January 2025 Grocery Challenge

Suffolk_lass

Mrs_Cheshire said:

Hubby went shopping on Thursday for BBQ sauce - I usually buy own brand but apparently the shelf was half empty so he had to buy a large branded one £3.90. I couldn't believe the price! 
Today he popped to the shops to get milk, apple juice and some cereal. Bought himself a pack of latte sachets despite me buying him a milk frother for christmas and having flavoured syrups in the house. Need to persuade him to give the frother a try! Today's spend £8.84
£359.76/£400

Goodness, for BBQ sauce. I am shocked. I make a simple sauce when cooking ribs or chicken, using it as a marinade and topping.
It is ketchup, malt vinegar, Worcester' sauce, a dash of tabasco, a dash of oil, whisked together. You can take it up a level with some finely diced onion, cooked gently in the oil until it is just beyond translucent and then add the sauce, bring to a simmer, cool and blend; or by simply adding some smoked paprika for a bit of something smoky. I guarantee it is cheaper and in our house, is preferred to shop bought. You can vary the proportions to meet your taste. Without the onion, it keeps if you make too much for one go too

Pauper1

Ordered a big stock up shop for tomorrow as it's the start of my new pay month, so I'm at £280.39/£400 for January now

determined_new_ms

Money_Choices said:

Hi

Today I spent £20 on groceries at Morrisons after a fasting blood test at doctors.
My spending is £20/£50.

Money Choices

my goodness I am in awe of your budget! Is that for one person? I'm hoping Jan comes in around £150, so maybe that a similar budget for 3. Heavily making use of Olio though

Tjh1412

8.98 yesterday to top up what we have at home, that should last til next weekend though hopefully apart from perhaps milk 

diminua

£162.49 spent so far. Mostly on groceries - I got some frozen fish and peas this week, and restocked up on rice, as well as the usual things like milk and bread and fruit. Had a good clear out of the food cupboard and shelves (where things like icing sugar and the tin of unpopped popcorn live). Everything still seems in date and/or edible, and I found two tins of tuna I forgot I had, so have put them back at the front where I will see them. The herbs and spices I keep in a box on top of the fridge aren't so good - largely best before 2023, but I'm sure they won't hurt me, just lose a bit of oomph, so won't be replacing them just yet. 

cheerfulness4

determined_new_ms said:

Money_Choices said:

Hi

Today I spent £20 on groceries at Morrisons after a fasting blood test at doctors.
My spending is £20/£50.

Money Choices

my goodness I am in awe of your budget! Is that for one person? I'm hoping Jan comes in around £150, so maybe that a similar budget for 3. Heavily making use of Olio though

I'm in awe of you, too. Bringing it in on £150 for 3 is excellent as we are the same number and I've been trying to manage on £250 and going over each month.  This month is the first time that its looking good for us.

determined_new_ms

cheerfulness4 said:

determined_new_ms said:

Money_Choices said:

Hi

Today I spent £20 on groceries at Morrisons after a fasting blood test at doctors.
My spending is £20/£50.

Money Choices

my goodness I am in awe of your budget! Is that for one person? I'm hoping Jan comes in around £150, so maybe that a similar budget for 3. Heavily making use of Olio though

I'm in awe of you, too. Bringing it in on £150 for 3 is excellent as we are the same number and I've been trying to manage on £250 and going over each month.  This month is the first time that its looking good for us.

Thanks cherrfulness4! This is unheard of! I think it’s only been possible because 1. We have a lot of things in the fridge/freezer/stores because of Xmas and general over buying (our larder has an excess of dried food stuff atm)  2. I am heavily making use if olio. I’ve had over £40 of produce off of there over the last couple of weeks and 3. We have switched to making a big batch of something twice a week and then just eating that until it’s all gone in some form or another. Having a lot of soup and sarnies! 

We usually spend around £350-400 and then in the last couple of months of 2024 it was around £500-550! Decided to rein it in as that’s a ridiculous amount. We try to not eat UPF foods so that sent our bill up, but just goes to show with a bit of resourcefulness you can keep costs from spiralling. 

Soontobeoap

Well done both of you amazing sticking to that budget. I am snaking in under cover of darkness to admit another £56.13 spent at Sainsbury's! My only defence is that I underestimated how much it costs to feed a hoard of grandchildren and their parents for 7 days and rising costs. However this is a rubbish start. Hopefully that's it now for January!

Just a quick one .On the subject of rising costs. When did sultanas and raisins shoot up in price. Before Christmas I could buy them for 95p a 500g pkt. This weekend they were £1.30 and I had to look around to get them at that price. They used to be a cheap way to get a portion of fruit. 

Thistimenxtyear

What an absolute disaster of a week on the money front! I've been putting off this post because I didn't actually want to look. 

There have been lots of unplanned trips to the shop due to being completely wiped out and not having a moment to myself to think. You know the types - pop in for 1 thing and next think you know, you're £20 lighter. Somehow I have managed to spend £214.58 this week alone. Some other things were thrown in with the little shops that I wouldn't normally count to a food budget but in haste I didn't keep receipts so I'm counting it all. 

£307.26/£375 

I shouldn't have to spend anything until Friday, and the weekend/next week will have to be creative. 

On a positive note, I have discovered a perks at work thing there I can buy supermarket vouchers and earn point the equivalent of cashback which I'm going to save up over the year so that my Christmas food shop is paid for. 

Pennypincin

I've £5 left of the budget, which is going into the bulk fund.
I've still been all over the place with frequent little shops for bits and bobs.
I'm a bit annoyed by constantly doing little shops and not doing a proper shop.
My freezer is full to bursting, so will have to run it down.
I will need some fresh bits, but otherwise seem to have plenty in the cupboards.
Other than milk, the stock of it is dwindling and it's 1 thing I like to keep in, so I'm tempted to get some and top up the stock