January 2024 Grocery Challenge

GolfR

I found someone local giving away kefir grains so I popped down there this morning and called into Waitrose after. Got a sushi rolling mat, whole organic milk for the kefir, raw beetroot kimchi which was on offer and I’ve fancied trying for a while, a £7 (😭) pack of sushi for my daughter, my first bunch of daffodils for the year and a pack of dried black beans. Spent just under £17.

£215/£300 spent

Angelica123

Has anyone found any apps that are good for meal planning? My biggest hurdle is I hate meal planning and then I procrastinate until I run out of food and then buy ready-made stuff. I did Hello Fresh for a while which was great for taking away that cognitive load but it's not the cheapest (and I hate how much packaging it involves). I enjoy cooking - I just hate meal planning and grocery shopping lol. 

BudgetingBelinda

338/400 🥴 that is with using a voucher. Fluffed up with the shop yesterday. 
blooming heck. 
anyway.. enough in for a week bar some bread rolls tomorrow for kids homemade chick burgers- naan breads whizzed up make great breadcrumbs FYI. That’s coming out of my penny jar proceeds. I am going to do better next week! 

keggie

Small small top up shop today including organic milk for the kefir and other bits and pieces.

With round up £17

W2 £51/80  

MTD £97/320

keggie

GolfR said:

I found someone local giving away kefir grains so I popped down there this morning and called into Waitrose after. Got a sushi rolling mat, whole organic milk for the kefir,

Hope you enjoy making the kefir. Seem to remember that the first batch or two might not be the best… but that might just have been me adjusting to the taste.
When I started, I bought a new sieve and kilner jars that only get used for my kefir. 

Just been for more milk so need to get my next batch on the go.

CMD79

Thanks for advice @Blackcats and @LadyWithAPlan - I'm going to do that. Though glad I revisited the list, because as you said, when you need to spend £100 you end up filling the trolley with all sorts! And having consulted under the sink this morning, I do not need any cleaning products for the foreseeable future!!! I've got about 150 dishwasher tablets, and only one dishwasher! 

All that aside!! I was thinking earlier - I do this a lot! January, for me, has 36 days from one payday to the next, February has 31, and March 27, so actually, when trying to budget for £2024 over the year, it makes more sense for me to factor in the size of the month! So, I have increased January to £199.08. This is 36/366 £5.53 per day. BTW, I have pretty much kept my weekly shop in the region of £40 - £50 per week consistently for some time, but it's the first time I've ever really thought about the daily spend. £5.53 per day does not sound like a lot eh?!

Thanks so much for the Rice Pudding recipe @CoffeeSonata! Will give it a try when my DH and DD go on holiday without me in Feb! 

lovemula21

Yes, I agree @LadyWithAPlan. If you will use them then it is a good deal.  I shop at Sainsbury’s and use their smart shop. It gives me personalised nectar prices on items I usually buy which can be hard to turn down. This week it was cereal and vanilla oat milk. This took me over budget but FC it will even out. 

I was fairly well behaved and didn’t get any treat stuff during our main shop. However, I have since sent my OH to the shop to buy chocolate and other items so overall I’m not doing as well as I should be. 

We’ve spent an extra £24.55 this week on treats from the shop which brings my Jan total to £188.29 

£188.29/£500 

moneyowen

Went on a bit of a panic buy today spent £62.65 due to snow forecast from mid week.  Got in bread flour, yeast, long life milk  potatoes etc.  The shops round here sell out quickly as soon as the bad weather is forecast so it’s a case of your damned if you do or you damned if you don’t.  In the past I’ve left it too late only to find that the shops have been ransacked.  So now I get a few extras just in case.  Really hoping that it won’t be too bad though and I’ve not bought anything that I won’t use.  Anyway that’s another chunk of my budget gone so at the moment it stands at £183.48/350 

diminua

£47.11 spent so far - I did have some nectar points to use but it's still not bad. The freezer is running a little low though, so I'm planning a stock up tomorrow or Tuesday evening. 

[Deleted User]

Just done a count of money left and we have £45 to do us until pay day.  I am actually paid this Thursday and I'm also paid early next month so I am finishing my Grocery Challenge on 18th for January.  

I don't have food plan for this week coming.  I've been struggling a bit with food planning in general.  I feel like my tastes and apetite have changed since menopause but also, having done it for so many years I might just be burnt out with it.  Today is Sunday roast which I love and maybe there will be some leftovers for tomorrow, beyond that I have no idea what to have for dinners.  I need to take some time this afternoon and go through some cookbooks to get inspired I think. Lunches for me this week will be easy sandwiches and DH does his own thing.