April 2023 Grocery Challenge

Pennypincin

I spent around £3 in Tesco yesterday in a few cheap odds and sods.
I will get into the habit of not shopping everyday if I can.
I doubt I will be able to hold off today, but am hopefully spending more wisely.
I'm hoping my cousin won't want to order in a take away or want to go to a restaurant Monday as I'm really beginning to really feel the pinch financially.
So much so I will have to adjust the food shopping budget slightly for a while.
I'm hoping to be able to increase it again, but am not holding my breath just yet.

Number 23, this is my first time doing food budgeting too.
It's good that you are recognising things and trying to address them.
Hope that giving up the alcohol goes well.

Gettingmyshiztogether

number_23 said:

You are all doing amazing! I’m very inspired! 

I’m quite an organised person overall but when it comes to food and budgeting it all goes out of the window. 

I’ve made a decision this morning to stop drinking alcohol. I don’t drink a tremendous amount but it’s more than the recommendation and I’m finding that a lot of our plans and socialising happens in the pub (we have a lovely home that we really don’t spend enough time in considering what our mortgage costs!). DH and I can make all the right plans but then they don’t happen because we have a few drinks (usually 4 or 5 but can sometimes be 7 or 8) and then we end up ordering takeaway. It’s just an habit we’ve got into and it needs to change (we’ve both said this). 

We both exercise but feel we are undoing our hard work by eating and drinking lots of calories. We spend a lot too and want to save for an extension, so we are motivated. 

So, to confirm, I’m completely failing at my very first grocery challenge as we’ve spent quite a bit this month already and it’s only the 7th 😖. I’m going to do a running total later after I’ve taken DS to an Easter party (at a pub but I’m not drinking). We’ve got lots in though so I’m hoping through the support of others on this forum and by looking at other threads (I’ve found one with lots of meal ideas which is amazing!!), I’ll be able to pull it back quite a bit. 

I’m proud that this is being addressed, and a lot of my decision is because of this challenge - it’s opened my eyes reading a lot of the posts on this thread as others really are doing so well, and I’m learning lots, so thank you. 

Usually I’d say, oh sod it I’ll try again next month but not this time.

I hope everyone has an amazing Easter weekend. I’ll report back later with total spends so far 🤦‍♀️ 

CA23

Hello @number_23

I read your post last night briefly but wanted to catch up on advice given so far before I replied.

Firstly, "when it feels like nothing is happening, EVERYTHING  is happening". You are aware of what you want to change and that's the first step. You are aware of what you've spent and where it's gone... that (I am guessing) is a step forward on your goal than say three months ago?😊

Here are some of the things that helped me reduce our food spends (I would say "Budget" but when I first started this in October/ November time I didn't even have a budget) from £650 a month to a now £460 monthly budget and I am looking to reduce this down(to £400) further with tips from this group 😊

1) Write an inventory of exactly what food you have in your house right now, every single item, even if its say 3 biscuits, 1 carrot and a packet of noodles!

2) Think about what meals you can make from these ingredients, and make a meal plan from this

3) Be open to TGTG boxes (2 good... 2 Goo) it's a free app, check it out 

4) look for reduced veggies that can be chopped and frozen eg mushrooms (I hate paying full price for mushrooms now!) And Peppers are my faves. Parsnips and swedes are 19p most places at the mo, these Chop and freeze well.

5) Buy in bulk IF it works out cheaper. Eg basmati rice in 10kg sacks is cheaper than 1kg bags. 5kg bags of sugar from S@inos is 75p per kg rather than 95p a kg in 1kg bags.

6) Experiment with baking and cooking new meals and cakes. We used to buy pizza for example at £3 a pizza ish. I decided to give a new meal a try once a week  just so it wasn't a huge change. We used the pizza base mix recipe on the front page of this group and it is sooo good! I won't ever go back to bought pizza now! I triple the recipe for four of us and one pizza is enough for each of us on its own to fill us up. Each pizza costs between 80p and £1! 

7) I already shopped at L!dl but it's definitely worth shopping around if you can to find the best deals. I use the L!dl app and so when I spend £250 in a month I get a 10% off "voucher" I use this to do a big monthly top up of things that keep like spaghetti, stock cubes, Tinned items, salt, oils anything really that will keep and last the month. I have made a list of "store cupboard" items that is on my phone already in notes and use this so I am never "on the hop"

8) cook from scratch. I now never buy soups, pasta sauces, cakes, Grated cheese 🙈🤣 lasagne, white sauces, cheese sauces, apple sauces, pancakes. Everything I cook from scratch. This might be very basic to some but I left home not knowing how to cook and had to figure it out myself along the way 😊💗 I was amazed at how cheap it is to make Yorkshire puddings myself or Custard etc.

