November 2023 Grocery Challenge

Soontobeoap

Oh dear! A trip to Tescos for branded items today whilst we were over that side of the Island to visit Garden centre for some Christmas cheer. £23.58 Spent. Dh's favourite coffee was on offer so we bought 2, I like their free from cheese sauce best so bought 2 whilst we were there. Also been struggling to find suet so bought that. When did a small box reach £2.50? I only buy once in a blue moon so that was a shock! 4 tins tescos baked beans were £1.85 which was only 45p more than 1 tin of heinz! Also bought one pack of warburtons 'free from' seeded bread rolls as they were on offer too. Still £2.35 for 4 though. I only use them when we are eating something on toast otherwise they are too expensive! I am slowly weaning myself off bread! 

joedenise

A couple of small spends yesterday taking my total for the first half of the month to £51.08/£200 leaving £148.92.  Think there should be a fair bit left of that to go into the Bulk Fund at the end of the month, although I think Sainsbury have lamb half price this week so may well buy that this week and freeze for next month.  I already have a beef joint and a pork joint for Christmas/New Year so a lamb joint as well should be plenty for December and early January before we go on holiday.

Mamaofmanybudgets

Well, my first month of grocery challenge has gone awry. 🙈

I'll have to sit down and total it properly at some point. Not dreadful but not on target either. Still been a good lesson and will hopefully be a bit better at it next month. 

I struggle a lot with getting drib drabs of cash, I don't get paid monthly so it's all random. I need to figure out a better system 
If anyone else is in the same boat I'd love to know what you do. 

CRANKY40

Yesterday's grocery spend was £89.09 🙄 It did include some fresh herb jar replacements and a big box of teabags (for the HT) as the bigger box was better value.  The HT also needed mouthwash as he has a brace and the one recommended by the dentist is £6 a bottle. 

I didn't manage to post on here but I did manage to make two small size loaves of sourdough sandwich bread. I've cut both of the small loaves in half and have put three bits in the freezer with one out for me to use. Today I filled the cake tins and the biscuit boxes - brownies, mocha squares, oat biscuits and chewy peanut butter cookies. 

I was going to stop after the oat cookies but best friend appeared and I showed him the peanut cookie recipe so we thought we'd give them a taste test. I've tested them and they're good, he's not getting to try them until tomorrow because I baked them after he went home. 

Dinner last night was a roast chicken dinner, yum. Tonight was an emergency lasagne (supermarket, not made by me)  pulled out of the freezer to get it out of the way. It wasn't great but it's gone now.

I've just rememberedsomething else....the cat gets her own tub of cream here and there. She's only allowed a couple of spoonfuls so the tub lasts forever. The one that we're using just now is dated 9th of November and it's still ok. I sniff it first before I give it to her but it smells fine. I'll keep you posted on how long it actually lasts. 

Grocery spend now £152.14/£320. 

wishus

Updated signature. 

Spent £42.64, used the extra % from Perkbox for 4% off in Hasta ( needed batteries for scales). Spent about £15 in there then rushed my trolley to All-day for the rest.

Swapped the meal plan around slightly as I wanted homemade pizza, and tonight I had the time to make it. Pork belly chow mein tomorrow!

LadyWithAPlan

@Mamaofmanybudgets I have very up down pay days so I find the best thing is to save up next months grocery when you can ahead of time - appreciate this is a hard time of year to save ! 

The more I can get a month ahead on my bills and spending pots I find it easier 
That way I have my money for my grocery in a separate pot when the month starts and  can focus when money comes in on saving for the next period 
maybe try saving ahead for  the next  week or 2 initially? It’s hard but gets easier especially if you track all your food spending 

I also thanks to suggestions on here - I think it was Suffolk lass - now have a separate bulk food pot - I put money aside in each month for the bigger items I won’t use in the month or where there are deals on - that way i can use my bulk money and not spend all  my weekly grocery on a good deal inc YS meat deals 

I also have food out, takeaways (only happens if I have an offer) and  coffees out in a treats and entertainment pot - as it’s not essential food - so I stop once I have spent all my pot 

I always buy coffee - lavazza ground  - in bulk 10 x 250 g - Amazon - cost £2.60 or so vs £4 plus in stores - and it saves me from having to go to a store just to buy more coffee - I shop at Lidl mostly but I can’t drink cheap coffee 

BlackCat - I also had to cancel a hello fresh too late like 4 hours! as I changed my flights and time difference meant they charged me -  my food would have sat outside for a day ..  I got online to them and they have given me a credit - however I don’t get access to the credit til I have used up my 2 more £10 discount codes! (Which they didn’t tell me on live chat) 

So they charged me £30 and now I have ordered  one for this weekend £25 or so with the discount- all cos I had a free box offer! I wouldn’t have bothered without the offer 

I did enjoy the food but as soon as I have had these meals and got to my credit I will be cancelling 

I also transfer unused grocery pot money (and treats and entertainment and  travel into my house deposit saving pot 
this way I am rewarded for not spending 


I have been abroad for two weeks but only counted my food last week as week before work covered it - 

Nov  Grocery spending
 £95.35/£150  grocery    + £0/100bulk (bulk is high as I roll over each month unused bulk) 
hh I went to my local nis* last night - one large bottle sparkling water 89p and a tiny piece of fresh broccoli £1.49! 

