October 2024 Grocery Challenge

PipneyJane

Blackcats said:

@Nelliegrace - that menu looks delicious and excellent value for money

I agree.  It does look lovely.

@LadyWithAPlan - as a rice replacement, you might want to try using Bulgar Wheat.  It’s got 4 times the fibre and 8 times the protein of brown rice, and is considerably quicker/easier to cook.  In a saucepan, combine twice the volume of boiling water to the volume of bulgar wheat (e.g. 1/2 cup of boiling water to 1/4 cup of bulgar wheat per person), sprinkle over some salt, bring back to the boil, switch off, cover and leave for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.  Using it as a substitute had never occurred to me, until I saw one of the Van Tuliken brothers present a BBC program about combating type 2 diabetes.  (I think it was called “The Truth About Carbs” but can’t find it on the iPlayer.). HTH.

PipneyJane said:

…..

The above brings our October GC spend to £176.30/£180, leaving £3.70 for the rest of the month.

The one thing we will need to purchase is yoghurt.  We don’t have enough for Wednesday or Thursday.  I buy Yeo Valley whole-milk yoghurt because there are no fillers or thickeners and they don’t add colouring to make things look more appealing*.  Since I’m heading to C0stc0 at lunchtime to buy something for work, I’ll pop to the MrT’s opposite and see what they’re charging for Yeo Valley this week.  If it’s less than £2.25 a 450g tub Sainsbugs were charging on Saturday, then I’ll buy a tub there.  If more, then I’ll go to Sainsbugs (which is on the way home).  That’ll get us through to the weekend and November’s budget.

As predicted, I made it to both MrT’s and to Sainsbugs yesterday.  MrT’s had an offer on a packet of 4 small/individual Yeo Valley Greek-style Yoghurts With Honey, £1.75 instead of £2.25 for any of their regular sized tubs (4x100g instead of 1x450g). We’ve already had 3 days of that flavour of yoghurt but, with only £3.70 left in the purse, needs must.  The 5p change has gone to the moneybox.

In Sainsbugs, I spent £1.50 on a large bottle of their baby talc.  Unobtrusively scented talcum powder has been impossible to find for months and this was the only one left of the batch that I’d spotted on Saturday. (I regret not breaking out the Bulk Fund and buying several bottles then.)

I’m declaring at £179.60/£180, leaving 40p to roll over to November.

Payday is Thursday and I can’t wait!  It’s the first full pay packet that I’ll have received since March, when I went onto Statutory Sick Pay.  Such a relief to be able to replenish my savings pots!

- Pip

Nelliegrace

We spent £1.78 on sweet potatoes and oranges (on offer,) at Tesco on Saturday because we used their carpark when we went to the theatre.

I shopped at Aldi today, spending £16.66.
We had a small pork joint on Sunday, with leftovers Monday and Tuesday, and some cooking bacon, and liver for tomorrow, out of the freezer.



I am declaring,

Grocery Budget £155. £148.08 spent, £6.92 left.
If I didn’t include the meal out, there would be £39.92 left.

Suffolk_lass

PipneyJane said:

As predicted, I made it to both MrT’s and to Sainsbugs yesterday.  MrT’s had an offer on a packet of 4 small/individual Yeo Valley Greek-style Yoghurts With Honey, £1.75 instead of £2.25 for any of their regular sized tubs (4x100g instead of 1x450g). We’ve already had 3 days of that flavour of yoghurt but, with only £3.70 left in the purse, needs must.  The 5p change has gone to the moneybox.

- Pip

@PipneyJane that sent me to the kitchen and then the website to check out the various Greek and Greek Style yogurts I buy. I buy the Morries Greek strained at 2/3 the price of the F brand and a higher fat content, (50g more too) or their own brand Greek style (£1.10 for 500g, my local doesn't do the 1k pots) - neither contain anything other than milk (English in the GS, Greek in the strained) and the relevant live cultures, and as a beekeeper, we prefer to use proper local honey, not the "blend or EU and non-EU honeys" that often contain honey-syrup from far flung places instead of nectar-derived honey. It's a form of fraud, keeping colonies in large sheds and feeding them sugar syrup all year round. Yes it has enzymes but no pollen or nectar, hence honey-syrup. 

Definitely worth reading the labels

LadyWithAPlan

@PipneyJane sadly I have to be gf so cant eat bulgar wheat. Great news you feeling well enough to be working for a full wage, you will feel quite flush!

