March 2024 Grocery Challenge

elsiepac

April GC Now Live!

elsiepac

So sorry for your loss @Soontobeoap, do be kind to yourself in this difficult time

SausageDogSandwich

Sorry for your loss @Soontobeoap x

Just a quick post I am upto £164.98/350. We’re away next mon to fri so just having a use up week this week, with a couple of fresh things to buy for packed lunches. Won’t be buying food as it’s included, so will do a big shop when we get home and will get the kids an Easter egg aswell. 

Take care everyone x

number_23

Sending hugs @otb666, take care of yourself

Little update re GC challenge, I'd usually spend a LOT at the weekends due to being on the go and unorganised but this weekend we had a takeaway on Friday (£30 including delivery, which we record separately to the GC) and I've made homemade for the remainder of the weekend (cannelloni and a garlic chilli chicken curry). GC total for March is now £45.29 due to buying bits I needed for meals and school lunches this week. 

Finstickle

I seem to have had quite a few spends this week:

£2 on Smol washing & Dishwasher tablets (free, pay for postage) - a good deal if they work
£29.55 at Sans, popped in to the big supermarket as I was in the area, stocked up on herbal teas, spice marinades etc - all the nice things you can't get at a local Liodl.  These should last a while as obviously not using everyday
£9.36 on wine & chocolate (definitely needed)
£62.89 on the weekly shop.  Really happy with this, cost is definitely dropping as I become more ruthless with what I buy, I don't need to always have 2 spares of everything.
£3.92 on potatoes and YS veg this morning.  

Currently at £297/£300

Although we have a party next week (increased booze spend) and myself and DD are going away in the campervan with friends for Easter.  A few beers and a planned egg hunt will see a bit of an increase.  Offset by DD going to in-laws for a week of the Easter Hols, although this will fall into Apriil.

wishus

Bit behind! I'm now on £88.90. I used my cashback voucher of £39.50 the other day in Sainsbury's to buy provisions for our weekend break near the campsite. Quote a lot of that was beer, most of which we've brought back home. 
Today's trip was to Aldi for £21. I've bought a few instant pots of porridge for OH to take to work, as he won't use their microwave but he will use their kettle. I also bought a few chocolate gifts, and I'm trying a butter chicken kit.

Need to sort our meal plan for the week, think this will be it, after going through the freezer:

Monday: sea bass, wedges, kale and peas
Tuesday: sausage, mash, carrots, onion gravy
Wednesday: veggie pasta/pizza
Thursday: veggie pasta/pizza
Friday: Butter chicken and rice, poppadums, raita
Saturday: veggie chilli, rice, guacamole
Sunday: Roast chicken, roast potatoes, veg.

Pennypincin

Sorry for not keeping up with posting.
I came in £5 under budget this time.
I'm trying something different for a while since I've been awarded pip and will try a monthly food budget.
I will try £30 per week for the rest of the month, but am tempted to slightly increase the food budget and see how it goes.

Soontobeoap

Its been a shopping morning. Looked at prices online and between Asda, Aldi and Sainsburys have spent £57.17 and used £10.00 from nectar points to bring it down. £20.00 was spent on options drinking chocolate. I have taken on board all of your kind suggestions for mixing it with cheaper etc but have decided that if we can buy it at £2.50 a jar its not too bad. Sainsburys had that offer today so we bought 8 jars. Along with the 2 jars that we still have, that should keep DH going for a while. 🤗. 

This means that I am over my target already this month! 🤦‍♀️. Each month I think we have all of the bulk buys we need and then an offer that is to good to miss comes along. However I do think that I save more money when I have a low target as I remain more careful. 

PipneyJane

otb666 said:

480/550 So should come in as go from 23rd to 23rd.   Been a strange week my Dad passed away 10 days ago so have been a bit off kilter.  Had not seen him for 5 years and he could be very self centered So been a bit of a strange time and feelings going from relief to worried about attending funeral But there you go.  Seems I have reached that stage in life where  it’s one funeral after another.

@otb666   My condolences on the death of your Dad.  Big hugs from me.  May they carry you through the funeral.

- Pip

thriftwizard

£10.50 added, for cheese, apples, poppadoms & naans from w8rose - curry tonight as a bit of morale-boosting is called for; OH's poor nose is still very sore! So I will still have to get him some sliced bread at some point but there's still half a loaf left & everything else is holding out well.

ETA: sorry to hear about your Dad, @OTB666; even if you were estranged, it's still a bit of a body-blow to lose a parent.

Edited again: And also your sister, @Soontobeoap; so sad for you. Don't be too harsh on yourself...