October 2022 Grocery Challenge

Soontobeoap

As ,many of you know I am doing a cupboard / freezer clear out this month. Now I know a lot of people swear by this method and I think I would definitely benefit from doing it at least twice a year. The biggest habit that it has made me change is stuffing things in the freezer only to throw them out later. Bubble and squeak veg for example! I always freeze the veg left over from a roast and always when I clear out the freezer I have about 4 lots that I don’t know what to do with. This month we have had bubble with a cold meat dish and with sausages already. I have really taken it into account like everything else in the freezer!  Also odd bits of cheese at the end of a pack usually go straight into my mouth! Whoops.! Now I am grating them up and popping into freezer to top a lasagna at a later date. It’s not until you try the tips out that you realise how amazing they are. I am learning new things every day.

mumtoomany

Hi, @Soontobeoap, for random bits in the freezer, especially veg, i have a "soup box". Empty ice cream tub, into which i put any random bits of veg, meat, salad, gravy and fruit. In fact pretty much anything. Once full, I tip it into a pan with stock or tinned tomatoes, liquidise it all. Use as a base for curry or add chopped veg to make soup. The trick is to never tell anyone else whats in it! Mumtoomany.xx

otb666

635/600  will go over this month But still pleased its not too bad and we even had a takeout this month. I quite liked a couple of jamie Olivers  one pan series and i will be trying a couple of those meals next month. This is the sixth month I have gone over but glad i am keeping an eye on it on here

Caroby

Our second and last main shop today. Lidl first, £32.00 (noticed the tissues we buy have now gone up to £1.35 when they'd been 80p for ages). Then to Aldi, £15.76, and lastly to Tesco, £27.06 inc £2.80 on bits for food bank. Got charged higher for one or two things than the price displayed, really annoying when that happens, we use Scan As You Shop so I'll try to make sure I check the price on the scanner each time from now on. Tesco's latest email says 'we want you to spend less with us' .... well lower the prices then! The only saving we got today was 44p off a packet of choc biscuits DH wanted.
Total spend today was £74.82

Amazingly, we're on course to stay under budget this month £163.63/£180

Should only need a few fresh veg for the rest of this month, mustn't get tempted while shopping for them.

flamingo747

Spent £10.14 in Mr Ts,  didn't urgently need any of it, but pudding and snacks were wanted. Ooops. Makes it £124.14/£420 (13/10 to 11/11)

weenancyinAmerica

Caroby - too bad you don't have a law like we do in California - if the product is charged for more than the displayed price and it costs less than $4, you get it free. If more than $4, they have to take $4 off whichever price is lower - the shelf price or the scanned price. Cuts down on problems a lot here. Stores even have to post it on a sign in the store.

leftatthetrafficlights

Final figure of £150/£300 this month!! 🙌 really pleased with that and the cupboards/freezer are starting to have a bit of space!! 

Off to the November challenge now 😊

diminua

I'm now down to £43.33 left for the month. One big treat was the cinema and drinks afterwards - no regrets, I caught up with an old friend from work, but it has made a dent in my budget - I do have a lot of food in, so am looking to make fake shepherd's pie and lasagne tonight, which should last me a few meals, and perhaps get some pastry and apples and make an apple pie and a tealoaf on Saturday. 

joedenise

A couple of small spends to declare since I last posted; GC now stands at £100.33/£250.  Pleased with that for this stage in the month with only another 11 days to go.  Anything left over at the end of the month will be going into the holiday spends pot as we are off for a couple of weeks next month and early December.  

Caroby

@weenancyinAmerica What a great idea, wish we had that law here too.