January 2024 Grocery Challenge

leftatthetrafficlights

First shop was £45.12 - it's more than anticipated but I'm still happy with it as it included laundry liquid, fabric conditioner, dishwasher salt, rinse aid and kitchen roll. I've mesl planned until Sunday so nothing further to buy until then - hopefully Sunday's shopping will be cheaper as I won't need any household stuff or toiletries 

Soontobeoap

Tesco shop has just arrived and been unloaded. After deducting food bought for neighbour total was £57.02. I used my tesco vouchers so this would have been £85.52. Lots off bulk buys that were on offer include 2 jars nescafe, 4 bags half and half sugar, 3 pks of lactose free cheese, 3 packs gf bread rolls, potatoes, 2 bottles robinsons squash, 2 packs scampi and 1 large bag Mc Cains skinny fries so £19.50 saved there. Its tight now but as we are going away next week I still think we can do it. DH is inclined to spend on treats when he is out and about so with next months budget I am going to leave an allowance from it available for the milk and bread top up shops so that he can add biscuits.

My freezer is groaning it is so full! Hopefully wont need a main shop in February. 🤞

Crazycatlady2

Got 3 items today and my DD got 2 things other day so I've £6 to add to my what I think was £148

thriftwizard

Oh ratbags! An unanticipated spend of £20-odd (actually £19+something, receipt gone missing) has eaten into my remaining budget; we were passing the Chinese supermarket on another errand & I was hankering after some non-home-made kimchi - DD2's version is very, very hot - so we just popped in. And came out with kimchi, noodles, and a number of exotic snacks that I'd probably be very daft to eat - brightly coloured packets, pictures of cats, all sorts of numbers I don't recognise in the ingredients lists - I'm not even sure they qualify as groceries! But she's eating them happily, and a packet of noodles vanished at lunchtime along with an egg & a handful of spring onions, while I tucked into my HM chicken noodle soup.  Oh well...

Wraithlady

GolfR said:

When I read this thread before joining I noticed someone saying they made their own kefir and this intrigued me as store bought kefir is so expensive but I do like it and its benefits. I’m still educating myself on it but I know I need organic whole milk 

Hi, what you need is the kefir grains - there are quite a few people on Bay of E and See of Et who sell them, but obviously I can't speak as to quality. When I was making it, I got the grains off someone on a discussion board for p&p but I can't remember where, or if it's still going. Maybe one of those who makes it themselves can advise?

keggie

When I read this thread before joining I noticed someone saying they made their own kefir and this intrigued me as store bought kefir is so expensive but I do like it and its benefits. I’m still educating myself on it but I know I need organic whole milk and luckily I found a YS 4pt there for 82p down from £2 so I put that in the freezer ready for the time I start.

That will probably have been me.

My dad has made it for years - think he got the original grains from someone at his yoga class. I just ‘borrowed’ some of his as they tend to get too big and then either get thrown or frozen.

it’s a bit of a faff and not sure if it works out cheaper or not but my feeling is that I know I’m using organic whole milk and feels like I’m being healthy 🤔

Florenceem

I got a free loaf - yesterday's date at SA today - fine for toast.
I used a pack of ready rolled puff pastry to make cheese & onion pasties yesterday - there are 2 left over in the fridge for tomorrow's dinner. We ate at SA today. Another NSD here.

Finstickle

A few shops to declare over the last week.

Main Lidl shop of £56.22
Tesco of £7.99 (for what I couldn't get in the first shop)
Felt like I was quite strict and didn't buy too many unnecessary items (mostly baking bits for DD)
That was last Friday

Sunday required, wine, rum and chocolate so another £29.42 at the local Spar.  Considering how much I got for £56.22 that really highlights the cost of alcohol, particularly spirits.  Need to make sure I'm getting these somewhere with a deal rather than as a Sunday evening impulse.

Then just another £7.10 at Tesco on Tuesday for chips, potatoes and a couple of other basic grocery bits.

