June 2022 Grocery Challenge

wishus

Signature updated.

Looks like I have a little left in this month's budget, which is just as well as I have overspent in my discretionary spend budget. A few other budgets tweaked here and there and that's still good.

Health stuff means I shall be making savings on not going to the coffee van as I'm very focused on getting well. Let's see what that does to my grocery budget. 

Been trying different things for healthy breakfasts like banana and tahini porridge and egg and oat wraps.

goldfinches

I called into Sains this morning as I'd run out of kitchen roll and felt I couldn't really manage without it. Big mistake, huge!  I simply cannot be trusted in a supermarket! I think in future I'll withdraw cash and take the exact money to cover my shopping list with me, that should work.

The Baking Fund spent £9.85 on preserving sugar, 2x vegan chocolate, chocolate chips, rose water and chia seeds which makes its new monthly total £11.35/£20.
I spent £19.89 on kitchen roll, butter, tempeh, tofu, 2x ys asparagus, ys parsley, cabbage, Maldon salt, washing-up gloves and creamed coconut which feels like a lot of money for not very much. My new monthly total is £52.40/£120 and my average daily spend is now £2.01.
I also bought some Marmite with truffle out of the treat fund because I'd seen it recommended elsewhere and am hoping it isn't a waste. I was thinking I could use it to make this recipe of Nigella's Spaghetti With Marmite | Nigella's Recipes | Nigella Lawson which looks like it could be a very useful, quick meal.

SausageDogSandwich

Thankfully Friday and Saturday were NSD as planned and today was a small shop, smaller than expected so will have to go to another shop tomorrow. I got 6 pints milk, 2 x tins of tuna and 2x cucumber and spent £4.13. Everything else I wanted to get was out of stock and I do need to get some fruit tomorrow as I had no luck at all with olio this week unfortunately. I had to have the oven on for an hour today to cook a pie and roast potatoes so made an orange cake with 2 giant oranges that otherwise wouldn’t of been used as they have very thick skin on so the kids can’t/won’t eat them, it actually turned out quite well so will make another one with the last 2 giant oranges in the week. Finally got round to making banana loaf with bananas I had thrown in the freezer as they were very ripe, there are a couple of bananas left so will make another of those aswell at the same time. Made some quick oat and raisin bicuits aswell, the recipe said makes 10-14 but only got 7 out the mixture   

£131.83/150 with 5 days and a lot more shopping to do 

atrixa

Finally finished reading through the thread! I haven't updated in ages as I ended up in hospital with a bust appendix. I'm recovering well at home now

I get paid tomorrow, so I'm calling June at £153.44/£150. I could have come in slightly under, but my appetite came back a few days after I got home so I've been having treats like crisps and ice cream. I'll take the £3.44 overspend

Suffolk_lass

@atrixa I hope your recovery continues. I had a rumbling appendix years ago and it was no fun. Burst is so much worse!

@goldfinches me too re supermarkets! Sainsbugs in particular. We were collecting a new hose reel holder opposite and I knew I wanted their 5k bags sugar (for our bees) so sugar, 0% cider, chicken for the lunch I am doing Friday for 24. I also picked up treats, ice-cream bars and a tub of dairy vanilla (treats budget) and strawberries and cream (not on any list...). Naughty SL!

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning GC'rs

I've been bobbling along ok, and have thankfully racked up a few NSD's.  Not really stuck to the meal plan, but have been going orf piste due to getting given things, or receiving items from a food waste divergence scheme, so it's enabling us to eat a range of things, but usually they need to be used up quickly, so I make sure the dish replaces something that might have used tinned or frozen items.  

Because I was able to get a piece of fruit from a waste scheme (it was perfectly fine, not even a blemish on it), and it was the only thing i needed before the end of the month (well, actually, LG needs it for a school project 🙄) I could, theoretically declare my June expenditure today, as Thursday's shopping will be bought on the last day of June, but won't be consumed before July.  I suppose I had better hold fire though, otherwise I will only get caught out and need to buy 'something'.  Although it will have to be absolutely essential to human well-being, as I'm desperate to try to save every penny for our little holiday.  I was watching a recorded episode of Sandi Toksvig's escapes programme last night and Sarah Pascoe was talking about how she remembered a holiday with her sister and dad to Scotland. They threw a mattress in the back of his van and just had an adventure. She said she found out later that her dad was worried that he was down to his last few pounds and yet all she remembers is having a great family time.  So I do realise that memory making isn't all about 'the money', so we'll aim to have a great time first and foremost - and any work mumma can do (behind the scenes) now, will help the cause😊

Greying X

pamsdish

£5.18 in T0$C0, took friend to town and I had gone as far as I could with my wilting veggies.
@Greying_Pilgrim I always enjoy the "spur of the moment" things more than anything I have spent months planning.

EssexHebridean

Right - just over £10 spent in Al's on Friday morning ahead of our camping trip - of which £3 was "camping specific" breakfast stuff (bread and bacon) - however we bought a big bag of tatties at the site to bring back with us (their rather lovely Norfolk Pinks) - that was £3 so that balances out. Other food bought over the weekend counts as from the fun budget so not included. We also brought back a box of eggs - we had 4 left in our own box and our friends decided they weren't going to take back the two left in theirs, so gave us those as well. Bargain! We already had some at home so I have asked MrEH if he can find a minute to hard boil some today - we'll have some in salad tonight, and two will make sandwiches for lunch later in the week. 

Now I need to work out how little else I can spend this week - there were some bits not got on Friday though, notably my citrus fruit. 

edit to note - spotted in Als on Friday that 20p Spaghetti is now 23p, and the 500g basic bags of pasta have gone up a similar amount from 29p to 32p. End of an era with that spaghetti - it's been 20p for at least 10 years to my knowledge! Now rather glad I stocked up when I did - I know it's "only" 3p a pack but still gives me a small degree of smugness to regard my moderate stores of both items! 

Greying_Pilgrim

pamsdish said:

£5.18 in T0$C0, took friend to town and I had gone as far as I could with my wilting veggies.
@Greying_Pilgrim I always enjoy the "spur of the moment" things more than anything I have spent months planning.

Totally agree pamsdish.  I'm hopeful that I can make it to 30th June with £20 of my June budget still intact, as that will bode well for July's expenditure, as we've frozen meals, or tins/packets 'in', so July expenditure could be 'normal'.  Because we are SC, and not away for a full week, I should be able to bring our meals in for 'normal' costings, meaning anything saved can be spent on an icecream (probably a box from the local freezer centre 😉) or fish supper/equivalent.  Not huge luxuries to some in RL, but to us, having some 'options' - even if it's to just say 'yes' will enhance the ability to do things on the 'spur of the moment' whilst on holiday.  I know on MSE folks understand this 😉

Greying X

leftatthetrafficlights

Just added up all of June's spends - £218.21/£300 

On to July now! 😁