January 2023 Grocery Challenge

sams247

Really happy with Olio today, picked up a H£llo Fresh package, complete, lady had changed her mind.  Made two good meals - had one already, other in fridge for tomorrow.  Plus I didnt use all the veg and thats put by for a veg soup to make tomorrow too.  

EssexHebridean

Update from here - shopping done today, with a list, which was stuck to rigidly. All the essentials purchased and nothing else today - in fairness we still have plenty of treats available from Christmas so good incentive to keep it down! 

£25.43 spent - which has to be added to the veg box cost giving us a first week total of 
£41.42/£225

Today’s buys included a couple of packs of cream crackers - there’s been no stock of own brand for a few weeks so  we decided to get an extra pack for the storecupboard. Also frozen peas and B-road beans - we were totally out of both. 

I might end up buying a pot of cream tomorrow - I’ve promised MrEH a “Christmas dinner” so want to make a batch of bread sauce, which ideally needs a splash of cream to finish it off. We’ll sub something like redcurrant jelly for cranberry, and pigs in blankets are a step too far so we’ll be going without those! 🤣 Intended to get it with the shop today, but totally forgot to put it on the list! 

Sayschezza

snowbird20 said:

arrrrghhh!  and this is why i should stay HOME.  A 'quick trip' to Winn Dixie this morning plus a short stop at Publix brings our bill up to $433.90/$400 for the month.  Admittedly, i bought extras of several things, splurged on others that will be cheaper in the long run (ie, sashimi grand ahi for $19.99 a pound v. a poke bowl of maybe 4 ounces of tuna for $17).  We are out of coffee and we got 2 at WD but it was then $2 a bag cheaper at Publix so we got 2 extra.  David 'asked' for another pot of galbitang so we invested in some short ribs for it...we spent about $50 on short ribs altogether but it will make two pots of soup that would cost $20+ per bowl in a Korean restaurant).  I am intentionally overcooking some things so I can freeze some for ds to eat when he arrives. 

Snowbird I love reading your posts I just wish I knew what you were talking about. Lol

ps86edi

After a trip to sainsbury and aldi we have much more expenses to report.  And there's a shop at waitrose to report as well. 
We are at £46 94/£120 for the month and a know of another £30 that we'll probably spend over the next 10 days

Saver-upper

Hi everyone.
I hope everyone is keeping well.
This month, being back on the wagon, I have been meal-planning, collecting lots of NSDs, and staying out of the supermarkets! Where the old me would habitually visit supermarkets a few times a week, with no real plan, this month I have got into a bit of a routine.
On Friday I did a huge shop! It was a military operation, and I'm not sure I'll be able to keep it up when I get back into work full- swing.
I started with my shopping list, entered assorted bits into the Trolley website. Especially bits that I know that the variation in price is wild: dishwasher tablets, washing powder, Marmite, washingup liquid.....
Then I went to a shopping precinct which has a huge  B and M, Asda and Aldi.
Picked up what was cheapest in  B and M, then bought  the bulk of it in Asda (looking for as many opportunities to downshift as I could find, and price reductions).

The couple of things I couldn't get, I then went to Aldi.

When I was checking receipts last night,  I found some reductions had not been taken off (totalling  2.85),so I will be chasing that up. Naughty Asda- in October I questioned them because items were not scanning as the shelf ticket price (and almost always scanning more expensive 😑). Still got to watch them..... I wonder if it's better to start scanning as I shop. I'd notice price discrepancies while shop then.....

Although it was a bit of running around, I was very pleased to have saved £8.99 by downshifting in Asda, and ANOTHER £16.97 by buying each item at whichever SM it was cheapest in.
Abit of research, and running around, but I am hoping that, with few months of keeping an eye on prices, I'll get the hang of who stocks what the cheapest. I'm going to keep a record of how much I save by downshifting, and by being a supermarket tart. Might put the money saved in an account, or pot, or something.

Friday's spent=£156.29 for everything: dishwasher tabs, toilet paper, couple tubes toothpaste, a few bottles each shampoo/conditioner,  sanitary supplies for 2 daughters still at home,huge bag of pasta, biscuits and other treats (though not as much as i usually buy) ,and enough ingredients for about 10 days worth of meals, maybe more.

Welcome to my Ted Talk 🤣🤣.

