November 2025 Grocery Challenge

Pennypincin

Thank you pipneyjane.
Sorry to hear that your freezer is temperamental too.
I hope you can get a replacement that's not too expensive.
If I had the room I'd get separate undercounter fridge and freezer.
Although (might sound daft), I think my freezer is a bit big for me at the moment.
I previously have had about a 50 litre freezer, the one now is about 74.
Fortunately my freezer and fridge weren't that full, other than 2 cartons of long life milk in the fridge plus the bits in the freezer.
I had a similar problem with the freezer or the previous fridge freezer after leaving the freezer door open too often, it gave up after turning the thermostat down as it would only work with the thermostat on the coldest setting.
I'm sure it will be fine, but given previous experience, I'm probably being overcautious and a little paranoid.

JingsMyBucket

I was going to suggest the same thing @PipneyJane. @Pennypincin I would check if you could cook any of that and fast track it into the week's meal plan just so it's not wasted. 

LiveSimply

Hi @JingsMyBucket can you put me down for £300 please? I haven’t been updating here for the last couple of months so I’ll keep track and readjust it next month. Thanks. 

(Plus I’ve forgotten how to enlarge the font somehow, I remember it being very easy, but I’ve gone blank)

Finstickle

Realised that I didn't log last week's Asda or any of my smaller shops so here I am.

£76.81 - Asda
A fair bit of store cupboard stuff being topped up but as I was under for the week I also got a bottle of pineapple rum which will last a while.
£34.40 - Greengrocers, 2 trips made.  I'm trying to utilise them more having moved in the summer they are just around the corner and easy to pop in to.  Variety and quality always really good and they do some nice soups and other bits as well.
£19.73 - Tesco, Saturday afternoon after an afternoon out, magazines for DD and I as a bottle of wine
£9.65 - Coop, miscellaneous

I haven't done this week's online order but DD is at her dad's for the weekend and I have a lot in, so along with basics think this week's order will be mostly supplies for having friends round for drinks and nibbles on Sat, will try to leave the order another day or so.

Currently £138.10/£360

ancientmum

Hello Jings,

In reply to your request, my annual budget is £1500.  The £207 is what is left from this to last me the next two months, although I do have about £22 in nectar points as a contingency.  I spend Christmas with my family and give them some money towards food, which comes out of the presents budget.

leftatthetrafficlights

Dh went to the shops yesterday - spent £19.49 on fruit, cereal, bread, oat milk and deodorant. 

November total to date:
£34.46/£350

carboot_karaoke

Morning all, 

I have another small spend to declare for November £5.48 at the local Asda yesterday for, bread, tea bags, sweeteners, a large bottle of water and a reduced gym kitchen meal @ 92p I've brought for lunch today. 

New Totals 

Grocery Budget £113.07 / £360
Bulk Fund £17.22 / £50
Grocery Challenge £ 130.29/ £410

I don't want to speak to soon but this month is going surprisingly well. I did inherit a load of snacks from my mom which should cover the kids lunches for the month and my eldest brought me 4 Sainsburys chickens with no charge which has definitely helped.

But l think this thread has given me a new mindset, last week l made a long list to go shopping then thought "no, actually start with what you have whether you want to eat that or not" 😂 it cut the list in half. 

TravelCrystal

Morning all
Just been to Lidl to do the usual GC spend, also bought 3 boxes of celebrations to add to the Christmas presents so not in the GC budget. I won’t eat them before they are wrapped.
I do have a confession though, I love fruit cake and have already had a slice of the Christmas cake I bought last week. So when my S in law asks me what I want for Christmas, I will ask for another cake😋
Picked up my free cake today and free veg, chose mini corns as we still have a bag and a bit of potatoes left from last month.
A £2 box which contained potatoes, beetroot, vine tomatoes, carrots, peppers and a mango.
Picked up 3 x 6 wholemeal rolls @ 22p each
Discounted loaf and apples. Eggs, kitchen towels, b beans, decaf T bags, mango chutney, 2 x milk, butter, cheese, puff pastry, fruit and veg, more mince pies and sponge scourers.
Also having taken the car in for an MOT and done plenty of walking this morning bought a pizza for lunch
Hopefully this will last 10 days or more. 
Total spend £30.65

Total so far £84.59/£200

Have a good week everyone 

T.C

PipneyJane

LiveSimply said:

Hi @JingsMyBucket can you put me down for £300 please? I haven’t been updating here for the last couple of months so I’ll keep track and readjust it next month. Thanks. 

(Plus I’ve forgotten how to enlarge the font somehow, I remember it being very easy, but I’ve gone blank)

@LiveSimply, to enlarge the font, you want the Heading 2 option from the menu with the weird symbol that looks a bit like a lower case q:



Hope this helps.

- Pip




PS: Is it too early to mention the C-word?  We ordered a 6kg goose today, from the butcher.  Since we won’t be home for the big day, I’ve asked them to freeze it and will collect it on 28th December.  My plan is to defrost it and cook it for New Year’s Eve.

JingsMyBucket

@LiveSimply and @ancientmum I've got both your figures in the list now. Welcome back LiveSimply! 

@PipneyJane it's not too early to mention Christmas. I've been roving the different stores available to me to see if the meat sales are starting soon. I was jealous of @Soontobeoap and @carboot_karaoke's 50% off Sainsbury chickens as we don't have a Sainsbury near us. I do have a 50% off lamb shoulder coming from Tesco next week though. I'll likely make a pilgrimage to Farm Foods and Aldi this weekend to check out options too. 

Your annual goose has me curious though. Every year you mention it, I keep wondering if I should venture into the process of cooking a fatty goose or not.. I've done a whole duck before but not a goose. I think it may be too much work for me at this point but I'm still salivating-ly curious. 🙂