April 2023 Grocery Challenge

KajiKita

I know what you mean about the Oli0, TGTG and YS bargains not being much use - being plant based and quite protein focused means I can't use them either as they typically seem to be based around meat, bakery or dairy items!

I think the little spends when out and about are having even more impact now that every one of them has crept up by that much more so the cumulative impact is even more significant than it was. 

KK 

SausageDogSandwich

More spends here and now up to £260.84/250. I think for us things have been fine and on target up until the last two months. Prices going up have impacted us but I think it’s not using olio anymore and going back to instore shopping instead of online. I’ve come to the conclusion maybe my budget is now unrealistic for 2 adults and 3 kids that eat more than me, heading into the (supposedly) warmer weather when we will want to eat more salad and different fruits etc. 

Gettingmyshiztogether

SausageDogSandwich said:

More spends here and now up to £260.84/250. I think for us things have been fine and on target up until the last two months. Prices going up have impacted us but I think it’s not using olio anymore and going back to instore shopping instead of online. I’ve come to the conclusion maybe my budget is now unrealistic for 2 adults and 3 kids that eat more than me, heading into the (supposedly) warmer weather when we will want to eat more salad and different fruits etc. 

@SausageDogSandwich I am in awe! £260 for two adults and three kids is amazing! I am shopping for two adults and two kids (one pre teen one teen who also eat more than me) and am working hard to keep it under £400. You are doing amazingly! Tell me your secrets!

Cocobeans

My first month back on the Grocery challenge and I am over but not by much so can't be too upset. April has been a crazy month with school holidays, visiting family, a hen weekend and a family wedding away this weekend so haven't had time to really shop and plan. Month ends on 30th but away for the weekend so any spends then will be out of a different budget so shouldn't need anything else. 

£273 / £250 spent

Verulamium_Vixen

Hi
Just thought I should politely let you know I'm lurking and picking up ideas.
Thank you for sharing your tips and info.
I'll carry on lurking until I feel ready to jump in.
I may do a silent challenge for May as I have absolutely no idea of what I am spending 
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Soontobeoap

Hello @Verulamium_Vixen come join us. We dont judge and we are all desperately trying to keep to our own self made budgets. Each one of us is different. I include everything, some people have seperate budgets for meat and pets. Some people have a bulk buy budget. We are all very different. We often end up going over and just try harder in the next month. Every month we learn new things. We would love to hear from you over in the May challenge which is now open. 

thriftwizard

Hi @Verulamium_Vixen from one who spent much of her teenage years (now long ago) wandering amidst the ruins in the park & lived close to the "Quarrelling Chickens"! 

I've added another £30 - it was actually a bit less, but needless to say I've lost the receipts - for supplies bought at the local health food shop & Grape Tree. Our new dD-i-L has introduced us to Irish brown seeded bread, which is very delicious, filling & quick to prepare, being a soda-bread. (And OH will eat it, unlike sourdoughs and other proper yeasted breads, when we run out of his favourite sliced supermarket bread-like-products! Which we are always doing - I'll swear he inhales it.) Anyway, we now have enough seeds, bran, wheatgerm etc. to see us through a couple of months. Now looking a little tight, but there are only a couple of days to go before payday... 

atrixa

The increased budget has proven to be workable. Calling it at £163.63/£165. I'm finding it difficult to keep up with the threads, so might not join in formally for May, although of course I will still be tracking spends. 

Best of luck everyone!

Nelliegrace

£150 budget, £112.21 spent, £37.79 left.

DH got milk on Monday, £1.55.
I had an e-mail from the Co-op to remind me of some money on my member’s card, so as I had books due back at the local library today, I went over the road to the Co-op and got a free 4 pint bottle of milk. It has a good date.
The prices at the Co-op come as a bit of a shock, the meat is in plastic boxes with security tags because thieves come in regularly and take it. I expect it will be kept by the cigarettes behind the counter soon, unless they stop selling it.

I am doing a list for Asda to use the 10% off with the Blue Light Card before the end of the month. 

Verulamium_Vixen

Thank you for the welcome.
I have just looked through the bank account and can review my spending. 
From March 10th to Aprol 9th I spent £930 on shopping at local supermarkets in amounts front £5 in a day to £58 in a day.
Some days I have done 2 or 3 shops at lunchtime and at the end of the working Day.
I work in the city centre and have M&S and Tesco just a short journey away.
I justify frequent trips in my search for yellow stickers but clearly that approach isn't working.
That £930 includes 1 bulk shop at Aldi, loo rolls, tinned stuff and washing powder etc which cost £106 , the rest is ad joc spending.
I need to have a work on my spending and my attitude to shopping and aim to take slow steps to reducing my spending.
I think aiming to cut my monthly spending on groceries by at least 20% as a starting point and see how that goes.
I also need to curb the yellow sticker hunt.
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