May 2025 Grocery Challenge

carboot_karaoke

Thank you @C_J

I've just researched seems we have a few about 30-45mins drive away. I'm not on Facebook so will look on Mr CK's profile later.  

Are there parcel pre prepared or do you choose items that you know will be used? I'm getting quite excited at the thought of finding one. 

C_J

At one I visit, you just help yourself (and the volunteers are quietly on hand in the background to ensure nobody greedily takes more than they can use - there are a few who really seem to take advantage (but you never know how large their household is); at the others, the volunteers have a quick look to see how many people have turned up in time for the opening and work out roughly how many of each item we can take, so that it’s perfectly fair and everyone comes away with similar amounts. Sometimes you help yourself, sometimes (with the higher value items) the volunteers just hand it to you as you file past the tables and you just say yes or no. I turned down an awful lot today because I just wouldn’t use it - broccoli, parsnips, pizza, swede, salad potatoes, bread rolls, packs of cut herbs, and loads more. They are all brilliantly organised, super friendly, and quite amazing. Lots of people turn up for the ones I go to, so several of us (with the time to spare) turn up early with a flask of tea and have a good old chat while we wait in the queue, they’re such a friendly bunch. We all tell each other how great it is we are saving food from being thrown away, but we all know it’s really because it saves us so much money 🤣🤣. I hope you find one near you which is as good 😀

PipneyJane

Good evening All

First shop of the month done.  I snatched a quick visit to L!dl on my way home from work, when I realised that we’re away for the long weekend - leaving tomorrow afternoon - and will probably run out of milk during breakfast on Tuesday morning.  I haven’t even taken the GC money out of the bank!  Fortunately, I got to use this particular branch’s one-and-only self-service CASH till - all the others were card only - so could spend my emergency £20 note and save the change for the GC Purse.  (When I put in my cash contribution, I’ll put in that change instead of one of my £20 notes.)

Anyway, £13.83 spent on plain yoghurt (55p), a frozen salmon en croute (£4.99), one carton of semi-skimmed lactose-free milk (99p) and two 360g packets of 4 frozen tuna fillet steaks (£3.65 per pack).  We’ll take one of the tuna packets with us, to give to our weekend host to try out.  (He’s only ever had tinned tuna.)

The above brings our total spend to £13.83/£160, leaving £146.17 for the rest of the month.

Something is definitely wrong with L!dl’s lactose-free milk supply.  Normally, they have skimmed, semi-skimmed and whole milk options.  Over the last 2 weeks, I’ve checked out 4 different stores and none of them have anything except for semi-skimmed.  Fortunately, the unopened cartons keep for weeks in the fridge and I normally buy 3 x1L at a time, so I still have some supply of skimmed in the fridge.  I’ve never tried the semi-skimmed - hopefully, it won’t be like semi-skimmed long-life milk, where you get a caramelised taste from the cream, which I hate.

- Pip

mandco

Pipneyjane it’s not just Lidl there seems to be a massive shortage of lactose free milk other then semi skimmed everywhere I used to get sains own brand full fat for ds but they haven’t had any full fat or skimmed in 5-6 weeks they don’t even have a space on the shelf for them anymore. I havent seen any own brand version other than semi skimmed in ages and that’s often oos now as it’s the only one available . I have found the branded lactofree milk still available in all 3 but it’s way more expensive 

goldfinches

Evening all, another scorcher here and the May Day celebrations this morning too, so it's been quite tiring.

I made my first spend of the month in Sains to take advantage of their 3 for 2 on frozen fruit which will last me the whole month at 100g for breakfast every day. I also bought some radishes, celery and two cans of black eyed beans for a total spend of £8.29.
Then I went on to Rob*rt Dy*s for a bottle brush and two lots of washing up brush pads for £6.87.

That makes my new GC total £15.16/£150.

t14cy_t

£200 for this month please, thats 2 adults, 1 large dog, and 7 chooks and rocky rooster. alcohol not included!!

WickedLady4

@C_J I volunteer at a Community Larder here in Milton Keynes, which is run by a charity in Oxfordshire. People can have 10 items for £3.50 and then their pick of the available fruit and veg. We also have Community Fridges, and we send often send our surplus food their way. Our Fridges don't seem as well stocked as your though; yours sounds amazing!

sams247

Spent £9.30 in Sainsburys yesterday, all non food things like toilet roll and cleaners.  

Leaves £170.70 for May, but I am on a self catering holiday for one week so that will seriously challenge the budget.  Mainly as I wont be able to utilise my community food visit.

SausageDogSandwich

Morning all, I have already spent £21.86 yesterday, on ice cream, sweets and a pack of biscuits for the kids, then a few other bits like potato smiles, noodles etc at farmf. Will get big shop delivered on Monday, trying not to buy anymore frozen as my freezer is full and need to start emptying it now.
£21.86/400

C_J

Lidl have just emailed me with one of their vouchers for £5 off a £25 spend. I don’t need much at all this week but I could probably use it to stock up on the likes of washing up liquid, toilet rolls, dog food and olive oil.