April 2023 Grocery Challenge

Thevalueofless

Week 3 £54.26, running total for month £223.28/£270
Spending this week has not gone to plan. Had hoped to keep to around £35 for this week and next two but buying quite a lot of fresh veg and salad items has pushed the total up. This leaves £46.72 for the next 15 days which seems impossible so will just have to work hard at limiting the damage. Meal planning will be my friend for the next two weeks. 

diminua

Two pain au chocolat - Thursday and Friday (£1.50 in total) bread, milk, more tomatoes, orange juice, toilet roll and margarine (£11.35) and a pastel de nata and coffee at the library today (£4.75).
I also finally made my big pot of veg chilli - adapted from a weightwatchers recipe online (smoky aubergine chilli) but with so many changes (added rehydrated soya, courgette, soy sauce, used plain white rice not cauli rice, greek style yogurt not soya yogurt, fresh chilli not chilli powder, kidney beans in chilli sauce not drained ones, and no coriander or cumin) that it's basically a different recipe. It was very useful for timings though.
I've got enough left for at least 2 more meals, so should only need to cook up some rice tomorrow and Monday. I do need to get coffee though, and some fresh fruit. 
£113.52 left, which isn't bad. 

Soontobeoap

Thank you @KajiKita left over hot dog sausages will be going into freezer after tomorrows lunch. 3 days ago I took a large chicken breast out of the freezer. We didnt fancy it for our dinner so I cooked it up and had a chicken and salad wrap for one lunch, chicken korma and rice tonight and have another portion left for tommorrow. DH just fancied spaghetti on toast. We are eating very cheaply at the moment. Have got my energy levels  back so tomorrow or Monday I am hoping to make up a few dishes with the potato glut and make a bolonaise sauce with the tomatoes that are left in the fridge and are slightly past their best. We have just about got through this horrible bug without throwing out any food. I call that a win! 

KajiKita

Soontobeoap said:

Thank you @KajiKita left over hot dog sausages will be going into freezer after tomorrows lunch. 3 days ago I took a large chicken breast out of the freezer. We didnt fancy it for our dinner so I cooked it up and had a chicken and salad wrap for one lunch, chicken korma and rice tonight and have another portion left for tommorrow. DH just fancied spaghetti on toast. We are eating very cheaply at the moment. Have got my energy levels  back so tomorrow or Monday I am hoping to make up a few dishes with the potato glut and make a bolonaise sauce with the tomatoes that are left in the fridge and are slightly past their best. We have just about got through this horrible bug without throwing out any food. I call that a win! 

Having been through it myself, I call that a massive win! 👏💪😊🎊🎉

KK

otb666

520/600 @Thevalueofless I have thought the fresh salad veg and fruit had got very pricey was not   sure if because i am eating more healthily to avoid covid, I have spent 47 pounds on about 22 different types of salad veg and fruit for this week.  Might have to reign it in as only 80 left of 600 budget and 10 days left for me still.  Having a dominoes take out did not help this month but special occasion 66 pounds ouch

gill5blue

Hi All,
Managed to spend less this week (phew) spent £41.98 (budget £60) after over spending the first week.
total so far this month 
£117.01/£240
happier this week
gill5blue

Nelliegrace

Three skinny sticks of rhubarb from the two year old plants in the garden. I added them to some of our apples and served them with cream. Gardeners are optimists, next year may be better. 

Suffolk_lass

diminua said:

Two pain au chocolat - Thursday and Friday (£1.50 in total) bread, milk, more tomatoes, orange juice, toilet roll and margarine (£11.35) and a pastel de nata and coffee at the library today (£4.75).
I also finally made my big pot of veg chilli - adapted from a weightwatchers recipe online (smoky aubergine chilli) but with so many changes (added rehydrated soya, courgette, soy sauce, used plain white rice not cauli rice, greek style yogurt not soya yogurt, fresh chilli not chilli powder, kidney beans in chilli sauce not drained ones, and no coriander or cumin) that it's basically a different recipe. It was very useful for timings though.
I've got enough left for at least 2 more meals, so should only need to cook up some rice tomorrow and Monday. I do need to get coffee though, and some fresh fruit. 
£113.52 left, which isn't bad. 

This has made me chuckle. We are always substituting what we have in, and taking the recipe quantities as the steer! Apparently chilli in cottage pie is a me thing. I think I used tabasco instead of Worcester because I was short of Worcester sauce

Soontobeoap

Went to local coop today and found minced beef on an offer that was cheaper than Aldi. Just goes to show that you cant rule out the smaller local shops altogether. DH is still treating himself so he got a vottle of pepsi max, also got some onions and coriander. Going to see how many meals I can make up today. Feeling much better and back on the case! 

Thevalueofless

@otb666 they seemed high to me high but we were fortunate in securing an allotment last year and with beginners luck and last year's hot summer managed to freeze, store and dehydrate quite a bit of surplus. Now supplies are running low and having to buy most of our weekly veg again I do find myself exclaiming "how much?????" rather a lot. Funny you should mention Dominoes as that would have been one of our treats too with our guests visiting but their low carb declaration put paid to that and my grocery budget took the hit - if we had ordered take out the OH would have footed the bill. Good luck keeping to your budget for the rest of the month.