August 2023 Grocery Challenge

Soontobeoap

@Ancientmum that is an amazingly low amount to have spent on food in a year. Is that for one person? How do you do it?

@SausageDogSandwich. Hopefully you find the coupon. I would be so cross with myself so know how you feel. Sometimes supermarket ones can be found online as well. Good luck.

@Pennypincin, open kitchens, community pantries etc have been set up for a reason. No point getting stressed and making yourself ill when volunteers are working hard to get donations of food to the right people.  there are ways to lighten the load on your finances and when you are in a better position you will be able to pass on the good will. 

DH spent £40 in Sainsburys today! 🤷‍♀️. He took the DGS's whilst I was at craft club and bought them every snack and treat that they could ever want! They are only with us for 2 more days. They will never be able to eat it all. Really annoyed but didnt say anything because he has been absolutely brilliant with the child care and sharing the load and we are both pretty shattered. The boys favourite treat of the day was a rainbow carrot each dug up from the garden! 🤣

GreenFairy

Florenceem said:

Spend of £1.45 on milk today.
Came home to find in my porch - 10 free range duck and 12 hen eggs - free!

Oh amaaaazing. I adore duck eggs, and they're so hard to find here now.

I'm up to €384.64 for the month. I got a good deal on some ella's kitchen pudding cups that the kids love, but other than that it's been just about all fresh stuff since the first big shop of the month, and I've been keeping the presses a little low as well. Determined to use up all the bits and bobs that have been lingering for too long! Found an old, leaky tin of treacle that was a punishment to clean up after, so that's my incentive.

I've got some venison in the freezer that I'm not quite sure what to do with. Will possibly wait til a chilly evening and make stew - I've even got some dried juniper berries in. Every time I think about doing something like that or a cottage pie though, the weather is far too warm. 

My rhubarb grew a load while I was on hols, and the storm on Sunday night battered it, so tomorrow I really need to pick and process a load of it. Thankfully it freezes well

Blackcats

@Soontobeoap - bmy OH did the shopping today while I was at work.  He went with a list and a limited scope for using his discretion 🤣

anyway £89.00 was spent despite the budget being £65 to £70

balance remaining £84.50 (but we still need cat food)

cheerfulness4

I adore duck eggs, too. The yolks are so thick and creamy. Ages since I've been able to get hold of some. 

Suffolk_lass

The campsite where we stayed at the weekend did not have change when I paid, so she left us half a dozen (chicken) eggs from their little flock, for £1. Very happy. I'm making courgette and lemon cakes this morning to use two of these, along with a large courgette. My click and collect order was £30.03 groceries, £27.83 stores and £9.38 for pets and bees (cat litter and air freshener). Apart from milk deliveries, that should be us now, although we are off to a celebratory party in Cheshire at the weekend so the fuel and treats budget will be hammered

Ainsty

So far I have spent £35.96 this month. It isn't a real indication of the value of food and other groceries I have consumed because I have been eating HG veg and berries and eating from the fridge/freezer and cupboards. I know that I am eating HG things I would normally freeze for the winter. This is sure to have a knock on effect on spending later in the yeat and early next year. The spend has mainly been milk, bread, teabags etc. It soon builds up. 

Florenceem

Spend of £3.35 at community shop today and £1.49 on iron tablets.

thriftwizard

£26.96 added for a "small" top-up at w8rose. This included 2 refill packs of instant coffee, and a few of the things I'd normally buy tomorrow as part of the weekend's shop, so I'm not too discouraged. Just over £80 left in the budget, plenty of food a-growing & in the freezer, and just  a week left to go, with fewer mouths to feed, (as things currently stand) so it's do-able. Phew - I'd had visions of not making it, despite having "allowed" a whole lot extra!

Pennypincin

£4.98 spent in Tesco.
I had a £1 off a certain brand of cheese or milk and couldn't resist the cheese as it was on offer for £2.50 and was a bargain with the extra money off.
I'm shocked at £1.48 for some courgettes and kicking myself for not picking up some courgette seeds for around 70p, as all the seeds were gone the next day.
Id also bought tomatoes and peppers to do roasted vegetables and tofu.
I may well have a look in a couple of garden centers to see what veg seeds I can get and see if I can grow a small amount myself. I doubt that it will work or save much, but it's worth a try I guess.
I've at least £14.50 left of this week's budget and am hoping to just spend £3.50 Friday at the food club and maybe a £1 on fruit.

joedenise

Don't think I've posted recent spends but as at today's date I have spent £109ish and have £130.61 left so there will definitely be some left over at the end of the month but any excess I will add to another pot - probably Bulk Fund and/or Eating Out both of which have taken a battering this month!