June 2023 Grocery Challenge

otb666

612/600  So only 12 over (if i ignore my birthday 120 that i used on food that i had as extra)

Soontobeoap

Just read a report that states food inflation in uk is at 19% thats 2 months food on my yearly budget. No wonder we are all struggling. I am trying everything that I can think of to keep costs down and would apreciate more tips and tricks. Didnt line my baking tray with baking paper yesterday. Roast potatoes took longer to cook so can't decide whether its a false saving or not! Tescos seem to be offering less double reward points. I collect them up for February to make the start of the year better. So I am only shopping there for the free from stuff now. Making more cakes instead of buying sweet things but then you have to factor in electricity costs so its a busy day with a full oven. 

Suffolk_lass

I have been feeling really fed up with myself but having quickly reviewed the situation I need to get a grip but all is not lost. Although I have two milk weeks to add, I am at £324.36 this month. I try to stay under £250 but not this month. I have however, had a sack of flour delivered (from Italy) for £50 so when I take that into account it is not too bad.

46.88% out of a 50% target is not awful - £95.46 under the mid year average on £1500

Cocobeans

I totally lost the plot this month. I have no idea how much had been spent but know I have blown the budget. Starting the month in half term wasn't a good start and like others said the weather has thrown me too.  Seeing the news about the interest rates today has made me realise I need to get back on the budgeting!

Well done to those who have had a good month so far. Its interesting to see its not just me who has struggled this month.  My month runs from OH pay day on 27th so am going to try and spend as little as possible until then and will then set a budget for July. 

On a positive note the allotment has produced loads of strawberries this year and we are starting to harvest cucumbers, raspberries, potatoes, peas and courgettes so this should help with next month's budget! 

ancientmum

It's getting even tougher isn't it?  I really feel for people, like my DS's who are struggling with higher interest rates.  I'm one of those annoying older people who went through similar in the 1980s, with a young family, although I don't remember food prices rising so quickly then. 

My spend so far this year is £531.36 out of a projected budget of £1200 but I have cut back on meat and fish this month and am looking through my recipe books for more vegetarian meals.  Having more salads helps and the market stall on Saturdays is cheaper than the supermarkets.  I was late getting the allotment started so haven't had any produce from it yet, apart form blackcurrants that I am freezing in anticipation of making blackcurrant and apple jelly when apples are in season later in the year.

diminua

Pain au chocolat on 2 days since I last posted - a fairly cheap treat at £1.20 three days a week so that's fine. I have stopped with the ice cream though, and made sure I make sandwiches to take into work. 
A peach - £1.19 (it was a very nice peach, much nicer than the supermarket punnet ones, and better for me than ice cream or cream soda, but I did blink) veg sausages, milk and satsumas for lunches in JS (£5.15), four pack of tinned tomatoes, bread and 2 pints of milk today in Morries (4.20). 
So actually, after a poor start, around where I should be for the month at £137.29. I have a meal plan and shopping lists for the weekend and next Wednesday and although I won't be rigid, I am going to do my best to stick to them. 

gill5blue

Hi All,
I have spent £245.69 over the last 4 weeks- 1 week left for me. budget is £300 for 2 adults, 2 labradors and a tortoise.
I still have £36.96 left from May!
Good luck all
gill5blue

GreenFairy

I'm up to €459.32 for the month so far. On track nicely, though I was convinced I'd gone totally over already.

Between house, job, kids...there's just too much of everything and not enough hours in the day at the moment. We're going on a wee holiday for a week at the start of August and I can't even be ars3d because of the amount of work that has to be done to get us out the door to it. 

Nelliegrace

£200 budget, £166.84 spent, £34.16 left

We went to Sainsbury’s on the way home on Tuesday for milk and stoneground wholemeal bread flour, and got a few yellow stickered items. I picked up a pack of apples above the price label of 89p, and found on the receipt that they were a different pack at £1.70, so I returned then at the help desk and had a refund before we left. I have seen similar tricks several times. 
£14.58 spent.

We did the main shop at Asda today. I think we avoided getting any HPF with nasty additives on the label. Milk, cream, a litre of full fat Greek Style yoghurt, evap, ground coffee, muesli, £1.50 on their extra special 85% dark chocolate, fruit  and vegetables. We saved a bit with offers and yellow stickers, but it was more than usual at £32.02.

PipneyJane

ancientmum said:

It's getting even tougher isn't it?  I really feel for people, like my DS's who are struggling with higher interest rates.  I'm one of those annoying older people who went through similar in the 1980s, with a young family, although I don't remember food prices rising so quickly then. 

So much of our food now is imported that with the fall in the Pound against both the Dollar and the Euro, plus the increased paperwork following Brexit, food inflation was inevitable.  (We’ve been looking at the exchange rate for USD for our trip to Miami next month.  Last time, 2014, the spot rate was something like $1.49 to the £1.  Today, £1 only buys $1.27.  Fortunately, we both have Chase accounts, so will get the spot rate.)

I have a spend to declare:  £6.27 in Sainsbugs on Thursday for 3 of their large tubs of crème fraiche.  (My lovely next door neighbour gave us 1.3kg of surplus strawberries from her garden.  We’ll be making a lot of Strawberry & Crème Fraîche Ice Cream this weekend.)

The above brings our June spend to £142.30/£142.50.

There is 20p left in the GC Purse.  Yes, we’ll probably go over. I think we’ll borrow £20 from next month, to cover the next week. (We’re away for half of July, so it’ll even up.)  There’s not a lot that needs to be purchased:  W8flower have a 50p-off offer on their Woolwash of which I want to take advantage (it runs out on Tuesday), and we have 76p to spend to cross the next threshold of offers on the L!dl+ app, which we’ll probably do by purchasing some fresh veg.

- Pip

ETA:  I am so glad that we have a fixed rate mortgage.  That’s one less stress on the budget.