Ready, steady… save!
You don’t need a chart to join in. Here are 2 ways to record your savings:
1. Cross it off
Pop a chart into your first post. Saved an amount? Cross it out! Read more »
£0.01 £0.02 £0.03
2. Write it down
Skip the chart and add updates to your first post. Read more »
“Another +£3 saved today. Go me!”
Use +£ before each new saving so it counts towards your total.
PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING
Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
May 2022 Grocery Challenge
Comments
-
I'm declaring £256.52/£300 .
Takeaway/eating out I usually calculate with a separate budget, but we did cover two unexpected meals with takeout/eating out
which brings me to £295.52/300.
For two adults.
Hugely amazed at first attempt at a lower budget and the challenge given the chaotic month we've had. I did have a lot in cupboards to help me though. Cannot believe what a difference not having an extra adult (eating for about two people!) makes.
Despite this months success not so sure about June as with bank holiday and some treat food am already on £148!
May might give me a false sense of security!
Now considering what to set new budget for June as!
Monthly Challenges| March Grocery Challenge - £255/£330 | Make £10 a Day - £112/£310
2024 Challenges Pay-Off Debt for Christmas - £874/£6000
Savings Goals Emergency Fund - £75/£2000 | Month Ahead Bills | Month Ahead Minimum Debt Repayments
Month Ahead Grocery - £0/£30 [Month Ahead True Expenses £0/?]
My Debt Free Diary:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6490048/a-cup-of-coffee-and-two-paracetamol-debt-disability-and-getting-organised-like-the-chickens4 -
Thanks to a suggestion on the other (June) thread I have bookmarked a BBCGF recipe for spinach, lentil & sweet potato dhal which may well sort out one night later in the week as I have all the ingredients and frankly, it sounds a-maze-ing!
Actually, I say "I have all the ingredients" - I don't, quite, as I've no spinach, but I do have a big bag of rocket which I'm sure to have some left of, and I also have some pak-choi which may yet be going spare...I'm sure I can make it work with one or the other! Asuming it comes out alright then if I add a garlic flatbread each, there ought to be enough dhal to make a second meal for the pair of us - although I am just a teeny bit dubious about the recipe sizes from the BBC site I have to say - it sometimes feels as though the serving size is smaller than ideal to make sure the recipe comes in "under" relevant guidelines from the Healthy Food Police. We'll see.
There is bolognese sauce out for this evening which will also get a handful of rocket lobbed in - I suspect we might be glad of a super-quick tea when we get home too as MrEH is expecting delays thanks to the flipping tube strike - annoying but can't be helped.
Trying to think of all the other things I have that I need to be mindful of using - tomatoes from the veg box, and avocados - I got two of those out to begin ripening so I'll need to keep an eye on those. Allowing for the size of the bag of rocket, AND the TWO bunches of spring onions, I suspect that a salad might be worked in somewhere along the line - perhaps with the remaining feta from the block I started last week. This concept pleases me a lot more than it will please MrEH I fear!🎉 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 at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00 at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
Balance as at 31/08/26 = £ 84,500.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her3 -
I'm the only one still here aren't I....there's tumbleweeds blowing about!
Forgot to add the rocket to the bolognese on Monday but that's fine as it leaves more for using with salad tonight. The avocados felt pretty much ripe last night so hopefully I won't have missed the apparent 30 seconds during which an avocado seems to be at optimum ripeness by leaving the salad until today! I had a look at/sniff of the veg box tommies last night - they aren't great sadly - probably watery dutch ones - so I think I might halve them, sprinkle with salt, pepper, basil and some of the crumbled feta, and consign them to a hot oven before adding into the salad once they've cooked a bit - it ought to improve the flavour.
Then dhal tomorrow - and sausage and chips on Friday night I think - might add beans so there is at least some form of "5 a day effort" sneaking into that meal too...we're low on fruit now so I think by Friday we'll only have apples. My lurking mango is still lurking though...that could be chunked up and eaten as an extra fruit portion.
I have just done a quick tot-up - I *think* including the extras spent at the farmers market and on the "past BB date" stall at the general market and a couple of small other bits through the month we're on £180.40/£200 at the moment. MrEH has currently made no move towards buying milk as threatened, so I'm still vaguely hopeful that we might scrape through without a supermarket visit until the weekend.🎉 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 at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00 at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
Balance as at 31/08/26 = £ 84,500.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her2 -
👋 waves to EH in solidarity........
Greying XGC November 2026 £46.10/£143.00 (MrT £16.23/£58, MrS £20/£60, cash £9.87/£22)
"Low-Vember", credit: @Blackcats
Non-food spend November 2026 £13.34/£80
Bulk Fund 2026 Month 11/12 - £0/£20.40 (reducing balance - start £120)2 -
Ditto. Hi @EssexHebridean...Greying_Pilgrim said:👋 waves to EH in solidarity........
