October 2024 Grocery Challenge

Suffolk_lass

JingsMyBucket said:

@Suffolk_lass which open jars of fruit are you using? Are they whole fruit or more like jams? I’m just wondering if I could repurpose some strawberry jam / preserves into a crumble but probably not. Maybe if I add some old apples to the mix?

I've added opened jars of jam to some fruit under a sponge, but not a crumble.
My open jars are some Victoria plums in danger of going over, so I gently stewed then bunged into a hot (110 to sterilise) jam jar, screwed the top on (and if it pops, it preserves, like jam). The low amount of sugar means once opened, it needs using within a few days. You can't treat it like jam. I had half a jar left so I tipped them over apples and topped from my bag of ready mix crumble that's in the freezer. Job done. The second jar is strawberries. I will have them on a breakfast tomorrow.

JingsMyBucket

@Suffolk_lass thanks for that. I pretty much only have jams. Maybe I'll mixed them with other elements to make another type of dessert. 

CoffeeSonata

After vanishing on the thread for a while because of too much life and disasters happening, I’m back and trying to keep to a minimum this month.  I have plenty of store cupboard things to use and a freezer full of probably quite random things which I’d like to use up. Also need to spend as little as possible really.  

Please can I have 
£260 for the month? 

thanks @elsiepac
That is for 2 adults and 2 cats. 

Cat food is a separate budget but blurry- any top up from supermarket or buying them chicken in the supermarket counts. 

This doesn’t include cleaning which we tend  buy in bulk but cleaning things that are bought as top ups in the supermarket do count . 

(Otherwise the maths and YNAB just gets complicated in practise .) 
I have a small eating  out/ takeaway budget  that rolls over,  but once that has been used, any further eating out / take away has to come out of the grocery budget. 

Blackcats

Did a big shop today in Lidls which includes provisions for the month for his Lordship The Cat.
stocked up on some toiletries and bottles of sauce such as soy, hot-sin, salad cream etc.  oh and a bottle of wine!
today's spending has taken a disproportionate amount from the monthly budget but hopefully it will even out over the next 3 weeks.

£245 remaining

otb666

250/550 Half way through so on target for once.  I am drinking less coffee and more herbal tea and feeling better for it. I am also trying not to over stuff myself and eat enough so I am nicely full If that makes sense. 

thriftwizard

I've spent another £38.34 today, hurtling round to the butcher then the supermarket, almost (but not quite!) between showers; we'll be fine now until Thursday/Friday's weekly shop, as there's plenty of fruit & veg still despite us being away for a few days over the last weekend. Meals are planned & baking will be done, hopefully tomorrow or Wednesday.

Soontobeoap

I cannot find a reciept from 2 days ago but know that it was for £14 something so will add £15.00 to be on the safe side. Eating from freezer as much as possible. Had gammon 3 days ago that I bought at Easter when it was half price. It has done 2meals and a couple of sandwhiches. Tommorrow i will fry up some frozen cooked new potatoes with sausages bacon and beans. Not the healthiest meal but a treat doesnt hurt occasionally and I am at a meeting so wanted something quick. I will do chicken noodles on Wednesday to use up a chicken breast along with some carrot and onion. Thursday will be Shepherds pie that was made when we had one 2 weeks ago. I threw in the left overs from a tin of beans and some past their best mushrooms when I made them to bulk them up. The 2 of us get 2 good meals out of 500g of mince. I also throw in a, handful of oats to thicken it up. I am using pork mince at the moment as that seems the cheapest. I seem to be back in control of the food budget after a series of events this year that have taken over. "Sometimes life gets in the way" as they say. 

carboot_karaoke

Evening all,  

I have two small spends to declare which is a bit disappointing after two yesterday but I needed eggs. 

Went to Asda spent £3.23 on cauliflower,  mushrooms and milk but they had no eggs at all. 

Which prompted another visit to Lidl for eggs and salsa £3.68

New total £255.35/£650

It's likely I'll need to get more things on Wednesday but better planning should reduce future supermarket visits. 

zafiro1984

I need to keep a more careful watch on what I spend on food. We never have takeaways or meals out. There's just the two of us Mon-Fri and three Sat-Sun. So far I've spent a total of £86.48 over 3 visits to either Li.. or Sa... I don't need to go shopping again until next week and I'm hoping my allocated £225 will be enough to last the month. I think that maybe writing everything down and seeing what others do will help. 

TravelCrystal

Good morning guys

2 shopping trips to report today. Lidl and Tesco

Annoyingly L didn't have any decaf tea today so luckily I was going to T.
Spent £9.75 on Tea, washing up gloves, fresh lasagne sheets and oven cleaner

In L I managed to get YS mushrooms for 55p and money off grapes from the L app
Had a free pineapple today as no longer doing free bread when you get to the £50 limit.
We are having soup (liquidised left over Sunday veg doctored with coriander and cumin) for lunch today with my homemade wholemeal and fennel instead

Had to stock up on one or two items but with the fruit and veg still only came to £32.28

We have stir fry tonight with some of the pork hock I cooked in the slow cooker last week.
I invented a barbecue sauce and put in a star anise to give it the Chinese vibe.
Had it last week with the reduced priced gnocchi I bought a few weeks back.
I expect tonight I will add a glug of sweet chilli sauce and hoi sin, my favourite.

I can see some space in my freezer now having used a few of the items

Total spend so far £101.24/£300

Have a good rest of the day all

T.C