May 2025 Grocery Challenge

TravelCrystal

@C_J pleased to hear you are cooking up your supplies.
I need to defrost my freezer before the end of the month. Luckily I have another one, but like you I do a lot of batch cooking and it never seems to empty 🤣

Suffolk_lass

I shopped yesterday. I knew it was going to be a bit of a biggy! It was. I stocked up on salad and fruit, and it has all gone up in price. I did buy 5 half price bags of jumbo peanuts, paracetamol with caffeine, plasters, and a collapsible washing up bowl that were not on my list, and with olives, meat (to be portioned and frozen) and ice lollies, the total cost was huge. After removing the household and treat purchases my spend so far this month is £179.63. Not what I want to see just six days after receiving my occupational pension (the start of my month).

Apart from a refresh of fresh veg that will be it this month, with just a quick pop in to Sainsbugs to pick up Matzos crackers. I plan to make celery soup and bread later today too.

GSDMum

carboot_karaoke said:

Morning all,  

I'm popping on to declare another spend of £8.70 at Asda yesterday. This was for bread, a large block of cheese,  greaseproof paper, and zip lock bags. 

We really need cling film, but the last few I've brought haven't been very "clingy" does anyone have one they could recommend? 

New totals £77.17 /£470

Bought some cling film from Lidl yesterday, £2.?? for 75m, all purpose, non-PVC. It seams so far to do the trick.

LiveSimply

@ET22 here we are. 

I’ve done my first shop of the month, hoping to be more cautious of just buying because it’s on offer. 

ET22

Can i join for 180 for thw month please?

 ive spent 120 pounds so far, so the cupboards are full which hopefully will stop me going to the shops for the next 3 weeks apart from milk and bread. I made a stew yesyerday which was suprisingly very nice so should be able to get a few meals out of that. 

 I keep promising myself i will make carrot cake but after a cheesecake disaster not long ago I keep putting it off. I will make one this weekend and see if its edible 

JingsMyBucket

I sidled over to M & S again while in town and spent £17.20 on the usual fruit and strawberries, lemons, a pack of chicken leg quarters, yoghurt, butter, and coffee beans. 

£155.64 / £325 spent. £169.36 total remaining.  

No more shopping until Saturday or Sunday when I head to Lidl for their AlpineFest. I’ll restock on vegetables then too. 

Soontobeoap

I need to get a grip! Another £11.25 spent in Sainsbury's mainly on toilet roll but some tinned salad beans, 2 x apple turnovers as a treat and some broccoli popped into the basket too! A new strategy is needed next month if I am to stay in budget for the year!

thriftwizard

I've been away for a week, house-sitting in Wales again. I'm counting most of what we spent on food - and it wasn't all that much, even accounting for a trip to the local market and food festival! - as holiday money, as that and fuel were our only expenses. But I have counted in the £50 I spent on two massive (3kg+) chickens and 4 1kg+ each turkey drumsticks, direct from the farm, that came back in my travel fridge and are now residing in my freezer! Some of the massive leeks I planted last autumn have also come back; I'm going to wave them at the pencil-like items at my allotment planted just a week later & politely explain that this is what they're supposed to look like too! (There are still plenty for the family in Wales & they'll go to flower soon.) So today's £24.30 was just £10 for mince at the butcher's & £14.30 for yogurt, cream & a couple of salady bits at the supermarket; more will be spent at the market tomorrow morning but hopefully not a lot. I'll have to hit L1dls etc. early next week as I'm working away for a bit this month, so need to get it sorted although chickpeas are the only urgent item. I'm delighted to see tiny beans forming on my broad beans, and there are flowers on my tomato plants in the greenhouse & strawberries in the beds, and astonished to see that I have tons of Little Gems growing merrily away - I've never managed to grow lettuces before, the slugs always got to them as soon as they showed their little heads!

ancientmum

Just popping in with a tip.  I 've not caught up with the thread yet so apologies if this has already been posted.  

In my local Sainsbugs today they were doing a NECTAR OFFER OF 3 FOR 2 ON FRESH FISH.  I bagged a couple of packs of salmon and a pack of smoked haddock, saving £4,50.  when did fish get so expensive?

goldfinches

@carboot_karaoke - I can recommend Waitflower cling film if you have a branch nearby.
@thriftwizard - I'm very impressed by your allotment success, mine is only just getting going this year and the lettuces seem to be sulking so far.

I did a quick run today to Sainsby's for loo rolls and a gas cylinder for the sodastream for £19.50 and also bought milk from M*rks for £2.25.

That makes my new GC total £66.50/£150 which is a bit much for so early in the month so time to start excavating my freezer I think.