May 2022 Grocery Challenge

PipneyJane

elsiepac said:

June Grocery Challenge Now Live!

I have asked for it to be Pinned as I can no longer do this!
And sorry it's late, I do usually try and do it about a week earlier than this!! I've scanned the last few pages for any budgets and I'm not seeing any so please tag me if you've already set your June budget and I'll update it over there.

Thanks @elsiepac. I’ll go sign up now. Hope you are OK.

- Pip

MissRikkiC

Thanks @Greying_Pilgrim I think I’d soak too. I have on this occasion anyway and the beans look almost purple today, a lovely surprise! 

I’d estimate the one I picked up is maybe 20-25 years old as it’s just so retro and I still haven’t been able to find any manual for it online! Holding to wing it a bit today and if all else fails cook the purple magic beans on the hob. 

I too wouldn’t trust zero minute chicken… actually zero minute anything that I’d have otherwise expected to cook! 😬

Suffolk_lass

I'm another one that likes to soak beans before cooking, and I replace the water at least once in that process, rinsing them off between covering with fresh cold water. All sorts of beans contain things that can become toxic.

I did a big shop yesterday for June, as DH has gone off on his bike for a week or so and I wanted to shop while he had the Pup

@MissRikkiC - I have a 32 year old Prestige PC (with a manual) if yours is one of them, I can look stuff up or post photos...

Pinwheel

Hello 

A final spend of £7.74 taking me to £439.33 for May.  I did buy a big bag of quinoa, for £5.99 for 1kg which will last a while and was cheaper than I have seen it in the supermarket.  Our L**l doesn't sell it, not sure if A**I do - does anyone know?

Thank you
Have a good day

ragz_2

I'm declaring at £394.08/450 for this month. About to go and do a big shop but that will be from June's budget, I will roll over the leftovers from this month as it's half term and we're camping for the weekend so will need the extra!

The chest freezer and pantry were very full at the start of the month, definitely some large gaps now, so I know £400 would be pushing it for most months. £450 was a good guess and will try to stick with that going forward. 

MissRikkiC

Suffolk_lass said:

I'm another one that likes to soak beans before cooking, and I replace the water at least once in that process, rinsing them off between covering with fresh cold water. All sorts of beans contain things that can become toxic.

I did a big shop yesterday for June, as DH has gone off on his bike for a week or so and I wanted to shop while he had the Pup

@MissRikkiC - I have a 32 year old Prestige PC (with a manual) if yours is one of them, I can look stuff up or post photos...

It’s most likely the same as this is prestige too. It would be so helpful if you have any pictures of the parts, for the top, how they fit, and what I need to do 😂 happy to take it to messages if no one else would benefit although I’m sure I did a search on the forums for anything related a little while ago and couldn’t find anything so it might actually be useful to someone if it was here! 

bupster

Right, managed to get home from a quick outing without spending any money, so I'm declaring at £216.65 out of a budget of £150. Not my finest hour. Though the freezer is full and I am definitely set up for June. 

I say that but I've already got a shopping list for tomorrow 

bargainbetty

Managed to lose track entirely this month. NO idea. 

I have put an order in for next week, but that is June's budget. I really need to find a way to stop losing track... 

MissRikkiC

bargainbetty said:

Managed to lose track entirely this month. NO idea. 

I have put an order in for next week, but that is June's budget. I really need to find a way to stop losing track... 

do you have a Monzo account or a separate account you can transfer your groceries budget to for the month? Spending on that card/from that pot only would help keep track?

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon May GC'rs!

Well, I'm popping in to declare for May, as I follow a calendar month - and whilst I did some shopping today, nothing will be consumed before tomorrow at the earliest, and as it was bought with the June budget allowance, I need to rattle on about that on the shiney new June thread! 

So, May.  Well, I went over budget - £118.63/100 - which OK I could just about absorb.  But I think it just shows how hard it is to stick to smaller budgets without at least something in stores/freezer to help.  Because whilst I have logged my 'actual' expenditure, there is no doubt that I relied heavily on stores. And without the ability to replenish these for 3 months, things have run out, and there hasn't been the 'extra' each week to get a tin of X or a packet of Y to replenish.  My overrun is almost 20%, but at least we have been able to purchase some fruit and some vegetables, we've not had to totally 'do without'.  

I took on a drastic budget of £100 for 2 adults and a small child due to us having a covid/SSP affected wage blip, which co-incided with prices rises in April.  I took the decision to try to get by on £100 in March (so glad i did), partially as a 'dry run', for April, but also to try to mitigate the impact of a smaller pay packet on future months. Trying to stick to £100 for May was about making sure the blip was totally worked out of the billing system.  The good news is, that when the months of March, April and May are looked together as a whole is that my average food expenditure each month falls to £104.40.  Personally, I'm delighted at that - and will take that as a win all day long.  I didn't have any hope that I'd be able to come in at under £200 (our normal budget - albeit for food and household items too), so to have achieved £104.40 as an average is pretty mind-blowing.  However, a) I don't honestly think that any family should have to struggle along on so little, and b) rising prices are starting to bite - I'm not sure how much of the £18.63 overspend this month is attributable to empty cupboards and how much is attributable to price rises of 10p+ on many of the 'ordinary' items that I buy.

I could not have stuck (broadly) to my budget without access to some elements of YS'd shopping or MrL boxes when I could get them.  We certainly wouldn't have been able to have regular fruit options without these 2 sources.  And I acknowledge the good fortune in being able to get those bits that I did - I realise people don't have equal access to shops/YS discounts/Olio/TGTG etc etc. As I don't myself. And if I sometimes come across as a bit dogmatic about needing to use every scrap of produce that I've managed to get, well that is why.  I've been blessed to get it - I should make the best of it I can.

So, May is done and dusted (in budget terms).  Thanks for being 'in our corner' whilst we tried to weave a gourmet experience out of economy spaghetti.........

Greying X