March 2026 Grocery Challenge

thriftwizard

My weekend's spend of £92.12 has left me just below the total I should have aimed for, i.e. £450 for a 5-week month, so I'm happy as I won't need to spend any more until payday or afterwards now. Although it doesn't include the £20-odd "Contingency" ham earlier this month, it does include around £20 spent on oriental goodies (soy sauce, miso, noodles, various spices etc.) this week on behalf of DD1, who doesn't currently live near any suppliers of exotic delights, so I reckon they cancel each other out. Now to think what I can reasonably anticipate needing to cater for in April…

whitecatcreamsofaDOH

£418.10 / £425

Still under budget as I had a no spend day yesterday, and just a small spend earlier as I found a voucher in my purse. Going to attempt another no spend day tomorrow, and try to keep the last £7 on Tuesday in case I need it.

PipneyJane

Good morning All

Just one small spend to declare from yesterday £5.65 in Sainsbugs on ingredients for lunch at the games club (humus £1, baby leaf salad £1, sliced ham £2.25, cookies £1.40).

I’m declaring at £182.30/£182.90.

I know that we will go over today, but tomorrow is payday so I’ll take today’s spend out of April’s budget. I have to visit the local pharmacy later and will pick up a 3kg sack of large onions from the local greengrocer on my way home.

Just received a spend-£40-get-£5-off voucher from L!dl, available from Wednesday. Now have to figure out how to spend it, to get the most benefit. We rarely spend as much as £40 in one shop. I was planning on going on my way home from the office tomorrow, in order to take advantage of an offer on coffee. That’ll have to wait until Wednesday.

• Pip

diminua

£272.76 spent - and I'm going to need bread and something for lunch as I've been away in Bath. I meant to pick a loaf up but forgot all about it until I got home at 10pm yesterday.

K9sandFelines

Spends over the last eight days

£2.64 Aldi

£16.70 W@itrose

£23.95 between Co-@p, S@insbury's, and L!dl

This brings my totals to £128.72 with another 13 days to go and a birthday 🎂.

I've also bought some snack bars for my DD2 from a place called I wonder what's next , but wanted to just get one box out and allot for those; but she's snaffled one from each box. So, I think even though they are current spends, I'm gonna just class them as seperate as they were bulk bought. I could put the toilet rolls in the same category, but I think that's something more essential that's bought all the time.

whitecatcreamsofaDOH

£421.28 / £425

Still under budget!! Didn’t manage a no spend day yesterday as needed to get a couple of things for DS, but just got those only and resisted looking in other aisles 😅. I don’t think I need anything today so should be okay.

I’ve got into a habit of daily shopping because I WFH and this gets me out of the house at lunchtime. Need to plan some lunch walks without shopping, and take away temptation to spend.

Matron_Midge

Declaring March at £211.03/£400.

This is a small total (for me) as we were away for 10 days and also ran down our freezers and pantry.

April may be a bit more spendy as we are having family over the Easter weekend so will be picking up meat for a roast and picky bits too. I will also be doing a stock up on laundry products/dishwasher tablets which add up quite quickly.

goldfinches

Evening all.

I've gone over thanks to being very tired at the beginning of this week but not by very much so I'm not going to finesse my figures and carry things over to April but just declare the lot and then start tomorrow with a clean slate.

Main Grocery Challenge Total £194.34/£186 Overspent by £8.34

Baking Fund Total £42.84/£24 Overspent by £18.84

Bulk Buy Fund Total £41.44/£93

The baking fund total is so high because I was in Sainsbury's yesterday and there was a good reduction on Green & Black's Vegan chocolate so I bought five bars in a variety of flavours and cocoa percentages to use over the next few months. I decided not to count them in the bulk buy fund because they are specifically to be used for baking for vegan friends rather than for general household catering. I'm expecting that the baking fund spend for the next few months will be under budget and so over the year it should balance out.

See you all over on the April thread.

K9sandFelines

£6.64 to add to signature mostly on cheap Ald! veg

£135.36

£14.64 left to last nine days ( including a birthday) - not looking doable 🙃!!