November 2024 Grocery Challenge

elsiepac

December GC Now Live!

LadyWithAPlan

Hope everyone is safe, warm and dry. I am not leaving the house today - though I do need to go out tomorrow so hoping this storm will abate.

Grocery £17.62 yesterday  £90.56 this month - freezer eat down
I popped into Morries on way back from gym £25.62 which included a bottle of red wine  £8 ((different category) I am popping to see friend over weekend so a gift) 
 I bought YS chicken legs, meat, some veg but now can refill the freezer with loads frozen veg, I will start making serious soups again in my PC. I am making a lot of bean extravaganzas served with veg and a portion of chicken or a meat mince base.
 I am trying to hit the  £40 per week x 4 weeks to get the extra £15 in points, at Morries so will need to go tomorrow  to complete week 2.

I have finally defrosted my freezer yesterday hence the lower food bill as I have been eating it down for what feels like weeks. It looks better.


@Bluegreen143 re the sw/joe wicks food - not done either but have you thought about increasing the beans in your recipes as they are high in protein and fibre and ok in carb - so they are  super filling, quite cheap (bought dried) and low calorie and not as high in carb/and blood sugar level rising as rice/bread /potatoes etc

I have been eating more slow carb aka beans.. it has meant my food bill gone up a bit as I cant buy YS ready made meals - not that I do often but I have lost weight and am leaner.

Annual spend - I started YNAB Nov 30th last year so finally got some accurate figures - I have always budgeted but not bothered adding all the little bits up so YNAB is great for this collation as its all on reports.
All figures from Dec 1st so 11.7 months - will update at EOM

So food at home = £2063.81   and abroad food (cooked in apartments)  £655.04 
This does not include meals out either in UK or abroad
Splits inc
Grocery  £1483.43
Bulk      £129.5
xmas food £67.98
Meal boxes/takeaway £150.82
Junk /sweets  £167.37

Mrs_Cheshire

Hi all, just totted up my recent spends we're at £429.15/£400 so not bad considering I had run one freezer down to make way for the new fridge freezer. I've been able to get some good collections from Ol!O so that has helped with the veg/bread side of things mostly. I did manage to get 6 packs of 2 gammon steaks the other day, which went straight into the freezer. Not sure if the kids will eat them as they are smoked but they can always have something different. 

I've been adding dried goods and drinks to my online shopping orders so have most of the Christmas treats in. I'm starting to book the December orders in the app so will be able to keep an eye on spends easier. 

JingsMyBucket

Well, I decided to put in a Tesco order instead of going to Lidl and M & S due to the storming this weekend. The delivery will arrive in a couple hours but they’ve already sent me the receipt. 

£82.66 on the Tesco delivery. This is covering standards like yoghurt, milk, cheddar, mozzarella, 3 dozen eggs, herbs, Yorkshire tea bags (only had 4 bags left!), baked beans, fruit, and other sundries. Also got ground beef and a big pack of pork shoulder steaks; both items took about £13.00 of the total. It feels like we can’t have a Tesco order less than £70 nowadays whereas I used to struggle to £50 a couple years ago.

£5.49 at Amazon just now by Mr. Jings for a tub of Maldon salt. I literally just realized about 20 min ago that we’re completely out of salt with a few crystals left in the salt pig. I thought we still had some left in the cupboard. 

Also discovered this evening while cooking that were totally out of Parmesan. I’ll get a wedge later this week. And we need peanut butter. This really is the month where everything ran out all at once. 😑 I’m aiming to stop shopping for the month by Tuesday or Wednesday and only do a top up shop late next week in early December. 

£480.75 / £375.00 spent. We’re £105.75 overspent. 

MissRikkiC

@JingsMyBucket I eat porridge every single day of the year without fail, how do you just have it when it gets cold 🤣 granted it doesn’t actually fill me up for more than an hour these days, I think my body is so used to it. I have 120g and generally add protein and fruit and Peanut butter and still I’m starving before I make it to lunch! 

I can’t tot up what we’ve spent since last Thursday but let’s just say, there isn’t much left from £100 and I am disappointed. I didn’t ask my husband to spend the first £50 odd yet he picked up what he thought we needed but frankly most of it is left still tonight so we clearly didn’t need it. On top of that we then spent even more friday In Lidl and I can’t even remember what on. I am going to investigate tomorrow and tot up properly. 

JingsMyBucket

@MissRikkiC hah! I’m using steel cut oats instead of rolled oats. I believe the former is called pinhead oats in the UK. They have more of the husk/bran on them so more fiber and they keep you fuller for longer. I also add chia seeds and ground flax (linseed) to the bowl. And a pat of butter! 😂 So yeah, that’s me full for a while. 

I also add strawberries, almond butter or crunchy peanut butter, cinnamon, ground clove, a little bit of dark brown sugar, then a sprinkle of Maldon salt flakes. 

I once entered this breakfast into MyFitnessPal and it totaled to 15g of fiber which is wonderful. That’s half the recommended 30g fiber daily intake for a woman, knocked straight out at breakfast! The RDA used to be 25g but it was increased a couple years ago. Likewise, men’s RDA used to be 30g but now it’s 35g. 

carboot_karaoke

Morning everyone, 

l hope the rain has stopped and the 🌞 is shining. 

Another two amounts to add to my overspend £16.22 at aldi on YS chicken thigh,  a large bag of grated mozzarella  some herbs and a few other bits.  OH spent £7.10 at Asda but couldn't tell me what on !! . 

New totals £647.76 /£600 

Food £496.76 /£420 
Petrol £151 / £180

I already know this will increase because the fuel light has just come on in the car 🙄 . 

LotsOfTea

@MissRikkiC maybe you just get more hungry in the mornings and need a mid morning snack whatever you have for breakfast. I'm always hungrier in the first part of the day and then not so much in the evenings whereas DH is the complete opposite. He never eats breakfast and could happily not have lunch until 2/3 pm but then in the evenings he's often wanting snacks after dinner. 

thriftwizard

Right, this may be an odd sentiment for a budgeting thread, but I'm vastly relieved to see that others are over-budget too! I am not alone... which strengthens my resolve to keep on keeping on! Thanks, all!

Bluegreen143

£77 spent on our Sunday grocery order. Lest that sound good, remember we get two a week!

Ordered the below:

F&V - grapes, peppers, lettuce, rocket, celery, red cabbage, baby chestnut mushrooms, radishes, green beans, frozen butternut squash, carrots, apples (two types), cucumber, lemons, coriander, bananas, baby potatoes, red onions, cherry tomatoes, melon, courgette

Protein & dairy - finest ham x2, lean steak mince 750g, chicken breast 1kg, grana padano, feta, skyr fat free yoghurt x2

Bread - wholemeal pitta, multiseed bread, small wholemeal loaf

Cupboard - green olives in brine, tuna in brine x2, spaghetti, white wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, lighter than light mayo, chopped tomatoes x4, baked beans x2, soup pasta, beef stock can, strong wholemeal flour, borlotti beans can

Junk & drinks - 6pk crisps x2

I somehow forgot milk and antibac spray, both of which we are now out of, so will need to pop to the shop today.

Mealplan for the next four days:

Mon - minestrone
Tues - air fryer chicken breast, big salad, maybe some new potatoes
Wed - chicken gyros salad bowls with pittas, olives and hummus
Thurs - spaghetti bolognaise

For breakfasts I'll alternate fruit salad with yoghurt and overnight oats. There is cereal, porridge, toast with peanut butter or overnight oats options for the kids.

Lunches - ham or tuna sandwiches for DH / leftovers, baked bean baked potatoes or tuna tomato pasta for me.