Grocery for Oct hopefully final spend!  £188.12  grocery + £0 bulk + junk (sweets/crisps £21.40 + £55.77 abroad grocery so £265.29 in total  and no meals out 

£22.84 spent in Morries to hit the £60 for a fiver voucher. I did not have to spend the whole £60 as a fellow shopper needed my more card to get reduced price on a bottle of spirits - so I got that £19 spend on my card whilst she saved £7..
£18.24 was on groceries inc some dried beans (still not found pinto beans dried or tinned anywhere but Waitr*se) - really its for next month but also got YS beef mince veg, tomato puree, YS herb pot etc
£2 on sweets (2 for £2 deal) ahead of my cheat day
Plus bought some cleaning stuff that is in a different pot

@Suffolk_lass I believe and save the fiver for Xmas shopping.

Thanks @suffolklass for the honey education 

Todays food was a black eyed bean spiced mixture made in the pressure cooker, lots of spices to keep it interesting and the YS peri peri chicken thighs  I bought which I cooked in the airfryer - super tasty  as pretty spicy and I will use the bones and the spicy oil to make some stock for the freezer. My pressure cooker 6 in 1 (also sautes etc) really comes into its own in the winter

Blackcats

@Suffolk_lass - the information about honey and honey-syrup is very enlightening.  I suspect I've inadvertently been buying the latter.  Thank you.

Blackcats

Finishing the month with what appears to be a healthy underspend but actually the last 4 days food/eating out has come from my holiday savings as we are away on a trip.  So, I'm going to declare a balanced budget and move the £61 underspend to cover holiday spends.  Convoluted but makes sense to me 🤔

diminua

Declaring at £4.68 over. See you on the November thread. 

PipneyJane

LadyWithAPlan said:

@PipneyJane sadly I have to be gf so cant eat bulgar wheat. Great news you feeling well enough to be working for a full wage, you will feel quite flush!

I’m sorry, @LadyWithAPlan, I totally forgot that you have to be gluten free.  Can you tolerate quinoa?  It has slightly more protein than brown rice (8g per 100g vs 5g) and about the same amount of fibre.  Also it can be cooked by the same absorption method.  However, it is more expensive.

Suffolk_lass said:

PipneyJane said:

As predicted, I made it to both MrT’s and to Sainsbugs yesterday.  MrT’s had an offer on a packet of 4 small/individual Yeo Valley Greek-style Yoghurts With Honey, £1.75 instead of £2.25 for any of their regular sized tubs (4x100g instead of 1x450g). We’ve already had 3 days of that flavour of yoghurt but, with only £3.70 left in the purse, needs must.  The 5p change has gone to the moneybox.

- Pip

@PipneyJane that sent me to the kitchen and then the website to check out the various Greek and Greek Style yogurts I buy. I buy the Morries Greek strained at 2/3 the price of the F brand and a higher fat content, (50g more too) or their own brand Greek style (£1.10 for 500g, my local doesn't do the 1k pots) - neither contain anything other than milk (English in the GS, Greek in the strained) and the relevant live cultures, and as a beekeeper, we prefer to use proper local honey, not the "blend or EU and non-EU honeys" that often contain honey-syrup from far flung places instead of nectar-derived honey. It's a form of fraud, keeping colonies in large sheds and feeding them sugar syrup all year round. Yes it has enzymes but no pollen or nectar, hence honey-syrup. 

Definitely worth reading the labels

Agreed @Suffolk_lass.  We’re lucky to have a couple of jars of honey purchased directly from beekeepers and they taste of flowers!  They taste fantastic.  Definitely worth purchasing.

It’s all about living your principles.  Where possible,  I buy local honey, recycled toilet paper, recycled kitchen towel, free-range eggs, etc.  For years, pre-Pandemic, I bought my vegetables directly from the farmer who grew them.  (Sadly, the Pandemic put an end to their farm shop.  If they ever re-open, I’ll be back in a heartbeat.)

- Pip

LadyWithAPlan

@PipneyJane I can eat Quinoa, but dont really bother that much. Rice works just as well, though quinoa lovely in a salad.
Hope everyone having a good frugal start to Nov

carboot_karaoke

Evening all,  

Just arrived home from our visit to see family.  We didn't end up buying the premier inn breakfast because my dear SIL had provided a continental breakfast for us.  
We did pay for a lunch out and a few other bits. 

Finally Declaring October Spend at £628.16  / £650 better than expected 😊.