I hope this helps. Any other tips I discover (or remember!) And ill pop it on here xxx

Ps. Himalayas pink salt fine/ course for 750g is £1.09 in home bargains! L!dl charge 89p for 250g of fine sea salt 

Suffolk_lass

@number_23 There is a lot of very sensible advice there from @Gettingmyshiztogether and I just wanted to echo that this isn't something that happens instantaneously.

When I started on here I was pretty arrogant about how I manage my money and it has taken me over a decade of this challenge to really learn my lessons. I was spending over £700 a month every month when I started (for three of us and two cats) and I have not always included everything. I manage now on about £3000 per annum (with £500 contingency) and I haven't used that part for the last two years. Still generous compared to others but important to live within my means now I no longer work

I have tried all sorts but far and away the best things are to be honest with yourself. Know yourself. Only buy what you need for your meal plan, and be aware of what your weaknesses are - mine is buying off list (my equivalent of "ooh, shiny!" is ice cream. So now I separate treats and entertainment and pet things, storecupboard, direct debit (milkman), subscriptions and of course fresh groceries and track to shame myself into restraint. Deliveries might cost £2.50 but they sometimes save me £20 I cannot afford.

I always say that it is worth reading the posts at the start, but also following the links to other people's wisdom that are in those first few posts. My favourite is the one by @spiggles the post that starts in red, embedded here, at this link good old Spigs, crediting everyone else - and Weezl's economic recipes and budget management were a thing to behold

number_23

Thank you very much @Gettingmyshiztogether and @Suffolk_lass , really really useful posts. 

I am going to check but I think we are easily spending £1,000 a month on groceries and pub, if not more. It’s not sustainable and we can’t afford it. 

Tomorrows plan is to do an inventory and plan for the next few weeks. I already have tonight and tomorrows meals planned (from stuff I already have in). 

I’ll sign up to TGTG, thanks 😊 

I usually buy frozen veggies as DH and DS aren’t fans (I love them, apart from mushrooms which I am allergic to) but I’ve been looking at recipes where I can hide the veg, this is particularly important for my little one. I’ve made a few meals this week (with this challenge in mind) and I’ve already started adding extra veggies (I made tuna mayo for my JP last night but added half an onion which needed using up and a yellow pepper which had seen it’s best, these helped to bulk up so I had some left for todays lunch wrap - usually I would have been thrown the onion and pepper away - such waste!). 

I buy washing powder and shampoo in bulk / bigger packs as I know it won’t go to waste, I have got some rice in but do buy the 39p micro rice for convenience (despite eating a lot of takeaways I used to begrudge buying rice with my curry for upward of £4 so used to make my own when the takeaway turned up) but where I am cooking from scratch I will start cooking dried rice (when we do have it DH comments on how much nicer it is). 

I am looking make every meal with a takeaway becoming a real treat 😀. DS would love to make his own pizzas too. 

I shop mainly at Mr Al but find that I do pick up more than I need, and I also need to nip to Mr A or Mr S as they don’t sell everything we need so I end up picking up more. The plan is to do a plan tomorrow for the next few weeks and then do a click and collect when I need to buy items (which shouldn’t be for a good few days - the challenge is to see how long I can go with what I already have). 

I love Home Bargains, we have just had a new one open nearby which I can walk to. 

I’ve also joined the forum for reducing alcohol intake (today is day one as my brother bought me beer yesterday before he knew I was trying to reduce, but I did stop at one, which wouldn’t have happened before). I’ve joined the forum where people are advising what they are having for their meals (which will help massively with planning) and I’ve also joined the fly lady forum (and have this morning reset the downstairs ready for the new challenge on Monday (tomorrow I’m going to reset upstairs ready)). 

I joined this site only a few days ago but the changes I’ve made already are quite overwhelming. It certainly wouldn’t be possible without you, and other incredibly helpful members. Thank you 

CA23

Gettingmyshiztogether

9) Batch cook! And freeze in portions for easy and "free" meals! Chilli, spaghetti bolognese, cottage pie, shepherd's pie, lasagne etc all great for Batch cooking.

Nipped into S@ainos for cheap veg to freeze, Cinnamon and butter... came out £25.97 lighter! They have spices on offer; 400g of Turmeric, crushed chillis, chilli powder, and curry powder all for £1.80 each. This works out to be 45p for 100g. So I stocked up and will refill our own jars with these as we run out. We now have enough spices to last us the next millennium 🤣

I hope this helps someone!

