July 2024 Grocery Challenge

TravelCrystal

Good morning all. 

I am late to the party, but I like option 1 menu @carboot_karaoke.
Lasagne is my favourite and you can add so many things and keep the meat quantity down. 

I also like curries but haven’t made one lately.
 I imagine it will be beef related next, owing to the vat of meat in the freezer.

On another note I spent 27 pence last night in Lidl’s on bananas. I had forgotten I had free fruit juice to collect.

Have a good day all.

T. C

Total £241.25/£400

PipneyJane

Good evening All

I have a small spend to declare:  £5.55 yesterday in MrT’s, on bagels (£1.25), cream cheese (£1.30) and 100g smoked salmon (£3), which we had for breakfast this morning.  We’re finally heading home tomorrow.

The above takes our total spend to £76.04/£165.40 leaving £89.36 for the rest of the month.

- Pip

LotsOfTea

I had a supermarket delivery today that came to £94.57 and which was a combination of convenience stuff to take away camping this weekend (including some cans of gin and tonic for evening relaxing) and useful staples for when we get home so we don't have to immediately rush out for supplies. I also spent £18.09 in Aldi on various bits and bobs like dried fruit, cereal bars, nuts and a bottle of wine. 

Today we're focussing on using up anything that won't last over the weekend so I'll be making veg & halloumi fajitas for lunch which we'll all eat and Mr Tea and I will have something that includes the leftover half-pack of smoked tofu that needs using for our tea as DS isn't a fan. He'll probably ask for something on toast as that's his favourite type of meal. 

I'm declaring now as I won't shop again before the end of the month at £303.23/£300.  

thriftwizard

I've just spent £67.77 between the butchers & the supermarket, taking me up to £380.76/£525, which I'm quite pleased with as there's not a lot of July left! But I'm trading over the weekend, so am leaving £30 cash for "incidentals" and I won't know what leftovers there will be until Monday, so may need a top-up shop thenabouts. It's looking like there'll be a good bit left, so I'm going to invest in a few bulk-buys to take us up towards the Festive Season... aaaargh!

LadyWithAPlan

@carboot_karaoke both sound delicious but I would be doing option 1 or chicken curry instead of mutton for option 2..

I was away in Europe where the quality and price of food made England look terrible. Did a shop at L*dl there - such great veggies (and the saucisson with nuts in)  and also the local supermarket (think a tesco/sain but so much locally made stuff from spiced sausage to olive oils and even the salt.. and dont get me started on the cheese counter... though I picked up a brie and officially its the smelliest brie ever 
I have brought some hard cheese (not smelly back) 

Overspent my GC goal  massively - junk, Hfresh mistake and abroad so more treat food.
Grocery  £225.23 plus £33 bulk (coffee mainly)
 uk food -£120.39 + £51.57   abroad + £28.98 helfre + 24.29 junk 
£56.57  split cost spent on abroad food (not meals out that was a further £59.35)


Accidental purchase of HellFresh - i had cancelled then had a 50%, 40% then a few 20% off offers. I had used the 50 + 40 but was skipping the weeks  20% and of course with travelling I had forgotten - so £28.98 ... inc a spaghetti dish and hotdogs - and I am gf .. so will swap for GF bread and pasta but annoying

PipneyJane

@LadyWithAPlan  I love wandering around the supermarkets and markets in France. The quality of the food is always first rate and everything is labelled so that you know where it grew.  However, having just returned from Normandy, I can report that the French, too, are suffering from food price inflation.  It’s not just olive oil, which is at least €3/L more expensive than it was last October, everything was 20-40 cents more expensive.

I have two shops to declare from yesterday.  £17.35 spent in L!dl and £12.86 spent in Sainsbugs.  I also cleaned £4.85 of shrapnel out of the GC purse, which included two £2 coins. (We have a rule: never spend a £2 coin.  They all go to the Holiday Fund.)

The above brings our GC spend to £111.10/£165.40 leaving £54.30 for the rest of the month.

- Pip

LadyWithAPlan

@PipneyJane yes I love a French food market ... I even bought some speciality tomatoes at one this week  - one of those huge black /red ones and some plum tomatoes largely so I could bring the seeds home (I ate around the seeds) ... I am getting my dad to do his magic next spring to see if he can grow tomato plants from then - really hoping  I will have bought my home and got a small garden to grow toms, herbs and a raspberry bush at least.
I am sure prices have gone up in France but still cheaper than here and better quality i find even in the lidl (uk vs france) 

I like the saving of £2 coins but it would mess with my YNAB budget too much plus I dont use much cash nowadays.

Due to my huge overspend this month on Grocery I am now trying to eat out my freezer this week as much as possible. I have my DN though from Sunday for a week and she is severely allergic to lots of things GF DF soya free orange free.... my home is GF anyway .. but she is also picky and I need to do her packed lunches so I can see my YNAB food budget  is already blown and will get worse.
I have 1.2 huge tubs vegan choc protein shake left  so I am determined for health and protein and budget reasons to have at least one a day in a smoothie with frozen kale and blueberries, flax seed and chia seeds and will count as a healthy snack. One scoop is 24 g protein and only 106 kcals and its already bought - not had it in months but expiry date is drawing close and my GC budget will thank me as will my waistline after my French food adventure.

TravelCrystal

So I had to go to the dentist for a filling today.
Ah, I thought there is a Co-op nearby and I remembered the bargain as advertised on T.V 5 frozen for £5
Of course I didn't pay proper attention.
Didn't realise I had to buy one of each item
So with the milk spent £13.90
You live and learn.
Will definitely not be going shopping again this month.

Brings my July Total to £255.15/£400
T.C

carboot_karaoke

Evening all, l have a £57.60 spend to declare across three supermarkets during the course of the week and a further £10 on 96 packets of walkers crisps, l couldn't resist at that price!! Hoping to have some left when the kids return to school. The offer (3 x a variety box of 32) was on at Poundland if anyone is interested.

Entertaining wise my OH agreed with @PipneyJane that one option is enough. We have a ton of chicken seasoned with various flavours, peri peri, jerk etc to go with rice, salad, coleslaw. Not sure on the cost because hubby paid from his account. Guests are bringing puddings. 

I did also make two lasagnes we ate one today and one is in the freezer.

Apart from the £50 ish fuel spend l'm hoping about another £20 will get us to the 1st of August.

New totals 
£687/ £537.14

1. Petrol £180 / £120.23
2. Food/Cleaning £350 /£262.55
3. Camping food £100 / £115.45
4. Toiletries £57 / £38.91

Pennypincin

Hi, several spends to declare.
£2.40 in Sainsbury's yesterday on eggs and 1 pint of milk, plus £17.68 on Tesco on fruit, mini baby bell cheese as well as some vegetarian protein and picnic bits for next week.
Today I spent £3.70 on salad vegetables plus 60% 2 types reduced wraps and sandwich thins.
I'm hoping what I've got will last a while but will need to top up what I've got.
I'm camping with my church at a conference that happens each year so it will be interesting how much I spend while away.
Someone has kindly offered to do breakfast and possibly lunches for be, but can be a little unreliable. Fingers crossed it goes well.
I seem to have lost the plot this week, but am around 15 p under budget.