April 2026 Grocery Challenge

Finstickle

This is a weekend where only my food spend feels under control! I don't think I've actually spent much on anything just have an unexpected big bill approaching which has caught me off guard (burst pipe somewhere this side of the water supply but not causing damage so not covered by insurance) and a door slamming in the wind and breaking the glass pane.

on a positive note however my food shopping this week has been very low and mostly centred around fresh vegetables, milk etc - the basic, no extra treats. Due to above that is what I'll be focusing on for the next few weeks in an attempt to release some cash from the food budget. DD is at her dad's for the week from tonight and also the next weekend which will save on dinners and snacks. I am going to a friend's for dinner on Wednesday as well as having everything I need to make a big coconut dhal and a big three bean chilli which is the plan today, between them they should see me though the week and I can look forward to another low food shop next week.

Asda - £48.11

Co-op - £2.60

Co-op - £15.05 - wine to get over above

Current Total:

£163.52/£350

Jen_x

Hello Everyone.

I've spends over the last couple of weeks to report which total £226.22!! A chunk of that was bits for Easter entertaining but even so..

I did take advantage of all the cheap veg in the supermarket over Easter and I've spent a couple of days blanching and freezing, making soup and cooking and mashing. The freezer is now stuffed to the gunnels with veg which will go a fair way to seeing us through to the first of the home grown being ready

Something I've never done before is cook and freeze sofritto mix but I saw it mentioned elsewhere on the old style boards so thought I'd give it a go. Ended up with 15 bags in the end. I pulled one of them on Thursday to use in a shepherds pie (with some of the YS lamb oh found last month) and it worked really well. I think because I'd cooked it low and slow prior to freezing it really brought the flavours out so thats something I'll definitely do again with the next cheap veg bonanza. Batch cooking all these things does save fuel in the long run too of course so every little helps I guess.

I cant see how I'm not going to go over the budget this month with a fortnight still to go before next payday, but I'm going to try my best. Barring milk we've got pretty much everything we need for the next fortnight or more so I just need to use what we've got, keep my hands in my pockets and keep Hubby out of the ys aisle. DGD is back at school next week so that will help too,not just with the free dinners but also not demanding a snack every 15 minutes.

April £349.53/£400

JingsMyBucket

Morning all, happy Sunday! I did a round of shopping yesterday morning and afternoon. Mr. Jings met me at Morrisons to take that load of groceries home on his bike while I continued on to the other stores.

£34.74 at Morrisons. They’re having a sale on strawberries of 2 punnets for 99p. I double checked the price with the other customers standing around and hustled 4 containers into my cart! So far the ones I’ve had are tasty. The rest of shop was 4 hummus and dips (4.00), bananas (1.56), 2 eggplants (59p each), haricots verts (59p), chilies (1.00), 2 for £5 sausages, ham trimmings (2.50), Fage Greek yoghurt (5.90), butter (1.99), 3 for £10 meat & fish, and rinse aid (2.25). 

I had a £5 off paper coupon to bring it down to £34.74. Mr. Jings was surprised/chuffed at the 3 for £10 offer and how much we were able to get for the amount: breaded cod, beef and pork meatballs, and 6 smash burgers. I was also able to rack up 3000 More points on this shop. 

£22.15 at Lidl for free bakery apple turnover, mixed salad (65p), mushrooms (1.10), mixed peppers (1.79), cucumber (84p), garlic (87p), a zucchini (55p), 2 boxes of halloumi (3.98), Greek Week frozen pork gyros (3.99), 15 free range mixed eggs (2.89), frozen hash browns (1.75), 2 pts milk (1.25), and pure sugar elderflower cordial (2.49). 

£1.00 at Poundland for a 4 pack of Kettle Chips

£6.52 at M & S for clementines (2.80), YS flat breads (1.12) and olive ciabatta (2.60)

Total £211.06 / £350 spent. £138.94 remaining. 

We have another paper coupon for Morrisons to use in the second half of the month but it’s a £6 off £30 version. Seeing as how we easily reached that with this trip, we’ll be fine. I’ve really liked shopping at Morrisons lately. It’s a much more neighbourhood-y feeling and the staff along with customers are so nice. There’s more variety as well too.  After this month, I'll be able to cash in at least £10 in vouchers from More points

PipneyJane

Good afternoon All and happy Sunday

Good shopping at Morrisons @JingsMyBucket!