£124.70 / £400 

Gettingmyshiztogether

number_23 said:

Thank you very much @Gettingmyshiztogether and @Suffolk_lass , really really useful posts. 

I am going to check but I think we are easily spending £1,000 a month on groceries and pub, if not more. It’s not sustainable and we can’t afford it. 

Tomorrows plan is to do an inventory and plan for the next few weeks. I already have tonight and tomorrows meals planned (from stuff I already have in). 

I’ll sign up to TGTG, thanks 😊 

I usually buy frozen veggies as DH and DS aren’t fans (I love them, apart from mushrooms which I am allergic to) but I’ve been looking at recipes where I can hide the veg, this is particularly important for my little one. I’ve made a few meals this week (with this challenge in mind) and I’ve already started adding extra veggies (I made tuna mayo for my JP last night but added half an onion which needed using up and a yellow pepper which had seen it’s best, these helped to bulk up so I had some left for todays lunch wrap - usually I would have been thrown the onion and pepper away - such waste!). 

I buy washing powder and shampoo in bulk / bigger packs as I know it won’t go to waste, I have got some rice in but do buy the 39p micro rice for convenience (despite eating a lot of takeaways I used to begrudge buying rice with my curry for upward of £4 so used to make my own when the takeaway turned up) but where I am cooking from scratch I will start cooking dried rice (when we do have it DH comments on how much nicer it is). 

I am looking make every meal with a takeaway becoming a real treat 😀. DS would love to make his own pizzas too. 

I shop mainly at Mr Al but find that I do pick up more than I need, and I also need to nip to Mr A or Mr S as they don’t sell everything we need so I end up picking up more. The plan is to do a plan tomorrow for the next few weeks and then do a click and collect when I need to buy items (which shouldn’t be for a good few days - the challenge is to see how long I can go with what I already have). 

I love Home Bargains, we have just had a new one open nearby which I can walk to. 

I’ve also joined the forum for reducing alcohol intake (today is day one as my brother bought me beer yesterday before he knew I was trying to reduce, but I did stop at one, which wouldn’t have happened before). I’ve joined the forum where people are advising what they are having for their meals (which will help massively with planning) and I’ve also joined the fly lady forum (and have this morning reset the downstairs ready for the new challenge on Monday (tomorrow I’m going to reset upstairs ready)). 

I joined this site only a few days ago but the changes I’ve made already are quite overwhelming. It certainly wouldn’t be possible without you, and other incredibly helpful members. Thank you 

CA23

Ooh I missed this post, I ve just had a notification! 

With rice you can boil it as normal or cook in the oven with a tin of coconut milk and then a tin of water. Cover in foil and bake for 30-40 mins for coconut rice. 

With rice if you cool it fast, for example when you boil it, rinse it in cold water whilst its in the colander, you can freeze it safely in portions. Then you can microwave it when you get your takeaway 😊 cooked rice, frozen then reheated actually is less calories than just cooked rice. Something to do with the starches I think 😊 

Nelliegrace

10. Get every member of the household involved. The household finances are a joint responsibility. 

Saver-upper

Went to lots of supermarkets today, looking for mini egg easter egg for one of my daughters. Only grocery spend while out  and about was milk and  bread at Sainsbury (£2.50), and £3.56 at Asda, on stuff I didn't really need. But i had suddenly decided croissants for breakfast tomorrow might be nice
 (£2.60), and 5pkt of doughnuts were reduced from £1.10 to 48p, so got 2 of those. 

No reason at all to open my purse for the next few days. I looked through my cupboards, fridge and freezer last night, and I have enough ingredients in the house to make at least 17 different meals 😱.

diminua

Went into Kingston for a quick wander round the shops. Almost bought coffee at one point, but realised I was just doing it out of habit and didn't really want one. I did get some veg from the market though - stripy aubergine, long red chillies, courgettes and tiny variegated tomatoes (£3.50 total), and also a punnet of strawberries that weren't the big flavourless ones that are in the supermarkets (£1.80). Popped into Ts on the way back for greek style yogurt (£1.20), which will go both with the strawberries and the chilli I want to make later in the week. 
And I got my creme eggs yesterday (£1.68). 
£131.12 left.

Pennypincin

I have £7.03 left after just buying a bunch of bananas today food wise today.
49p in Sainsbury.
I aim to not spend on food the next couple of days and make a pack lunch from what I have in the cupboards.