March 2025 Grocery Challenge

Quantaqa

Morning All, once again I'm not doing a great job of posting my spends or, honestly, keeping on top of what's actually spent.  Thankfully my Cash Envelopes keep me ticking along ok.  I've just counted what's left and I have £99 left out of £200.  So £101 spent so far.  I'm quite happy with that, and delighted since i really have not been keeping to top of thisat all.

Money_Choices

Hi Elsiepac

I am setting a larger target than normal. This is because I cleared out my food cupboard out of out of date items and had to restock.
My Grocery Challenge target is £300. I have alread spent £192.14 with shopping at Sainsburys with my Mum. This leaves £107.86 left to spend.

Money Choices

Soontobeoap

3rd week's shopping at Aldi. Just the basics + meatballs and bacon came to £45.00. seemed a lot until I realized DH had added ice cream, biscuits and chocolate bars.🤣🤦. Also £2.85 spent on Ribena at the range.

Wraithlady

thriftwizard said:

PS - just discovered air-fried bread! Who knew?! 2nd rise in the fridge overnight, then into the Ninja first thing while I sort the cats, chickens & cockatiel out, & there's fresh delicious bread for breakfast, without tablespoons of sugar like the recent bread-makers are demanding for some reason.

To be honest, my breadmaker recipe demanded 3 tablespoons of sugar (!!!) - I cut it down to 1 tbsp initially but have happily and successfully reduced it further to 1 teaspoon per large loaf, might try and reduce it even further.

I know that the recipe is written for the American market, but that's practically cake...

K9sandFelines

Wraithlady said:

thriftwizard said:

PS - just discovered air-fried bread! Who knew?! 2nd rise in the fridge overnight, then into the Ninja first thing while I sort the cats, chickens & cockatiel out, & there's fresh delicious bread for breakfast, without tablespoons of sugar like the recent bread-makers are demanding for some reason.

To be honest, my breadmaker recipe demanded 3 tablespoons of sugar (!!!) - I cut it down to 1 tbsp initially but have happily and successfully reduced it further to 1 teaspoon per large loaf, might try and reduce it even further.

I know that the recipe is written for the American market, but that's practically cake...

I noticed similar with a cornmeal recipe. Nice, but was very cake like .

TravelCrystal

Morning all
@Wraithlady and @K9sandFelines and @thriftwizard, hopefully haven’t forgotten anyone re the bread maker. Mine says 1 tablespoon of sugar with 400 grams  of flour per loaf which I can just about live with. However I tend to do an Italian loaf which just has olive oil in it, no sugar. I quite often use some cheaper oil instead because it’s so expensive but does get over the sugar issue. I also add some oregano and fennel seeds.

Have a good weekend everyone 

T.C

LotsOfTea

I've never seen bread recipes that ask for that much sugar - I use the booklet that came with my breadmaker and it's 1 and a half teaspoons with 500g of flour. Mind you, I have heard that bread in the US is considerably sweeter than over here so if the recipes are aimed at that market they're obviously going to want to it to taste like  'normal' bread which is fair enough. We tend to like what we're used to. 

Suffolk_lass

My basic white loaf recipe (at the front of this thread) includes no sugar. Having had some out of date dried yeast to use up, I did start putting a level teaspoon in a jug, with 200ml of warm water then cool the water and add the 7g of yeast, stir and check after 10 minutes. Duff yeast does nothing, but the sugar activates the good dried yeast. Mine is a recipe for stand mixer or hand kneading though, not a breadmaker. Here's the link (from 2012!!)

otb666

410/550 on target as only one week left for me 23rd til 23rd. I skipped the veg shop this week at farm shop as plenty in. I have noticed our local aldi have stickers now with 50% and 30% which has been useful for meat purchases although you have to cook it quick before it turns. I am quite pleased with myself as incorporated a new microwave in budget 129 as ours was going rusty on ceiling after 7 years. Also car tax 30 incorporated in food budget. As hubby is on weight loss jab mojo it has made a big difference to our budget. Most days he just has a soup now with breccy and afternoon snack where as before at noon had a massive plate of meat and veg and gravy.

remmie

Famous last words indeed. After another shop for dog food, and some other bits that fell into the trolley my total is now £126.55, leaving me £83.45 for the rest of the month. Should be doable as plenty in the cupboards and freezer, and enough dog food to last.

On the plus side my Xmas meat fund has £28.76, from the freebies and money off coupons I use.

£216.55/£300