Greying X
- Pip"Be the type of woman that when you get out of bed in the morning, the devil says 'Oh crap. She's up.'
It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it - that’s what gets results!
2026 Fashion on the Ration Challenge 107.5 spent out of 80.5 coupons (66 plus 14.5 from 2025) 27 over
Coupon Spend
57.5 - yarn
12 - 3 M&S thermal bodies
4 - shorty pyjamas
1 - bra
8 - 2 t-shirts (Queens Club & 10CC Cricket)
5 - black leather loafers
5 - leather handbag
15 - DKNY black puffer coat3 -
@EssexHebridean I'm still here. Need to update recent spends.GC 2026 £1,429.10/1320.00
(20.49/8 = 2.52 <2/8> coffee) Oct £93.63/100 BB £30.07/30 Nov 4.87/100 BB 14.71/30 (includes food, toiletries and cleaning, from 13th to 12th of each month).
One person vegan household, with occasional visitors
https://share.octopus.energy/lotus-okapi-493?utm_source=bau&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=referrals&utm_content=unique-link
Forever learning the art of frugality3 -
Hurrah - glad I still have some company! *Waves at Pip & Greying too!*K9sandFelines said:@EssexHebridean I'm still here. Need to update recent spends.
Tomatoes worked wonderfully roasted as I was thinking, so that was good - I thoroughly enjoyed my salad too - and MrEH ate his without complaint which is as much as I was hoping for! the mango is no more as it was decfeed as on the very end of its meaningful life last night so we turned it into a fool with half a tub of cream which was also lurking in the fridge - had it for pudding last night and it was delicious!
Tonight has turned into a bit of a cheat as we will now be eating out - having got last minute tickets to see Queen + Adam lambert at the O2 tonight. The originally planned dhal will either be done for tomorrow, or possibly will be cooked tomorrow then portioned and frozen for future use.🎉 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 at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00 at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
Balance as at 31/08/26 = £ 84,500.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her4 -
Have an amazing nightEssexHebridean said:K9sandFelines said:@EssexHebridean I'm still here. Need to update recent spends
Tonight has turned into a bit of a cheat as we will now be eating out - having got last minute tickets to see Queen + Adam lambert at the O2 tonight. The originally planned dhal will either be done for tomorrow, or possibly will be cooked tomorrow then portioned and frozen for future use.
GC 2026 £1,429.10/1320.00
(20.49/8 = 2.52 <2/8> coffee) Oct £93.63/100 BB £30.07/30 Nov 4.87/100 BB 14.71/30 (includes food, toiletries and cleaning, from 13th to 12th of each month).
One person vegan household, with occasional visitors
https://share.octopus.energy/lotus-okapi-493?utm_source=bau&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=referrals&utm_content=unique-link
Forever learning the art of frugality2 -
I did - thank you!
And - having not visited a supermarket today, I’m declaring my May spend at £179.80 - and very chuffed indeed I am with that! 😁🎉 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 at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00 at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
Balance as at 31/08/26 = £ 84,500.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her4 -
Glad you had a good night.EssexHebridean said:I did - thank you!
And - having not visited a supermarket today, I’m declaring my May spend at £179.80 - and very chuffed indeed I am with that! 😁
I've had a few spends from stores to tot up, and I've got go out tomorrow for mandarins and strawberries as although I've got frozen fruit, I do like these. I could probably wait a few more days, but the fruit I currently have isn't enticing me to eat it.
I've been pretty good otherwise with the meal plan; and although haven't stuck to all the relevant days, I've only veered off track once and had a burger which wasn't planned. I can see room in the little freezer. So can transfer stuff to main fridge freezer and defrost it soon. Its mainly holding bread at the mo, which I don't want to take out as there is only me to eat it.
Anyone else still here?GC 2026 £1,429.10/1320.00
(20.49/8 = 2.52 <2/8> coffee) Oct £93.63/100 BB £30.07/30 Nov 4.87/100 BB 14.71/30 (includes food, toiletries and cleaning, from 13th to 12th of each month).
One person vegan household, with occasional visitors
https://share.octopus.energy/lotus-okapi-493?utm_source=bau&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=referrals&utm_content=unique-link
Forever learning the art of frugality4
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 355.9K Banking & Borrowing
- 255K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 456.2K Spending & Discounts
- 248.4K Work, Benefits & Business
- 606.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 179.1K Life & Family
- 263.9K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.2K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.7K Read-Only Boards