May 2026 Grocery Challenge

whitecatcreamsofaDOH

£209.48 / £420

Hi everyone - a late check in from me this month due to moving house and everything being slightly chaotic!

Budget looks a bit over… This is mainly as I decided to start including any “treat” coffees and meals out in my grocery budget. May rethink this! I don’t treat myself a lot, but as I’m nipping back to the old house to sort issues and tidy (which now has no kettle), I’ve been having more than the usual take out coffee!

Time to invest in a small flask that holds one cup I think - does anyone have any recommendations? X

Nelliegrace

TKMaxx often has vacuum flasks. I bought our 500 ml Sigg Hot, and large Stanley flasks there, the Stanley was red stickered too! Thermos have been good. A soak with Oxiclean keeps the inside stain and odour free. If we are out for a day I carry a flask with our picnic and leave another in the car to have before the journey home. I take a small flask of tea and a book to hospital appointments. It is no trouble to top up the teapot or coffee jug and fill a flask.

PipneyJane

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81992710#Comment_81992710

On the subject of stocking/restocking the pantry with items that you use regularly, @Sallyp2 having them in stock is probably a good thing. Personally, I run an impress system: one in stores; one in the pantry; and when I move the one from the store to the pantry, I put it on the shopping list to buy next time/when I get an offer. HTH

@whitecatcreamsofaDOH
L1dl were selling small, insulated drink bottles this week. Might be suitable. Personally, I use an insulated Contigo travel mug which is non-spill - you push a button to break the seal so you can drink from it - but they aren’t cheap. (And they keep your coffee scaldingly hot for hours.)

• Pip

diminua

A small shop - bread, milk, raisins and a bottle of wine - £15.60 (mostly the wine). I've also acquired half a cheesecake as I was at a small family gathering yesterday and my various aunts brought cheesecake, cream and jam doughnuts and chocolate eclairs and as my cousin did not want the remaining treats in the house, I now have the cheesecake. I'll have to ration it though.

remmie

Sneaking in again.....

After a few small shops this months budget is standing at £128.99.

I did go to Asd* to purchase their 4 for £5 frozen offer. When checking my receipt the discount hadn't come off. I went to customer services and the member of staff said that 1 item wasn't included in the offer. I asked why if they were in the same freezer. She said she would honour it this time, so I got a refund. Always check your receipts.

Anyway, not too bad for this point in the month, although I do need loo roll and a few other bits this week.

By the way, I also got a free veg voucher from Lids, but as I got my free sack of spuds last week I'm not sure it's worth the petrol on a 16 mile round trip to use. What would you do? (Loo roll I always get from Ald*, just down the road).

carboot_karaoke

Afternoon all,

I'm another disappointed Lidl shopper, although like @PipneyJane l too have received a free veg voucher to spend in the coming days.

I popped to Tesco's on my way home from the hairdressers friday and spent £28.49 mostly on salad and veg, also a few snacks for the kids and 2 X 2kg of chicken drumsticks while on offer at £3.75 each.

Young CK also picked up 4 x YS pork sausages on Wednesday for just £1 each.

Then Mr Ck spent £ 10.13 at home bargains. No receipt 🙄 but l know it includes Oxi clean, colour catchers, and blk bags.

Total spent £32.49 and I'll assume the home bargains total was all bulk fund.

Grocery Budget £102.77 / £400

Bulk Fund £17.58 / £50

Grocery Challenge £ 120.35 / £450

Elizabeth49

@Nelliegrace I got inspired by all your talk of malt loaf, so I've one more spend to report, £3.59 for a jar of malt extract at Grape*ree yesterday.

I decided to try the original BeRo receipe though rather than the Lavender & Lovage one. (I've a whole set of tatty inherited BeRo books).

I'm quite happy with the result, even if I didn't realise that I didn't have a loaf tin until the last minute 😊 And I should have taken the photo before I cut it in half!

ArgyllLady

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81992529#Comment_81992529

Can confirm they were lovely and well worth it!

Smaller shop today for £12.74 and that should be me done for this week on groceries unless I’ve managed to forget something critical.

K9sandFelines

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81993050#Comment_81993050

My hydrate cup is leak proof and keeps the drink hot for hours. I lost my first one (in a shop) and so bought this one on V!nted BNWT. They're sold on the rainforest site!

It's not the ones they sell in HomeBargains called Hydrate

K9sandFelines

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81990822#Comment_81990822

Thank you 🙌🏼