One shop to declare: £18.05 spent today in Sainsbugs on Peppers £1.68, 4-pack garlic 87p, 1.25kg sweet potatoes £1.49, 450g Yeo Valley Yoghurts 2x£2.25, onion bagels 2x£E1.35, and 2kg Laila dried red kidney beans 2x£3.40 Nectar price (was £4).

We won’t be needing kidney beans for a while - 4kg is about a year’s supply - but the discount was too good to miss.

This brings our total spend to £97/£180 leaving £93 for the rest of the month.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81958776#Comment_81958776

@Greying_Pilgrim those black-eyed beans were a great find! Well done. Hope Mr GP is OK.

• Pip

K9sandFelines

Joining you as of tomorrow. I have a parcel coming from the rainforest site which I couldn't cancel. It's just a deodorant as I can't always get out to the Tes@ or S@insbury either side of me, to get it. And normally I get the S&S discount, so it works out cheaper.

I will add it to the total now (£2.80), so I don't forget.

Suffolk_lass

I took advantage of the Morries 30% off three bottles of wine to do a click and collect yesterday but (it's in my treats and entertainment pot, so) only £1.25 stores and £6.14 was GC. However, no eggs so I shall need eggs and milk today. £142.76 so far for April

carboot_karaoke

Afternoon all,

I have several shops to declare. A kitchen declutter and clean prompted me to buy extra cleaning products and storage containers to make any necessary clutter look neat.In addition we need new toothbrushes, toothpaste and other toiletries On top of that l brought the normal, fruit, veg,salad and fundamentals for the next weeks meals.

Grocery Budget £205.98 / £400

Bulk Fund £48.07 / £50

Grocery Challenge £ 254.05 / £450

TravelCrystal

Morning GCers

Just had an interesting few days. One of our neighbours had a birthday on the hottest day last week and she wanted a gathering of neighbours. So she set up a long table and all brought food and drinks. I made a loaf and cut up some cheese which didn’t use much of my budget. DS1 gave me a passion fruit martini sachet in a card for Mother’s Day, so that was my tipple other than water. I had to get a summer dress from my other wardrobe as not changed clothes over yet.

I went to Lidell’s with DH who was stocking up on his lager. First time I’ve been in since January. Had a free cake and a free loaf care of my coupon so spent just £5.13 on tea bags, coffee and a couple of bananas.

However, at the weekend we visited several sets of relatives, birthdays etc. On the return journey yesterday spent £34.45 at the ‘Waitrose of Services’ for our lunch. Steak and ale pies with chips veg and gravy, tea and coffee. Very nice it was too, a rare treat.

Total spend so far this month £118.52

I have Ocado coming tomorrow so will update on that later.

T.C

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon GC'rs

I had a dentist appt this morning, and so I did stop in MrL on the way (needed milk) and fArmf00ds on the way back. I have just written everything out on my MFW diary, so I'll just copy/paste onto here. I have already updated my budget line 😱 is all I am saying about that…….. I did get some bargains, and the wholemeal wraps I got were 20% YS'd. Not a massive saving, but I don't regularly see them YS'd, and we do use them, so it made sense to me to get them. Things in FF were either good prices, and/or more 'quantity' - and again, all stuff we regularly use. Not a smidgen will be wasted.

I called in at the little MrL on the way there and got some YS'd wholemeal wraps x 2 and some milk, £3.23 spent. On the way back, I ducked into fArmf00ds. I hadn't intended to buy much, but ended up spending £14.13 (which is really weird, I very often spend £14-something in FF 🤔😬). I was happy with my purchases, I got a 12 tray of chopped tommies (looked carefully this time!) for £3.99, 6 x cannellini beans (3 for £1 FF own brand), 3 x 220g pr1nces fruit cocktail tins - 3 for 99p. These tins were the same price as one 'conventional' tin of fruit cocktail, but actually yield 125g more (drained weight) fruit than buying one bigger can. I bought 3 x jars of roasted red peppers for 99p ea. as that was the cheapest price I have seen in an age - BB July I think. I also bought some frozen garlic and edamame beans (99p ea), 2 x Caw$t0n Press cranberry juice at 2 for £1.70, and a pack of soba noodles for 49p.

Greying X

Suffolk_lass

I stopped and bought eggs, tomatoes and apples, on my way home from helping a friend with her bees. I also bought shredded wheat bitesize for the aged cat and for the dog with need for more ruffage (pets budget), and a reduced pork loin roasting joint I am about to cut up for chops and a curry. The ice cream is in the treats and entertainment pot! I am at £173.75/£200 for April but I am away from tomorrow and Mr Sl has everything he needs now