December 2023 Grocery Challenge

Frugalistamama

 I've got a grocery shop arriving tonight. I spent £66 but got a good amount for my money. Some meat for Christmas and freezer. I'll have a discounted veg box also this week so it looks like I'll spend £89 for this week's main shopping. I don't feel like I'm doing that well this month but it's my first month back. I need to focus more on meal planning. 

diminua

£97.44 spent. That includes replacing some things I ran out of - cornflour, ketchup, salad cream, and some things bought because 'tis the season - mince pies, prosecco - and a pub lunch I've decided not to include in the Christmas budget because I already had a Christmas meal with the same people. On holiday from 14-19 so that will be holiday budget. 

ancientmum

I've  spent £59.39 this week, £30.99 at the butcher on mince, stewing steak, chicken legs, gammon steaks and a jar of local honey.  Buying in a small bulk saves me money in the long run and this will last well into the New Year.  The three stamps on my loyalty card goes towards a free range chicken.  The rest of the money was spent in Mr.S, and included a couple of bottles of wine. I have not bought tea bags for some time (stocked up earlier in the year) and these seem a lot more expensive.  Cheese was on offer and I bought a couple of packs to freeze, there are already a couple of unopened packs in the fridge.  
On Friday I made apple and blackcurrant  jelly with frozen fruit picked on the allotment last summer.  The younger generation don't seem to feed their children jam sandwiches any more so I'm keeping it (only two and a half jars) for a taste of summer on my winter porridge. And the occasional jam sandwich.

joedenise

Needed onions for lunch as we were having burgers so popped over to Morrisons.  As well as onions I picked up some YS peppers, sugardrop tomatoes and plums.  Total to date is now £44.53, leaving £155.47.

LadyWithAPlan

@ancientmum ooh a HM jam sandwich yum! 

Track my Grocery spending  £52.27/£200    grocery +   £24.29/£100bulk 
Bulk is my coffee.
Grocery   £25.30 across lidl and Mr T 
Plus £1.79 toilet rolls  (home budget)
HF - I am waiting for that to be delivered.,,, EDIT they just dumped it outside my door without knocking despite clear instructions - I was in my lounge so no way I couldnt hear them knock ... I am complaining online...

Plus Nisa £5.28 but  £2.30 was  on  some junk food - sweets and a soda today as went to get sparkling water .. and eggs
Definitely the less I go out to buy the less i buy junk      -I now have a category in YNAB called junk so crisps sweets etc - to see the damage

I cooked up the defrosted YS  turkey mince with spices,  mushrooms, onions and last bit of rice and made burritos from gf tortilla wraps ,  with guacamole, pickles and dijon mayo .. v yummy

I have 3 meals  (for 2) from HF this week beef koftas as I want to learn how to make them, some chermoula (my obsession) beef thing and a mac and cheese thing but will replace the pasta with GF PASTA and give the pasta to my parents. I do like all the mini ingredients but even with my £10 off each week its expensive..

I need to cook some food for a do Tues and we all taking a tradiitonal food dish to our own culture.. and also I might have a home dinner party at mine Friday - so I will need to go get loads of ingredients in,..

joedenise

@LadyWithAPlan - I have a Junk category on my YNAB too!  This is basically DH's junk as I don't tend to buy junk other than the odd bar of Lidl's cheap dark chocolate which is probably about once every 6 weeks as I only eat a square or two at a time so it lasts well.

Pennypincin

Just spent £12.20 in Tesco and Lidl.
Fruit, eggs, tomato puree, herbs/spices and veg stock.
I plan to use up what's in the freezer and some potatoes in the cupboard. Especially as I've batch cooked 11 meals, plus have the basic  ingredients to make more on top of some vegetarian meat alternatives. (Vegetarian bacon, mince, sausages etc).
I may need to get some more fruit and possibly some fresh veg to add to the meals in the freezer.
I aim to keep spending on food to the minimum after today's spend, for this week at least.

Blackcats

I'm very late joining this month - can't think of a valid excuse nor have I got a note from my mum so I'll just have to sidle in quietly, avoid the naughty step and post an update,
I've got a separate Christmas and Boxing Day budget as I'm sharing costs with my dad (he insists despite my protestations)
we are also eating out twice this month so I should have reduced my monthly budget but I haven't .....I'll aim for a surplus rather than re-adjust now.
We did a big shop at Lidls last week.  We treated ourselves to their frozen stuffed sea bass for a Saturday night gastropub style dinner and it was yummy.  Served with baby potatoes and spinach.
a couple of other little shops means that 

December budget £300
balance remaining £189.35

AnotherNewDay

OMG the price of cat food these days!! Although, if i'm honest a lot of the shopping money has gone on seasonal/Christmas junk food  Currently at £92.77/£95......but all that is left to buy is the cheap 19p Xmas veg when it comes on sale 

LadyWithAPlan

joedenise said:

@LadyWithAPlan - I have a Junk category on my YNAB too!  This is basically DH's junk as I don't tend to buy junk other than the odd bar of Lidl's cheap dark chocolate which is probably about once every 6 weeks as I only eat a square or two at a time so it lasts well.

 Glad I am not the only  one - though sadly only I can blame myself for excess - I am not choosing to put cash in it .. but have to move money into it when I do spend

Blackcats said:

I'm very late joining this month - can't think of a valid excuse nor have I got a note from my mum so I'll just have to sidle in quietly, avoid the naughty step and post an update,

I like the idea of your mum writing a note for your naughty step denial 
I have never tried lid fish but that seabass sounds yummy - will have to see if there is gluten in first though

Track my Grocery spending  £52.27/£200   +   grocery +   £31.93/£100bulk 
 + Junk - sweets/crisps £6.25


Food Spending ..  Sains £30.19 but used £20 voucher  so £10.19 only
Popped out to get some food for a party  at a friends this eve - so was a spend day ..
 I had my  2nd £20 Sain voucher to use (and still got  my £40 one left - to be used by Xmas eve) I may buy some champagne glasses.. so I also picked up some bulk items I needed  which I cant get from Mr Lidl   and a couple box of chocolates which had offers on as always useful
I cant use the double points vouchers on alcohol so...


Bulk  £7.64 - harissa paste, tomato paste, GF baking powder, GF pasta - an expensive penne kind to try.
Xmas stocking/food gifts £14.05
Junk (sweets) £1.45
Rose Prosecco  £8 - in a new alcohol in YNAB category ... its in the fridge as noone wanted it at the party and the host doesnt drink so she  said for me to bring home for my fridge 

HFresh
Had their thai beef peanut thing - actually pretty tasty so 3/4 yesterday and a bit for lunch - I added spinach
Also made myself an omelette this morning - mushroom, onion, red pepper with extra organic spinach

I roast the FR Mr L chicken   as well in halogen so ..
I have a Wonka meal from HF - a honey bacon mac and cheese type thing so I will use my GF penne and possibly have a side of chicken breast to make it healthier