So expensive- no wonder it’s easier to eat junk as it’s cheaper ! 
this amount includes the 1st hello fresh mistake but not yet this weekends with £10 off .. made sure I ordered lovely food as a treat. However is tight as not much food in and only £55 to go off which £25 is hello fresh 
so I know I am busting my budget already ?! 

joedenise

@Mamaofmanybudgets - would a weekly budget work better for you rather than a monthly one?

Perhaps at the same time try to get a month ahead as suggested by @LadyWithAPlan above.  Or even just see how long you can make each week's money last by doing your shopping a day later each week (ie making a week's money buy food for 8 days) which will give you the extra to start working monthly over time.

I've split my money into several different budgets:  Food; Bulk (which includes meat, pantry goods); Toiletries (which includes paper goods) and Alcohol.  If I added all these together my monthly spend would be much higher than it currently is!

I'm sure you will work out what works best for you over time.  It is a learning experience for us all over time.

PipneyJane

Mamaofmanybudgets said:

Well, my first month of grocery challenge has gone awry. 🙈

I'll have to sit down and total it properly at some point. Not dreadful but not on target either. Still been a good lesson and will hopefully be a bit better at it next month. 

I struggle a lot with getting drib drabs of cash, I don't get paid monthly so it's all random. I need to figure out a better system 
If anyone else is in the same boat I'd love to know what you do. 

When I was paid weekly @Mamaofmanybudgets, I used to park it all in a separate savings account (called "Salary Park") and then paid myself once a month.  It just made my life administratively easier.  

In my brain, I quarantine anything that isn't in my spending account as "not my money".  It's all designated elsewhere and goes into segregated savings accounts.

HTH

- Pip

mumtoomany

spent on monday, few bits in Tesco, and aldi. Total spent £15.79, total now to date £1689.38/£1860, hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

LadyWithAPlan

@joedenise your suggestion of making each 7 days last 8 days and keep pushing the grocery savings slowly but surely is a great idea.

Hope it helps @Mamaofmanybudgets - I know life is getting more and more expensive so whatever ever you can do to control it and lower the stress the better.
Having a plan to tackle an issue - is proven to help decrease stress even if the problem is still looming so its great you are on here for tracking and ideas.



@PipneyJane I do something similar though I do find some dubious running over/overspending  if I keep too much in my current acct as a float... trying now to have a cashflow EF (SE) so I have less in my current accts.
 Thanks also for your detailed advice on page 7 here  - some great tips there and some that made me have a rethink - we are always learning on here


NSD finally   woohoo 3/13

Grocery spending £119.33/£150  grocery    + £0/100bulk 

I have been back in London since Monday and beyond the fresh broccoli I have been eating out the freezer. I had deliberately pre-bought pork chops that I apportioned out for the freezer, plus loads frozen veg for my return. So my spending is low. I do need to do a shop but I can eat a few days out the freezer! I am trying not to spend.
Food today was a HM frozen pork chilli type thing with broccoli, cauli, celery and spinach all fried plus a grilled pork chop.

Also Lid* had some frozen 'green smoothie mix ' in I am trying for the 1st time - mango, kale , red berries and other things - its v tasty - I am having small bowls of it  as a snack instead of sweets or dessert.

£23.98 HF
Hell*fr*sh took out  last night £23.98 for this Sundays meals (£10 off - I need to use  this current week voucher and another with a £10 off before I can access my £30 credit! due to being 4 hours too late too cancel due to time diff when travelling)

I did lower it from 4 meals to a min 3 this week. The 3 meals is for 2 people (ha! serves me about a meal and a half. However I will see what I have ordered and buy excess to bulk it up healthily.

Its fine when I got the free box but I will do this on/off for a couple weeks as a 'treat'  til I use up vouchers and credit but really I am ready to cancel it - this is my first meal box subs ever  - I have friends who love it but I cook a lot and I went to a lot of cooking classes and also my parents also cooked from scratch and grew lots of their own fruit and veg so I dont feel I need the expense of it. Its good to not shop I guess.

Last time the lamb was v good the other 3 were a bit whatever.. The Chermoula spice thing is something I need to try cooking myself. Do they sell it as such?

So arriving Sunday from HF   as below ... - you will note all rice dishes as I am GF so loads of the hf meals dont work - I do need to get some more GF soy sauce in to replace the soy that will arrive - my bulk stocks do need some buying...

It works out at £8 per dish - for 2 small servings per dish with the £10 discount (£23.98/3 meals inc postage)
I will buy extra chicken (thigh or breast) to up the protein and also extra greens on the side 


Recipes can be found on the HF website for free download if anyone is interested 

• Thai Green Style Chicken Thigh Curry with Baby Spinach and Fragrant Jasmine Rice had before and it was fabulous - not that I normally ever eat lamb 
• Sambal Teriyaki Chicken Stir-Fry with Jasmine Rice, Mangetout and Sesame Seeds
• Chermoula Spiced Lamb and Rice with Harissa and Mint Yoghurt

I am also feeling I am ready to start the stock and soup making portion of Autumn/winter 2023 - so will get a chicken or two. Hoping as there is room in my freezer finally and inspired by PipneyJane I plan to buy some turkey etc for the freezer. I am never in London for Xmas so.