April 2024 Grocery Challenge

LotsOfTea

I've had a couple of small shops picking up bits like fruit, bread and vitamins this week but I'm hoping to hang on until next Thursday now when I've got a big shop ordered for delivery. 

Today's task is to meal plan for next few days to use up what we have. I've got today sorted - I made soup from all the wilty veg yesterday so that's for lunch and I've got burgers, hm wedges and corn on the cob for tea. 

£86.58/£250

SausageDogSandwich

Small spend of £5 on the co op freezer filler, to keep in freezer for a quick tea when the next disaster strikes   and £5.29 on descaler and not sure what else husband bought. Big shop ordered for Monday night delivery but might go to farmfoods aswell as need a few things that are cheaper there, will just have to try not buy everything I see. 

£126.74/400 spent.

debtfreewannabe321

Just catching up, and I feel bad saying this considering our aims here, but I am *so* glad it isn't just me who's totally bust the budget this month I did so well in Jan/feb/mar I suppose it had to happen at some point that I ran out of flour, sugar, seeds, nuts, lentils ETC because I was not buying any sort of excess then...... ugh just so happened all at once really. Oh well. 

I have done better this month on some things- cooking chickpeas from dried (I finally got this right after trying many ways over the years and giving up!), so that saves us some money, I have made my own falafels and also humous both really yummy so I will carry this on. I have also been baking more for our treats so not spent an awful lot on snacks- which is good because children definitely seem to prefer snacks over dinners for the most part. I have said no to takeaways like McDs when out and about with kids. 

As I was so close to my budget before I eeked out my usual shopping delivery day by a day or two extra for the last two and I went to the shops yesterday instead of a delivery so I could check out prices in person (I am not very good at navigating the SM online sites I tend to just go with the same thing I bought before rather than looking for new products or offers). I still have 12 days left of this month but yesterday's shop should see me through (i pray) to next weekend which will then require only a small top up until pay day so I think I've done well eeking it all out- it helps DS went to his dad's house though he eats more than any of us. 

My freezers are both full of frozen meals I have batch cooked so I don't need any more dinners, I will just need fresh salad, veg (I am going to try and use frozen though instead for this last week as I have lots in) and fruit as well as bread. DS is due home tomorrow I am going to make a batch of protein balls, some flapjack and some banana bread. I can freeze the banana bread and the other two last a fair while in the fridge anyway. That will help with him rifling through my cupboards and eating 'dinner' ingredients I had put aside for specific meals. 

So up to today I have spent 

£531.34 / 500 

(I appreciate all the commiserations it makes me feel not so alone) 

Mrs_Cheshire

Had a few days away at my parents meaning my spending is less at this point in the month than usual. We're also trying to use up bits and bobs from the store cupboard so that's keeping the spends lower than normal. Currently on £124.80/£500. Managed to get a decent deal on He!!oFresh so got some interesting meals to give us some variety. Got some free boxes to give away too - need to find some friends who've not tried it before! Kids go back to school on Monday so other than a small click and collect at Morr!es tomorrow (got £6 off £25 spend through Hot UK Dea!s) we should be ok for a few days. 

Soontobeoap

@debtfreewannabe321 I am struggling this month too. Easter, guests and illness have thrown me completely. School holidays are always the hardest for us Grandparents so I can only imagine what it is like for young familys.

Another £6.00 spent here today. We are eating lots of fruit at the moment. Not even half way through the month for me!

debtfreewannabe321

Soontobeoap said:

@debtfreewannabe321 I am struggling this month too. Easter, guests and illness have thrown me completely. School holidays are always the hardest for us Grandparents so I can only imagine what it is like for young familys.

Another £6.00 spent here today. We are eating lots of fruit at the moment. Not even half way through the month for me!

Yes I think it was Easter hols that threw me I never thought to budget extra. And my kids have invited friends over too and they just helped themselves...I will just budget more in future as I don't want to put them off having friends over 🤣 I'll be known as old mother Hubbard lol

NeverendingDMP

111.25 spent already of my 180. I'm ahead with the school dinners with the kids being off so I'm hoping to keep to what the budget would be without it and save the rest. General food and tins of dog food from Aldi has been bought. It's so depressing I have to put my pin number in now when i shop at Aldi..... Top up shop and bread will be needed in a few days but I'm going to try and be strict this week to see what I can achieve. There's a food community pop up shop near one of the places I travel to with work so If I can fit it in I go there sometimes. a fiver will get me 15 points worth of tins, packets etc. I bought a large bag of pasta for 1.50 there last week. Use by date is June but I'm pretty certain we will have eaten it by then anyway!!! It's open to anyone no questions asked so I'm very lucky to have come across it. I've been two or three times now so I'm finally starting to understand how the points system works without having to keep asking and looking like a plum.

PipneyJane

Good morning All

I have several shops to declare from earlier this week.  First, though, some good news!  I had a PET scan on Monday and got the results on Thursday: only a couple of traces left of my lymphoma. Everything else is clear.  We celebrated with rump steak from the butcher . £20.67 spent by the Meat Fund. 

We also went to L!dl (£13.31 spent), and Sainsbugs (£8.41 spent mainly on loose fresh veg).  Throw in £3.50 spent on chips from the local chip shop (because you have to have chips with your steak), plus £3.77 of shrapnel accumulated over the course of the month and …

The above brings our total GC spend to £98.96/£140 leaving £33.50 for the rest of the month.

- Pip

Soontobeoap

So pleased for you @pipneyjane. Rump steak thoroughly deserved. 😊

weenancyinAmerica

Great news. Hugs and steaks for you.