October 2025 Grocery Challenge

K9sandFelines

Suffolk_lass said:

K9sandFelines said:

Suffolk_lass said:

Maybe tag the meal planning thread in your signature @K9sandFelines - there are several; what are you having for dinner? Reverse Meal Planning (in my sig) which is all about using what we have in, without shopping for missing ingredients and others.

I've added it now, thanks 👍🏻

Maybe that's why no-one is posting, as they prefer the other threads. I don't have time personally to look at daily posts to find a meal I'm interested in
 So for me, a week or more works better.

You are always welcome on the one in my signature, if the other one goes quiet, a few pop in occasionally and then we go for a bit with nothing. Now our hols are out of the way, I am trying to use what I have in (vast stores) rather than shop, so substituting from ingredients I have is the way to go to make space and keep costs down, along with vast vats of batch cooking and freeze some.

Thanks SL. I do pop my head in there occasionally.

JingsMyBucket

Morning y’all. Last week I put through an Amazon order and picked up a few items in local grocery stores on Saturday. And there were a couple Amazon Subscribe & Save orders I forgot to reschedule/cancel

£6.63 on 1kg tub of peanut butter. I forgot to move the subscribe & save order to later in the month. 

£14.02 on a 26 pack of protein/snack bars also on subscribe & save 

Lastly from Amazon, £19.38 on 2 jars of jerk seasoning paste (9.49) and 500mL of pure maple syrup (9.89). The syrup will last us a year and the jerk probably until March/April. 

On Saturday afternoon we visited Lidl and spent £13.76 on bananas (78p), strawberries (2.55), figs (1.17), sausages (2.49), another 850g ham hough (2.79), and 2 blocks of butter (3.98). 

Then £22.75 at M & S on their 3 for £12 breaded chicken, a bottle of buffalo sauce (2.00), and 2 bags of coffee beans (8.75). 

£253.17 / £325 spent. £71.83 remaining.  

I’m rather annoyed with myself. I’m seriously questioning if it takes £400/month to feed us properly. We don’t eat really copious amounts of cheap white carbs because health-wise, we can’t. The snack bars are much lower in sugar and higher in protein / nuts than what’s usually available in the grocery store. I carry them with me to stave off low blood sugar between meals or I’ll eat one during a day of long meetings. Mr. Jings eats them too as he does a lot of biking each day. Maybe I can do review of what are the basic items we always get each month to understand what our base grocery cost really is. 

Nelliegrace

@JingsMyBucket, I take an apple or small pot of mixed dried fruit and nuts, or almonds, or 2 or 3 dates, or dried apricots for a tasty snack. They are reasonably priced in the baking aisle at Aldi or Lidl. A slice of homemade bara brith, an apple and a flask of tea, for something more substantial. 

DH bought milk, cream and pears at Aldi. The 4pt milk has gone up another 10p. £4.21 spent.

Total spend £74.73 of £155.

TravelCrystal

A few bits of shopping for the week.
Emergency visit to Asda yesterday as washing up gloves had broken, they are as thin as you like so I will not be getting their cheap ones again. Also bought some zip lock bags. Total £2.63

Today Lidl’s 

Just as I was paying noticed one of their £1.50 boxes, grapes, tomatoes, aubergine, apples, parsnips, potatoes and bananas.
Had a free 7.5kg bag of potatoes to add to the one DH had last week on his app. Hopefully they will keep in the nice cool shed.
Discounted strawberries, beans, rocket, granary bread, coriander and parsnips.
Stocked up on milk, tea bags, cheese, Tom puree, bleach, margarine, tins of b and kidney beans. Other fruits and veg and a cake for a treat 🤭
Total spent £26.17
Plan on having the rocket for lunch in a tuna sandwich made with homemade bread. 😋
Macaroni cheese tonight, should have been last night but low supply of milk, hence extra today and now in freezer.
Total so far £76.90/£200

T.C

Have a good day all

leftatthetrafficlights

Sunday: Apples, oranges, bananas, black grapes, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, 2x oatmilk- £13.56
Monday: Sugar, frozen fruit - £3.78

October total: £18.13/£350

Finstickle

A few different shops to declare:

Last week's Asda order - £57.77, this assumes they grant the £4.88 refund I've just put through, normally the driver does it for returned items so luckily I checked as it wasn't showing
This week's Asda order: £72.30 (estimated)
Co-op: £3.91
went for milk, got other bits.  Now DD is not always here I am struggling to get the milk right, I either have too much and it goes off or not enough and I'm topping up all the time.  I don't take it very often so it is very dependant on here being here.
Tesco: £5.30 - no receipt
Tesco: £7.50 - no receipt


Current total: £251.16/£400
This covers most of next week as well, so not concerned, currently averaging below expectation as not buying much meat.

angelpye

Time flies and so does my money! 

Last week I did a couple of mini shops and ended the week on £110.27

This week so far, although should be all we need:
H&B £11.39
Sainsburys £66.14
Lidl £14.84
Boots £1.90
Waitrose £1.30
Lidl £4.66
Waitrose £2.44
Total £94.77

£204.98/£270

Eek, it’s only half way through the month. I do have a lot in thought but we have a half term coming up with more lunches…need to get more organised as the little shops really do add up. 

K9sandFelines

DD2 grabbed a few things from Tesco, roughly a tenner - no receipt.

JingsMyBucket

A couple spends to declare from yesterday. 

£10 for a pound of local honey. 

£6.70 at M & S for bananas, apples, and a big block of cheddar. 

£269.87 / £325 spent. £55.13 remaining.  

Last night I realized we were out of soy sauce just as I was making dinner. I’ll pick up a bottle sometime in the next couple days. 

Nelliegrace

Grocery shop at Aldi.  A medium chicken, milk 4 pints x2, evap, long life milk, SR flour, mixed fruit and nuts 200g 59p, cream crackers, a cauliflower, 2 x 5 wonky oranges, pears, mini bananas, 
£15.82 spent. 

Total Spend £90.55 out of £155.