March 2026 Grocery Challenge

mandco

various shops totalling approx £281 over the weekend which is an awful lot but does include some extras for mothers day a few bulk buys and enough laundry product for 3-4 month as it was on offer then another 25% off 5 and included on my club card challenges so Worth the additional outlay this month. Leaving it in this months budget for now but might revisit that later depending on how the rest of the month goes

Total so far £672

Hopefully won’t need anything till the weekend other than milk - I’ve tried buying extra at the weekend but it still doesn’t last more than a couple of days-the more I buy the more they seem to get through

Soontobeoap

@suffolk_lass I don't think buying meat at half price when you find it is hoarding. I still have some too but I am sure that I will find more room in freezer for more when the offers start at Easter.

mandco

@Suffolk_lass i agree with the above stocking up on meat when it’s of offer is not hoarding its common sense meat is so expensive now - growing up we had a proper Sunday roast every week with prices now that’s out of reach for a lot of families. I brought quite a few of the joints on offer at Xmas I actually pulled a leg of lamb for mother day as I really fancied it the same joint in Tesco this week would have been £46 and there’s no way I could justify paying that much. I still have gammon, beef & lamb frozen ready for over Easter and if there are any decent offers on then I’ll stock up again.

Soontobeoap

Have just found a really easy store cupboard / freezer recipe that I can throw into the mix when stocks are low or I am trying not to go to the shops. And it can be batch cooked and frozen. I felt that I had to share it with you all.

Honey garlic chicken

2 chicken breasts, 4 large cloves of garlic,2 tbspns fresh ginger, ( I keep some in freezer) ,8 tbspns dark soy sauce, 4 tbspns runny honey, 4 tbspns tomatoes ketchup and 6 spring onions.

Put garlic, ginger, soy sauce and ketchup into a jug and mix, chop chicken breasts into chunks and stir fry until cooked through, add the sauce and simmer very gently for 10 - 15 minutes. Sprinkle the chopped spring onions over the top and serve with rice.

DH loved it .He is getting less fussy these days!😉 I halved the recipe but now we know that we like it I will make the whole thing and put half in the freezer for a later date.

Hoping to have roast beef at the weekend. A Christmas half price joint. If I can get into town and buy some kidney before then I will make a batch of steak and kidney pies with the left overs. They can go in the freezer now that I am beginning to free up space.

boultdj

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81927183#Comment_81927183

Gammon is half price at £3.50 a kilo at Tesco at the moment if that helps.

TravelCrystal

love the look of that recipe @Soontobeoap. I have 6 large chicken breasts in the freezer and haven’t decided what to do with them yet, bearing in mind they need to last us a while.
The consignment of meat arrived last week and the freezers are pretty much to the gunnels.

I have an Ocado delivery coming this afternoon and luckily only the frozen strawberries to put in, so will try and wedge somewhere.

We get through quite a bit of frozen fruit as we have with our muesli mix and yogurt most days apart from Sunday where we still have boiled eggs and soldiers. Both myself and D.H grew up with this.

Anyway this avo’s contents will be mostly fresh fruit and veg, eggs, wax discs for the Seville oranges that are coming so I can at last make some marmalade. Going to soften peel overnight in the slow cooker. Also sugar for the same thing.

Several lots of cheese, coffee, Greek yogurt’s, kitchen towels, milk, croissants and muesli.

Total will be £77.59

Rolls earlier in the week £1.24

I am going to declare for March as won’t be spending any more money until 31st which will go on to April.

Total this month including bulk is a mind blowing £735.99

@JingsMyBucket can I ask you a major favour please. Can you change my budget to annual of £3700 and then I can work on percentages.

Many thanks in advance

See you in April

T.C

Nelliegrace

March Grocery Budget £155.

15 03 26, DH saved fuel by walking round to the Co-op for milk.

£3.30 spent.

We shopped at Aldi as usual. I added a few items for the store cupboard in case of shortages.

Milk £1.65, cream £1.39, yoghurt £1.65, salad cheese 85p, and eggs 99p. There were several red stickerered meat and fish items, I took just what I could use or freeze and left plenty for others. Salmon fillets £3 and pork steaks 1kg £4.19.

Rice 2x 1kg at 52p, evap 55p, penne 41p, 100% peanut butter £1.59, almonds £1.69, and 2x sardines 45p.

Satsumas £1.39, grapes £1.37, blueberries £1.09, bananas 88p for 7, and pears 99p.

Super 6 offer, kiwi 89p oranges 99p and leeks £1.09.

£28.59 spent.

Total £103.34.

carboot_karaoke

Afternoon all,

Hope your enjoying the sunshine.

I have a grocery spend of £7.53 to declare for cheese and bread x 2. I also spent £12.19 on drinks at a meal on Sunday, which technically shouldn't come out of this budget. But for now that's how I'm funding it. Don't tell Mr Ck l wouldn't let him get away with that 😅

Grocery Budget £224.16 / £400

Bulk Fund £14.74 / £50

Grocery Challenge £ 233.15 / £450

I will need to go shopping again towards the weekend. Food supplies are good, I'm another one with Xmas meat in the freezer. But needs lots of bulk items like, washing tabs, blk bags etc.

Ps: Does anyone have sides of Salmon on offer yet?

Finstickle

Another good week for me.

Asda delivery pas - £6.95

Asda weekly - £52.29

Co-op etc - £12.35, 3 very small stops to pick up bits.

I am away at the weekend with food mostly provided and before we know it March will be over. I am still meat free but also have a fair amount in the freezer for when I go back to having meat, although honestly I haven't missed it as much as I would have thought, and what I have missed is more the ease on occasion - any suggestions for quick & good veggie sandwiches that aren't just cheese very welcome. I definitely see me eating in a plant heavy way going forward and keeping meat down to 1/2 times a week - my pocket will thank me as will the planet I'm sure.

Total to date:

£236.27/£350

Soontobeoap

So I cocked up today. We had lunch at our community club ( a rare occurrence and not in GC budget) so we decided to have a beefburger for tea. I had intended to take the one burger we have and some meatballs out of freezer to mix up with some bread crumbs to create them. Forgot!!! So bought 4. £3.49 that I didn't want to add to this months total. Also needed washing up liquid and non bio washing powder, so it wasn't all food items. Anyway £23.83 spent.