January 2023 Grocery Challenge

weenancyinAmerica

Eggs are up here in California also. Our local store has a sign saying that there is a national shortage due to bird flu. $6.79 a dozen for the least expensive eggs so about the same price here. I just figured out how to cook them quickly in the microwave too.  I break two into a small bowl, stab with a fork to help keep them from exploding, make sure I put a small bowl over the top so won't pop out. and then zap it for 30 seconds, take out and add salt and pepper, put back in and zap for 30 seconds more, then take out and add grated cheese over the top and zap for another 30 seconds. Works perfectly every time.

EskarinaWeatherwax

Spends updated. Fresh fruit and veg at the weekend and a forgotten lettuce (and therefore a top up ship but I didn’t buy anything else) so I’m now at 

£148.63/£180 @elsiepac

JingsMyBucket

snowbird20 said:

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? 

@snowbird20 I meant to mention last week that I knew what you were talking about. I'm also American and I grew up down south as well. We'd shop at Winn Dixie or Publix, and sometimes even the Piggly Wiggly when it was still around. You're not alone on here being the American! I live in Scotland now but still return to NYC a couple times a year to check on my apartment, visit friends and load up on food and spices I can't get easily in the UK. I pretty much live in Whole Foods and Target whenever I'm back, I miss them so much 😂

MissRikkiC

£15.90 and £9.23 spent since last post. We have an entire weeks meal plans and more made, mostly fresh stuff as I’m reluctant to turn on the oven so all of our freezer stuff (except leftovers) is only being used as and when. 

Included in those 2 spends was a £4.50 tin opener as ours is now bust, dw tablets and some stuff that will go way into next week. 

In a bid to not shop again other than for milk, bread and maybe yoghurt I might get the oven on tonight and get a loaf of stuff cooked which can be reheated. 

Total is approx £135 so just enough left to top up before next week on essentials. 

JingsMyBucket

Morning y'all. I have 4 spends to declare from the past few days. 

On Friday I spent £28.00 at M & S on deliberately easy food. The previous evening I ordered McDonald's delivery out of boredom from cooking. My plan for Friday to avoid ordering take out again was buy food from M & S to heat and eat because it would still be cheaper than getting Domino's, etc. So I bought bananas, berries, an egg mayo pot, mozzarella, YS lamb rogan josh & YS chicken tikka masala ready meals, ham and cheese sandwich, a salad, and their higher quality mac & cheese YS. The mac and cheese was SO good and totally worth it. 

Sunday night I ordered a few items from Holland & Barrett for £11.47: peanut butter, honey, and 2 packs of Scandi crisp bread. A couple weeks ago I realized we had finally run out of honey after maybe about 3 years! The crisp bread is because all we have in Tesco is some not so great Ryvita products. Not even the traditional Ryvita, mostly their "lighter" versions. Bleah. 

Yesterday I went to the high street; I stopped at Savers for air freshener and dishwasher tablets. They didn't have the tablets that I wanted so left spending only £2.00 on the air freshener. 

Next was M & S where I spent £31.71 on milk, butter, 2 bags of mandarins (easy peelers), 2 sets of strawberries, bananas, arugula, garlic shrimp, 15 eggs, a couple nice yoghurts, and the £7 stir fry meal which is such an insane bargain. You get to choose a protein + sauce + vegetables + noodles all for £7. We cooked it last night (added a few cloves of garlic and extra bird eye chili) and we'll definitely be using that again as a staple. £7 vs. £30 – £40 for Chinese delivery is such a huge saver. 

£166.97 / £300.00 spent so far. £133.03 remaining. 

We still need to buy dishwashing tablets because we're down to just 3 of them. Other than that, I think we're good for the week. I just pulled some sausages and some rolled short crust out of the freezer. The sausages will be for dinner tonight along with salad and the pastry will be used to make a ham and onion tart/quiche tomorrow. We're heading to Edinburgh on Friday so I'm saving about £80 of the budget to stock up at the Asian store on sesame oil, spices, ramen, kimchi, etc and at the Italian store on sausages, pasta, and more. Looks like we'll squeak by this month. Fingers crossed. Have a good day everyone!

Lanky_larry

£96 in Tesco but also paid for my delivery saver £30 which is coming out of this budget - up to £347.

it is making me think about how to budget next month , I may split some budgets and look at exactly what we’re spending on food / beauty / house stuff 
but that’s for another day 🤣

snowbird20

JingsMyBucket said:

@snowbird20 I meant to mention last week that I knew what you were talking about. I'm also American and I grew up down south as well. We'd shop at Winn Dixie or Publix, and sometimes even the Piggly Wiggly when it was still around. You're not alone on here being the American! I live in Scotland now but still return to NYC a couple times a year to check on my apartment, visit friends and load up on food and spices I can't get easily in the UK. I pretty much live in Whole Foods and Target whenever I'm back, I miss them so much 😂

Jings, I'm so envious that you actually LIVE in Scotland.  Such a beautiful country.    There are actually still Piggly Wiggly stores in several states--surprisingly.    We winter in FLorida but summer up in Chautauqua, NY--about an hour west of Buffalo--between Buffalo and Erie.   

JingsMyBucket

@snowbird20 Ooof, how's your place up in Chautauqua where they've been hit with so much so snow lately? Hopefully there's someone checking on it for you. I haven't been out to Western New York in a while. I'm hoping when I go back to Brooklyn this summer I can make a trip to Ithaca possibly.

And yes to there still being Piggly Wigglys around. When I visited my friend in Mississippi a few years back, I was shocked to still see one and that's where we went shopping for some groceries. It was like stepping back in time for me.  

CRANKY40

I like looking things up from @snowbird20's posts. We used to watch various youtubers cooking and there's so many foods that we don't have here in the UK. Besides we both have House Trolls now 😂

Soontobeoap

Bread and Jam today! We may be living on it for some time!!! £5.45. A driver ploughed into ours and neighbours cars last night whilst parked outside house! 12.30am. Trying to get insurance sorted now. 😕