May 2024 Grocery Challenge

Soontobeoap

Just popped to asda again! I really couldnt possibly have anticipated the amount of washing powder loo rolls and lucozade I would have needed over the last 2 weeks. Ice lollies are also going down a treat here too. Another £35.00 spent. I think that this has really proven to me that everyones circumstances differ greatly and we cant all expect to budget the same. I have been nursing DH now for over 6 weeks. First with shingles and now after his op.However I am still determined not to go over yearly budget! I am off to June now. See you all there.

thriftwizard

Just sitting down with a little sigh of relief, lunch done & dusted! In the end I found two containers of blackberry & apple (HG apples, locally-foraged & HG blackberries) lurking in the nether regions of the freezer, so did a swift crumble & teamed it with a choice of cream or HM strawberry & raspberry ice-cream. DGS is now a crumble convert, and has requested some ice-cream specially made & delivered to their home!

 I can hear that the belt is beginning to slip from time to time inside my trusty CS-bargain ice-cream maker; £35 for a barely-used Gaggia Gelateria with extra bowls. That's one gadget I will most certainly replace (if it can't be mended by my colleagues at the Repair Café) as it's enabled me to turn gluts of HG or extremely cheap fruit into delicious & genuinely nutritious food that will keep for much longer than in the raw state. 

navelorange1

I went to get a coffee that I thought was included in my gym membership today but it turned out it's only free on weekdays. The guy had already made it and I didn’t want to be awkward so I paid £2.97 for it. I wouldn’t have bought it if I had known however it was the best coffee I’d had in a long time so I am secretly glad

I’m declaring this month at £85.11/£80. Over budget but not too bad to be honest. I think some lessons have been learned as I can see now I spend far too much money on processed sweet foods when I can easily make something far cheaper at home and it’s interfering with my fitness goals. The good news is that I was in the green this month and well on track towards my yearly saving goal.

I made some choc chip energy bars today from: 150g oats, 1tbsp coconut oil, 2 ripe bananas, 1 egg, 40g dark choc chips and a pinch of salt however they are disappointingly bland so I think I will attempt to drizzle some chocolate on top as I have about 50g left. The main part just tastes like porridge cooked with water though… does anyone know how to add more flavour to oat bars? I plan on buying peanut butter next month so that should help.

Pennypincin

After a few in budget, undeclared spends, I'm £19.38 under budget.
I'm starting the week with £40 and the money left from last week will go into the bulk fund.
The week before last, I purchased some random, unnamed budget laundry Pods from savers.
I wouldn't be buying them unless I'm desperate for them. They don't smell particularly great and the package says to put 1 in, but it's not quite enough and 2 is often too much. The clothes come out okay but I'm not sure.

Pennypincin

Just under £20 spent in Sainsbury's and Tesco.
Mainly on salad and vegetables, plus a couple of bits which should last me a few days.
Im going to try and not go food shopping until Thursday.
I will be getting a few treats, but not out of the grocery budget.

goldfinches

I'm claiming another NSD thanks to powdered milk, it's a pity yoghurt doesn't come in powdered form as well as I've run out so shall have to go shopping tomorrow because I prefer the fat free greek style and I haven't mastered making it myself yet. Still I've only got to get to Friday and I've got £9.80 in hand so there's hope.

thriftwizard

Declaring for May at a bit over £446 and very happy - actually a little under my target figure! Admittedly this is by accounting for a couple of "family" spends elsewhere but it seems to me that this is the way forward; it got a bit depressing missing every time for reasons basically outside my control! I love my family very dearly & wouldn't change them for the world, but sometimes it all seems a little bit - well, random!

Now to work out what's likely to occur in June... not sure I have a clue yet!

goldfinches

I've gone over as a result of shopping for the bare essentials this morning, admittedly not by much but I do know I could have done better so it's a bit discouraging. Onwards and upwards to June I think.

Anyway, I spent £7.45 at Mr T's on extra firm tofu and perfectly imperfect frozen fruit and then £4.30 at M*rks on fat free greek style yoghurt, a red onion and organic milk.
The Baking Budget spent £2.50 on vegan margarine for the flapjacks I'm making for tomorrow's walking group outing.

That makes my new total for GC £151.95/£150 which is an average daily spend of £5.42. 
The Baking Budget total for May is £21.80/£25 which is better than I'd hoped.

Hopefully I shall be able to get to Friday without going near another food shop so see you all over on the June thread.

PipneyJane

Good afternoon All

I’m declaring at £157.70/£160 leaving £2.30 to roll over to June.

We went to L!dl this morning, to fetch some smoked salmon (YS so 2x£2.09), a tub of Greek-style Yoghurt with Honey (£1.25) and a free pineapple.  £5.43 spent.  7p has been deposited in our money boxes.  We have one for 5p, one for coppers and one for £2 coins.  When a box is full, we bank it and spend it on treats (the 5p’s and coppers) or holidays (the £2 coins).

See you in June.

- Pip

Wraithlady

navelorange1 said:

I made some choc chip energy bars today from: 150g oats, 1tbsp coconut oil, 2 ripe bananas, 1 egg, 40g dark choc chips and a pinch of salt however they are disappointingly bland so I think I will attempt to drizzle some chocolate on top as I have about 50g left. The main part just tastes like porridge cooked with water though… does anyone know how to add more flavour to oat bars? I plan on buying peanut butter next month so that should help.

Some ideas: add dried fruit or chopped dates (or substitute for the choc chips and double the amount) and mixed spice, or add orange juice or zest, or chopped nuts and up the salt content unless you're on a low-salt diet (or go mad and do all 3!). The nuts won't add a ton of flavour, but they do make the texture more interesting