December 2025 Grocery Challenge

carboot_karaoke

carboot_karaoke said:

In a separate matter i'm trying to decide whether to take advantage of the buy 6 bottles of wine save 25% offer most supermarkets are running. In the past l wouldn't have thought twice as my trolly clinked around the supermarket. 

We have received more than 6 bottles of wine/ prosecco as gifts so no further spend is necessary.

I did go to Lidl yesterday for an avocado,  fresh coriander, chillies, a loaf of bread and a bunch of flowers for my mom. Total spent £8.38

New Totals 

Grocery Budget £289.51 / £450 

Bulk Fund £34.44 / £50

Grocery Challenge £ 323.95 / £500

I plan a... tide us over for the weekend shop tomorrow. Then the big shop on Monday, not looking forward to that one. 

Soontobeoap

So I have worked out that once wrapping paper, gifts, and medications etc were removed from Sainsburys total it only came to £31.78. in addition to that we have spent £8.46 and DD has just come over to island for work and might get to have lunch with us so DH  went to M and S for baguette ,ham, milk, butter and cucumber for £9.50. £49.69  spent in total. I am absolutely gutted that I will miss out on the cheap veg as we are going away and I do not have time to prepare and freeze before we go or even time to shop. I have calculated that it could save us  at least £5.00 but it can't be done so I have to let it go.

Nelliegrace

15/12 Shopped at Aldi.
5 x Christmas mixed dried fruit 500g reduced to 99p 
Mixed peel £1.09
Box of dates 200g £1.19
Milk x 2 £1.65
Long life milk 69p
Greek style yoghurt 1kg £1.65
Evap 55p
Cream crackers 49p
Carrots 44p
Pears 99p
Oranges 99p
Satsumas £1.39 and £1.09

£18.81 spent

I went across to M&S for marzipan £2.50 and bought more shortbread fingers 2 x £1.15.

£4.65 spent

£10 spent on the Christmas cake made at the local college, I collected it yesterday. It is over 1kg and looks beautiful.
My sister made a Christmas cake in Domestic Science at school. The cake was made in September, brandy added in subsequent lessons, marzipan made and applied, then several lessons were spent applying layers of icing and decorating it. A wonderful creation. 
Our wedding cakes were made at home. 

Total £97.94

Soontobeoap

The cake sounds lovely @Nelliegrace

I have gone back on my word! Had to go to Aldi for some sweet treats to add to a present and  they were discounting chickens by 30% so I put 2 into the trolly along with a pack of beef burgers also 30% off. They also had Brandy snaps which I can never find anywhere so I bought 3 packs of those to take to dds for Christmas. I also bought 4 swedes which I have just cut up and blanched for the freezer. So I did have time. Still. Few bits to do tomorrow before we leave to go to our son's house but I think we are nearly there. £33.00 spent and I am declaring for December as we will be away for the rest of the year.

TravelCrystal

Your cake sounds lovely @Nelliegrace wish I hadn’t been greedy and eaten mine in November. Out of principle I’m not buying another one.

I have an Ocado delivery coming tonight £109.18 worth of things I need over Christmas and for our New Years Eve party of which there will be 8 of us, a couple of bottles of fizz included, lots of cheese, cured meats, crackers as in Christmas and as in for cheese, serviettes, frozen party food and fruit and veg. I will be popping in to Lidl next week just for sprouts but will add that in to Next Year’s.

Total for December £228.04/£200
Total for 2025 including bulk £3900.45
In 2024 before I was a G.C’r my annual food bill was £4780.68 a considerable saving this year.

I have decided to make life easier for @JingsMyBucket I am going to have a budget of £300 a month and an extra £100 for December 2026 to make an annual budget of £3700. 

Any spends I don’t use in any one month will go towards my bulk buys which will include wine, meat, grape tree items and farm food items.

All that remains for me to say now is to wish everyone a happy and peaceful Christmas and a prosperous New Year 

See you all in January 

T.C

Suffolk_lass

I got up really early (05.15) for a Saturday to get the non F&V stuff, only to realise the shop was not open at 06.00 today - that starts Monday! so I listened to the disastrous cricket before going for 07.00 instead. Surprisingly low on stock for some things, I did get one substitute (chocolate chip granola instead of the simple one) but left the other item of seafood to try again when I go for my veg.

I topped up some storecupboard things like cereal, and savoury crackers, but mostly it was treats and Christmas preparedness. My total for the month is £139.74 so far. I need to stay under £290 for the month if I am to squeak in under my annual budget of £3000. I have £176.85 of wiggle room remaining. I have the veg run to do first thing Tuesday but also a Waitflower trip to schedule in.

Pleasingly the more or less offers combined with 10% off minimum £40 netted me a 20% saving. Happy days.

Finstickle

All has been busy and hectic and I haven't managed to post in a few weeks so quite a few shops have happened and a fair amount of Christmas food bought.  Although I have an Asda slot for Monday and greengrocers Tuesday I didn't want to risk not getting the main items so have slowly been buying anything for the cupboard or freezer over the last few weeks.

Overall for Dec I am £398.06 spent, with £101.04 of Christmas.  I've decided to take that out of my food budget as it was just based on my usual values so am saying:

Currently - £297.02/£400

I think I get paid Monday, but am planning to run all budgets to my usual date of 28th so will declare after Christmas, I know I need yoghurts and butter today etc so there is more to spend!

Happy Christmas all who celebrate and for anyone who doesn't I hope you get to use this period to rest and rejuvenate.

Pennypincin

I'm over budget for this week and somehow used the bulk fund to top up on food, but also used some of the bulk fund elsewhere.
I will start again Monday and I'm hoping to get back to staying in budget 

carboot_karaoke

Evening all, 

I went to get a few bits after work on Friday evening.  I expected empty shelves but couldn't believe how well stocked the store was so l ended up doing the big shop planned for tomorrow. Including the once a year TV guide couldn't believe radio times is £6.50 😱 mine was £1.80. It was so nice and quiet that l was served straight away at the checkout, honestly one of the best xmas shopping experiences I've had. 

I left the store and was in such a good mood l went straight to Iceland for prawns before going home.  I will still pop into my small local stores for bread, milk etc but I have broken the back of the December spends.  Total spent £87.87 and £3.75 for bulk cleaning items. 

New Totals 

Grocery Budget £377.38 / £450 

Bulk Fund £38.19  / £50

Grocery Challenge £ 415.57 / £500

During the next two weeks we all get to choose a special meal to cook and serve.  It means that cooking duties are spread out and I love watching the kids in the kitchen preparing they're meals with love 🥰 even if they do use every pot and utensil possible 😂. This year the Ck family have chosen ;

Coq au vin 
Lamb curry (it was going to be mutton but made £ sense to buy lamb joints to chop up instead) 
Homemade Burgers 
Chicken Gyro 
Prawn and lentil curry
Salmon and chorizo 

My MIL is also cooking and will provide at least two dinners worth of food

carboot_karaoke

Last year following the advice of others on the GC  l made up a box of cheap veg and stored in my garage.  It kept brilliantly and l regretted not buying more.  So this year I've brought more.  The bag of potatoes and box and sprouts and carrots are from the lidl. The rest are from Tesco's.