November 2023 Grocery Challenge

Mamaofmanybudgets

mummybargainhunter said:

Hi, could I please be added ☺️

£200 for this month please,
1 Adult 4 children who eat like adults. 🤣😵‍💫
I have a bit of a freezer stash and some stockpile available, however im trying to follow a certain diet so we will see how i can manage that on a budget.
Doesn't include household or pets. Not sure what I'll do for that yet.

I really have to get back on track with my spending so giving myself a tough one for this month. 

Sorry I should have also said 

£12.61 spent so far. Lidl and corner shop.
Budget starts today.  

Soontobeoap

@joedenise, well done. I think you will find you have a lot more left in your budget than you think. 

joedenise

Soontobeoap said:

@joedenise, well done. I think you will find you have a lot more left in your budget than you think. 

Thank you @Soontobeoap you're right.  It should have been £50 more!  Amount left £166.31 not £116.31.  I obviously wasn't thinking when I posted!

Blackcats

@joedenise - that's a nice accounting error to have.

I've finally stopped kicking myself about forgetting to cancel a hello fresh meal box.  I got lured in a few months ago with some 50% off discount codes and meant to cancel but for some reason I moved the next delivery forward a few months and lo and behold I got a message saying my delivery was on its way.  Anyway I'm metaphorically bruised and battered from self recrimination but I've learned from my mistake and also tidied up/cancelled all my other subscriptions.

so the budget has taken a hit but is definitely recoverable especially as my freezer is full to bursting. 

Balance of November budget is £242.63

CRANKY40

@nannygladys you don't have to let new fridges and freezers stand for 24 hours before you switch them on any more. It's an hour if it was transported upright or 4 hours if it's been transported on it's side. My friend had a new fridge freezer not too long ago and I was surprised by how soon we could switch it on. 

I made a mini roast dinner for us last night and it was lovely. I also moved some stuff around a bit in the freezer so there is some space appearing. Not a lot of space but enough for a loaf or two which is handy when I'm making bread myself as it doesn't keep fresh as long as store bought. I slice it up before it goes in and then I just take a couple of slices out at a time. 

I made celery soup today and some mocha squares for the HT (chocolate oat base, coffee icing top). I've also had a trial run at the peppermint creams but I'm not sure how strong the mint taste should be. I may have to try quite a few for quality control purposes 🤣 Today was grocery NSD number 5. 

thriftwizard

Oooh, peppermint creams, @CRANKY40 ? I'll be round in ten minutes to help you sample them...

I'm £107.74 down already. This is after re-stocking most of the stuff that's run right down whilst I've been busy and/or away & includes the £50 that was left for the DDs to cater for themselves, BF & their father last week. I haven't done a non-perishables run - no transport yet! - and am assessing whether I will actually need to, with just 3 of us at home now; I may not, as we won't use nearly as much stuff. I've also bought some bits for making Christmas cake & puddings, which I would normally take out of the festive budget, but that's about to be slashed as some of it can go towards vehicular expenses - not for the first time! I'm looking forward to getting back to my usual local shops & market shopping; relying on supermarkets for the last few weeks has reminded me that they somehow work out more expensive!

Anyway, tomorrow is a baking/cooking/preserving day; I'll be making 2-quince marmalade (tree & Japonica quinces) chutney (quince, mango & tomatillo) Christmas cake & pud, & chicken stock for the freezer. I'll also stew up some leftover apples & yet more quinces to freeze for crumbles & the like over winter. The meal plan's done for the rest of the week, using up what we already have. Let's see how low I can go, next week...

otb666

270/600 I am enjoying Jamie Oliver new program he had sausage casserole and a onion and potato and egg Spanish omelette. He starts them on top of stove then finishes them in the oven. I would have to change to pyrex dish  from frying pan  as I do not have a frying pan that can be transferred to oven. Also the chicken roast where he puts chicken on rack above the spuds would make a mess of my oven and I am guessing he does not do the cleaning.  I am enjoying my home made soups and found you can jazz up next day with mustard and BBQ sauce.

goldfinches

@otb666 - I've always secretly thought to myself that JO doesn't do the cleaning up afterwards because if he can make a mess he will! And the way he sloshes all the oils etc. around with such gay abandon, if I did that in my kitchen I'd have to redecorate several times a year.   

I've managed a NSD today so am quite pleased with myself for resisting the urge to just pop in to see what there is on offer. 

MissRikkiC

Spends here, in Aldeeee to complete the said top up shop of fruit, milk, cheese etc and then another shop today because we ran out of a few things I need when prepping my daughters lunch pack. Lo and behold, tonight, we’ve ran out of something else so MrRC is off to Aldee again tomorrow! 

Spends so far £187/400. Goodness knows how as I feel the cupboards are bare!! 

2Scratters

Hi @elsiepac I am in again for November at £250 please.

My monies are on a roll over for most of the following month as I run mine till the money runs out. I am now pondering if I should do a yearly amount and carry on this way. I still need to be accountable. Our money goes into a purse with a small ledger to record the spends we are already £5 light. DH thinks it may be him  he is a pain for not recording when nipping for milk and the other bits he picks up. He is very good at keeping receipts but the shop is a pain in not giving them. (I think they too are saving pennies)

£50 will go into the bulk buy fund so there is a fund ready. Last week was a trip to the butchers we have used for nearly 40 years. My bill appeared to be on the low side and I queried this. When I got home and sorting stuff into portions and flat packing I found there was 6lb of different sausages missing. That was why my bill was lower  at least we weren't charged for it.

Thanks for the tips @PipneyJane

2 Scratters xx