June 2022 Grocery Challenge

Suffolk_lass

NSD today but I need to go and harvest some elderflowers as I have 6 more stone-stopper bottles coming from big river company ready for home ferments and I plan to make a second batch of cordial (a la Marry Berry with the preservative home-brew Campden tablets) while they are so plentiful.

I wish I could remember what I did with the sachet of champagne yeast I bought as I wanted to have a go at this too!

PearlRose

Had a trip to Sainsbury's on Saturday and spent £61.46. Also popped into Home Bargains and spent £3.37. 

Grocery spending in June so far £77.88/£370

EssexHebridean

Hello all - First shop of our new month was done yesterday - visited F@rmfoods and also T's - and a total of just over £57 spent between the two. This did however include a fair bit of storecupboard stuff (my intention is to use the first shop of each month as a "big shop" and then try to keep costs down on the other weeks - we'll see if this works! Also a fair few bargains bulk bought - MrEH has another 2 jars of his preferred coffee as it was 2 for £9, we have a positive mountain of tuna thanks to a 2 for £8 offer on 6-tin packs, we have multiples of red resto and passata due to 2 for £1 deals. We also did well on YS'd stuff too which is unusual in our local T's store - we have a feeling there may have been a change of manager. Best of the bunch there was 3 packs of sliced ham all down at 50p a pack - that's 9 days lunch fillings for both of us for £1.50 which we are extremely pleased with! 

We also have a meal plan for this week that I'm happy with - still utilising a mix of stuff from the freezer, and veg box ingredients with some added bought bits to complete the planned meals. While the oven was on for oven chips and falafels for tea last night I diced and toasted some sweet potatoes as well as they will form part of tomorrow night's couscous dish and it beats putting the oven on a second time - I'll give them a zap in the microwave to re-heat them when needed. 

My planned dhal from last week didn't get made as I discovered when I went to make a start on it we only had a small amount of red lentils in - I have now restocked and I'll probably try again on Friday to make the dhal. The plus point about last week's failure on this front was a delicious keema and sweet potato curry which I somehow managed to concoct on the hoof, as it were - it was pronounced delicious and has netted a portion for the freezer! 

FrugalHedonist

Just popping in to post my meal plan for this week
Sunday - Smokey Bean Jambalaya
Monday Lentil Moussaka and Garlic Bread
Tuesday Cheese and Bacon Macaroni with veg
Wednesday Breaded fish and Mash with veg
Thursday - leftover Moussaka
Friday HM cheese and tom Pizza (F) with oven chips and veg

Breakfasts will be porridge and frozen berries or weetabix
Lunches with be left over Jambalaya and HM soda bread or sandwiches 
Puddings when we have it will be HM Banana loaf (F) and midmorning snack will be fruit

June Budget £71.72/£100

katkin

I spent £40 in Iceland to stock up on their 3 for £10 fish. This is going to last us a good 2-3 months. Fresh fish is super expensive where I am, so it's a good compromise for us to be able to add more variety to our diet. Great selection too, I bought cod, haddock, sardines, tuna, mackerel, salmon, trout and smoked basa. 

I don't have a separate "stocking up" budget so I'm going to try and absorb this into this month's budget and see if I can make cuts elsewhere. It has got me thinking I should have a separate budget line just for stocks / bulk buys especially with prices rising so much just now.  

Soontobeoap

Spent £3.57 in Aldi today. This included sultanas because they were 39p cheaper than raisins so slight change to my fruit cake recipe.
Still working through freezer this week so meal plan is _
Monday - fried bacon, potato, eggs, mushrooms
Tuesday - ham and cheese pasta
Wednesday - lamb grills that have been in freezer for ages with frozen broccoli, swede and roasted potatos
Thursday - Meatballs with spaghetti and sauce from freezer.
Friday - Southern fried chicken /fish and oven Chips (planned for last week but beans on toast took its place)
Saturday - Beef stew and mash made with frozen leftover brisket.
Sunday - Shepherds pie. 

Kaylataste

I got a great deal on toilet paper online,45 rolls for £11,so i am down to £115/£230.

ragz_2

MrM delivery yesterday (should have been Saturday but my bank decided to decline the transaction just after midnight and text me asking if it was genuine!) and MrL pop in today for forgotten vodka for DH and lunch for me.
MrM delivery included 4 packs of frozen crushed garlic in cubes (cheaper than fresh and so much easier) and a load of spices. So I made a keema Biryani in the instant pot yesterday to use some lamb mince up from the freezer. Successful, all kids ate it so will do that again. 

Got a decent £1.50 veg box today for a change, there was a huge selection with plenty in, usually it's dismal pickings at our one. 
Pack of blueberries, pack of peaches and pack of donut peaches (DH 8s the only one who eats these so I'll be doing a Greying and putting them in a cake I expect), bag of name brand potatoes, bag of green beans, bag of chopped broccoli and cauliflower (can I freeze this as is? Don't want to waste it but I'm not cooking until Saturday). Definitely £1.50 worth this time. 

Only noticed afterwards that I had a L+ card offer for 20% off coffee so will have to go back tomorrow and stock up on coffee for the pantry. 

ragz_2

Kaylataste said:

I got a great deal on toilet paper online,45 rolls for £11,so i am down to £115/£230.

That's a very good deal. 

MissRikkiC

@Greying_Pilgrim or anyone else who cooks regularly with pulses/legumes… does anyone use Lupin/Lupini beans? 

Within the next month I’ll be back to increasing my protein intake and trying to do so without increasing my meat consumption. Turns out these beans are the highest in protein by approx 4g per 100g roughly so wondering if they’re easily sought. I have tried to Google but not found much!