then said, in a tone of very great concern: “but how will you put her down?” To which I replied: “I don’t” 😂 (at the time it was pretty much literally true; she also slept with me - she has long outgrown the constant carrying and sleeping with me I hasten to add!).

Soontobeoap

Congratulations @MissRikkiC. So glad that your little one has arrived safely. Such wonderful news. Take care. This is where all of your meal prep really pays off. 😉

Vanlady

Good morning challengers, 
Just catching up on the thread.

CONGRATULATIONS MissRikkiC!!! Delighted for you x and yes, all your meal prep will now pay off. 

Loving your tofu tea Greying P, supertasty! 

I've been very good and stayed away from shopping since last week, but plan to go tomorrow.  I'll be on my own  (whoop!) And taking my trolley, so limited as to what I can buy....another whoop! 

Just had overnight oats with seeds, natural yoghurt, frozen berries, nuts and cinnamon.....love it! 
Lunch.....last of the frozen xmas chicken with stuffing in a hm wholemeal/ seeded bap
Dinner.....spaghetti puttanesca ( out of freezer)

pamsdish

Soontobeoap said:

Have just found an ocado voucher for £20 off a £60shop. I know that their food is more expensive and just wondered if anyone had tried this offer. If so what did you think of the value for money? 

I would browse their website for staples on offer, £20 is not a bad saving, if only a few pence more could still be value
Congrats @MissRikkiC

FrugalHedonist

Yesterday I purchased some swiss roll for Mr A - 99p for the small person's jubilee party today at their after school group. They are also having a bake sale at school so we whipped up some rocky road, which the small person loves to make and we had everything in for them and finished them off with unicorn sprinkles. It won't be a ns as we will probably purchase some bakes but it will be in support of a good cause and who can resist cake

This morning we took an extra long walk to school as we go via a nice stretch of woodland which gave us opportunity to see some local wildlife - we saw a Robin red breast and a swan taking her cynets out for a morning swim. It was a lovely start to the day

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning May GC'rs!

We dug out the 'When you were born' pics this morning to look at with LG before school 🥰  I loved carrying LG in a sling too.  It meant I could take stairs instead of having to wait endlessly for lifts.  Awwwwwww.............. happy memories 🥰  There was a little child in MrAl this morning, shopping with their parent, and they had bought a little box of cake mix, they were sooooooooooooo excited about making them! 👏😁

Anyway, shopping done.  Scores on the doors......

I did get a box from MrL this morning.  There were a few, but under normal circumstances, I may well have passed, but I did make a purchase, as there was a mix of some fruit and some veg, and whilst I can't really make 'meals' per se out of it, we will - as ever, use every scrap. There was a leek and a couple of tatties, so I will definitely make 'Vichysoisse' (😉) out of those for either a robust lunch, or for a tea with pudding. I have to factor in next week is HT, and more food is always consumed in the hols!  The rest of my MrL shop consisted of literally 'just' the basics.  Annoyingly the SEL for the wholemeal bread we have said 55p - I see it's gone through the till at 59p - Grrr!  And their own brand baking fat has gone up 10p since last week (SEL was correct for that), and they STILL haven't changed the SEL for the olive spread to reflect that that is now 95p - how many weeks has it been??  Total spend in MrL was £9.25 - which didn't even fill the bottom of a small trolley 🙁  I then went next door to MrAl to pick up some porridge oats x 2 and some eggs.  Total spend in MrAl was £3.15.  So total spend today is £12.40.  

I now have sufficient stocks in to make meals until the end of the month.  Naturally, I am over budget, but I should be able to get to the end of the month without further spend.  

Greying X

MissRikkiC

I love all the talk of baby carrying and memories with small ones ❤️ 

Meal prep and convenience food all put away will really come in handy! We’ve already had most of our meals this week from the freezer …. Ah well. I do need to make some space anyway! 

Soontobeoap

£1.40 spent on 4pt semi skimmed milk today. I am now declaring as we are, away for weekend. £194.10/ £150. Once the 3 GS's have been for half term I am really going to dig my heels in. 

Bella_Budget

That's my May challenge up! I haven't posted much but have kept track on spends. Budget was 400, actual spends £271.36 and 128.64 under budget!!!!

I was helped by full freezer for my first month and I have learned that I need to move any savings into a separate pot as everything I underspent on food, I spent elsewhere during the month 
Will be signing up for next month which will be a 5 week month for me. X

Ginmonster

Hello all and congratulations @MissRikkiC on your new arrival!

I had a shopping delivery today which came to exactly £77.00.  It had lots of useful stuff like fruit, veg, stuff for sandwiches, bread flour, toiletries etc. but it still feels like you get lots less for your cash these days. There weren't as many bags as you'd think for that much!

Tonight's tea will be spicy noodles with some leftover chili halloumi and whatever odds and ends of veg need using up before starting the new stuff. I know that will include a couple of asparagus spears, a few green beans and half a red pepper so that should be tasty. 

Future meals will include veg and bean chilli,  veg and cashew sweet chilli fried rice and macaroni cheese & greens. 

New total is £188.30/£200 so there's room for last minute bits if needed but I shouldn't need to really.