Jan spend: £242.02/300

K9sandFelines

Saver-upper said:

Hi everyone.
I hope everyone is keeping well.
This month, being back on the wagon, I have been meal-planning, collecting lots of NSDs, and staying out of the supermarkets! Where the old me would habitually visit supermarkets a few times a week, with no real plan, this month I have got into a bit of a routine.
On Friday I did a huge shop! It was a military operation, and I'm not sure I'll be able to keep it up when I get back into work full- swing.
I started with my shopping list, entered assorted bits into the Trolley website. Especially bits that I know that the variation in price is wild: dishwasher tablets, washing powder, Marmite, washingup liquid.....
Then I went to a shopping precinct which has a huge  B and M, Asda and Aldi.
Picked up what was cheapest in  B and M, then bought  the bulk of it in Asda (looking for as many opportunities to downshift as I could find, and price reductions).

The couple of things I couldn't get, I then went to Aldi.

When I was checking receipts last night,  I found some reductions had not been taken off (totalling  2.85),so I will be chasing that up. Naughty Asda- in October I questioned them because items were not scanning as the shelf ticket price (and almost always scanning more expensive 😑). Still got to watch them..... I wonder if it's better to start scanning as I shop. I'd notice price discrepancies while shop then.....

Although it was a bit of running around, I was very pleased to have saved £8.99 by downshifting in Asda, and ANOTHER £16.97 by buying each item at whichever SM it was cheapest in.
Abit of research, and running around, but I am hoping that, with few months of keeping an eye on prices, I'll get the hang of who stocks what the cheapest. I'm going to keep a record of how much I save by downshifting, and by being a supermarket tart. Might put the money saved in an account, or pot, or something.

Friday's spent=£156.29 for everything: dishwasher tabs, toilet paper, couple tubes toothpaste, a few bottles each shampoo/conditioner,  sanitary supplies for 2 daughters still at home,huge bag of pasta, biscuits and other treats (though not as much as i usually buy) ,and enough ingredients for about 10 days worth of meals, maybe more.

Welcome to my Ted Talk 🤣🤣.

Jan spend: £242.02/300

Do you use the trolley app or look online individually? 

K9sandFelines

I did a small shop on Friday, and received an Earth and Wheat bread box also. I'd seen a code on Tik T*k, so decided to give it a whirl. Came super quick (within about two days of ordering). I received three packs of wraps, one pack of pittas and ten crumpets. So will keep me going for a bit, as I'm baking rolls, loaves and bagels myself. 

snowbird20

Sayschezza said:

snowbird20 said:

arrrrghhh!  and this is why i should stay HOME.  A 'quick trip' to Winn Dixie this morning plus a short stop at Publix brings our bill up to $433.90/$400 for the month.  Admittedly, i bought extras of several things, splurged on others that will be cheaper in the long run (ie, sashimi grand ahi for $19.99 a pound v. a poke bowl of maybe 4 ounces of tuna for $17).  We are out of coffee and we got 2 at WD but it was then $2 a bag cheaper at Publix so we got 2 extra.  David 'asked' for another pot of galbitang so we invested in some short ribs for it...we spent about $50 on short ribs altogether but it will make two pots of soup that would cost $20+ per bowl in a Korean restaurant).  I am intentionally overcooking some things so I can freeze some for ds to eat when he arrives. 

Snowbird I love reading your posts I just wish I knew what you were talking about. Lol

Winn-Dixie and Publix are 2 supermarket chains in the Southern US.  'Galbitang' is a Korean soup with beef and radishes.   Does that clear it up a little? 

Sayschezza

Thank you Snowbird. 

FoxFace

Big shop report inbound!

So it was our first shop without the G0usto box, and with a higher budget to compensate. Our weekly budget is £100, and we spent £82.21p. We did have to be a bit careful, but it wasn’t too restrictive… Just a case of being really objective about how much we really need each item.

I’m actually really pleased because our meal plan is incredibly healthy, the fruit bowl and veg box are heaving with fresh produce. We shouldn’t need to shop until next weekend now, £42.50p in the kitty.

As an aside husband and I had a discussion whilst out shopping, and decided to put any leftover money away at the end of each month, and use the savings for Christmas food. Food is a massive part of our celebration, and we spent about £300 on Christmas & Boxing Day food this year (we make a buffet for the latter and family visit). I’m hoping we can keep to a much better budget this year, and also have a little put aside to pay for it!

Have a good day everyone