Current balance: £134.71/£350


We should be able to make it through to PayDay on target as only 2 more big shops to go and if I can avoid the emergency shops as much as possible will be ok.  Plan for tonight is coming week's meal plan and shopping list.  Am currently buying 2 chickens a week, roasting both on a Sunday with lots of vegetables and using that through the week.  Putting bones in the slow cooker to make stock, which I then use for cooking rice\barley or a soup.  I still have veg from last week and a fair amount of batch\cooked - leftovers etc so will focus in those in my meal planning.

joedenise

@Finstickle - if you use the big river company then spirits are often cheaper on there then in the SMs.  Added bonus it's delivered to the door!  DH and I drink different spirits so usually buy a couple of each at a time when they're at a good price - either the same as Mr Ts or cheaper!

CoffeeSonata

Hello all.  Sorry for vanishing. I've been away until Monday. 
I've possibly over-bought in my enthusiasm to be in control of my diet again (Christmas plus lack of veg was getting to me).  Had to buy some comfort food items and drinks for my partner who is ill and miserable. 

Went to Morrison's on Tuesday only for Ribena for hot squash for the Ill One and wine for me as it was my birthday. Decided to take advantage of offers, and things I knew we needed or would cheer my partner up since it was so quiet and I was there. 
Also really needed some cleaning things as house = actual disaster. I will be mostly not working the next couple days on the business and trying to restore some order and actually clean kitchen and bathroom. 

Spent £48.60 in the random Morrison run for Ribena -  which doesn't even really make a proper meal so I'm a bit sad. 
It was cat food (Felix as good as it looks and doubly delicious 40 packs are reduced to £9.99 if you have a more card), 4 x jacket potatoes, pack of muller yoghurts for partner, own brand rice pudding tins x 4, some clementines, a grapefruit and a pomegranate for me, bananas, sweet potatoes, wine for me, 2 sets of sensitive cleaning gloves, toilet blocks on offer, butternut squash and a fennel, 2 x ribena (on offer saving £2.60), barley water, fruit tea bags. 

So a pretty unusual shop for us and not a planned shop. it will all be eaten, and I do have a plan for everything.  Some is stocking up (Ribena, rice puddings). 


I have a farm box order coming tomorrow including Seville oranges for marmalade (hopefully! Thery are more expensive there than I'm used to,  but I can't find any anywhere and my love of homemade marmalade knows no bounds), and red cabbage for pickling.  It will be enough veg and fruit for us for the weekend and next week, and include the above. 

That order all comes to £35.35. 

I will have to use it all as we have NO room in the freezer! I'm a bit scared of the freezer, and not 100% sure what is in there at the moment.  

I have done some planning around the veg box, what I know is in the freezer and trying to lose weight, and have a Mr. M's click and collect order for tomorrow which will be £43 ish.  that's some store cupboard things we're low on which will likely last to the end of the month, and the rest of what we'll need for the week. I will only likely need milk and maybe a yoghurt and bananas.  

I'm hoping I will only need one more decent shop before the end of the month to plug gaps, partly due to finances but partly hoping I can plan and use what we have in the freezer effectively.  Slight problem as I'm a bit lost what's in there! 

This week I have leek and potato soup that I bought back with me from my Mum. 
We've ended up living on homemade  pasties for 2 days which my partner's mum made for us and gave me when I went to pick up the cats (not planned!) My Mum also sent me back with frozen pasties! 
Tuesday we ate fast food BK as my birthday, I was on the retail park and partner didn't know what wanted to eat feeling so ill so met me there and at least could say I went out for my birthday! I did really enjoy it though and not having to figure out cooking/shopping. 

Lunches this week  I've been all over the place and picking -  not even eating the soup I have and the part bake rolls my partner did get me so I could have soup and rolls for lunch before I figured out the shopping when I came home. My appetite and routine is entirely shot.  Hopefully, the shopping and some more organised cooking and food prep will help me. I still need to write down my meal plans. 

So by tomorrow, I will be at £126.95/£360  depending on what the click and collect comes in at. 

Actually hoping with having been away, and my freezer being full, including some frozen things I bought back with me and with some tins and a lot of dried pulses I will not actually get near £360.  I also have a lot of treat things, and other sort of things parents sent back with me and partner's mum gave me. Trouble is it's mainly biscuits/sweet stuff or random cupboard things that we may not normally eat etc.  Also a LOT of cake.  I also have  We are also away for one weekend, and some of the £310 will probably need to be diverted to the eating out budget - though I'm very much hoping we can do cheap eating out/very budget on the trip. We'll see. 

I do need my motivation to both eat properly (and appetite) and motivation /energy too cook and plan to come back. 

Off to catch up with you all now!