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Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.May 2026 Grocery Challenge
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Declaring at £61.07 over - some of that is stocking up on store cupboard things like nuts and raisins, some is being too lazy to make a packed lunch, and some is a quite nice half bottle of wine I bought because I'd gone over budget anyway. It really does show how it stacks up if I take my eye off the ball.
Fashion on the Ration 2026 - 31.5 coupons remaining (rolling over 1.5 from last year)
April Grocery Challenge - £134.93 of £250 spent
Declutter 12 things (net) in 2026 - 69 out and 65 in = 8 to lose5 -
Afternoon all,
I've been MIA a bit this month 55 posts since l was last on the thread 😳 but l have been keeping hold of my receipts. I spent another £78.84 last week on food, snacks, ice cream and another £15.05 on various toiletries, and toilet roll. Declaring for May.
See you on the June thread
Grocery Budget £286.55 / £400
Bulk Fund £71.74 / £50
Grocery Challenge £ 358.26 / £450
Current Balance £7,675
MFW 2026 #31 £15325 / £23,000 OP
MFIT - T7
Emergency Fund £4,410 / £5,000
0%CC May 2027- £5,000
0% Loan £600.00 - paid ✅️
Money made £210.60 / £365
Declutter 42 /52
Grocery Challenge 2025 £4885.78
Grocery Challenge 2026 Jan £328.20, Feb £297.01 Mar £352.91 April £422.85
The final countdown to June 2026 - Page 4 — MoneySavingExpert Forum6 -
tallied up spends - bit deflated! Spends in last week: Co-op £100.41(£15 was on 5 small packs nuts/dried fruit)/ Co-op £18.90/ Jordans Mill £1.60/ Fshop £9 = £129.91
Final food & HH spend = £379.04
Budget = £310
Over £69.04
Good job i'm not chancellor of exchequer 🤣
teacher says do better in June by not buying treats & wasting seasonal fruit by buying too much in one shop
w/c 8 June 4 weekly/monthly cold turkey week £0/£60
June NSD 4/18
June Grocery challenge £0/£270
w/c 11 May cold turkey £49.18/£50 = £0.82 rem
May NSD 20/16
May Grocery challenge £379.04/£310 = £69.04 over
Debt-Free April 20264 -
Good advice re seasonal fruit @Sallyp2 - I bought a kilo of slightly bruised strawberries yesterday but my word, the generous dish we had was spectacular - at least half left. I might need to pick rhubarb and make a compote
Save £12k in 2026 #2 I have banked £9004.48 so far, against a £10k target The 2026 Save £12k in 2026 thread is here
OS Grocery Challenge in 2026 I am sticking with a £3000 annual budget for 2026 - currently £1111.79 and most of my May purchasing made
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the grow your own in 2026 discussion thread
My keep within our budget diary is here3 -
You can always freeze them for later. Whiz up with double cream and some sugar, and you have instant ice-cream.
- Pip
"Be the type of woman that when you get out of bed in the morning, the devil says 'Oh crap. She's up.'
It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it - that’s what gets results!
2026 Fashion on the Ration Challenge 28 spent out of 80.5 coupons (66 plus 14.5 from 2025) 52.5 remain
12 coupons - yarn
12 coupons - 3 M&S thermal bodies
4 coupons - shorty pyjamas3 -
I could, but we would eat them Pip. Trying to lose the sticky winter weight over here!
Save £12k in 2026 #2 I have banked £9004.48 so far, against a £10k target The 2026 Save £12k in 2026 thread is here
OS Grocery Challenge in 2026 I am sticking with a £3000 annual budget for 2026 - currently £1111.79 and most of my May purchasing made
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the grow your own in 2026 discussion thread
My keep within our budget diary is here4 -
If they aren’t going to keep, I slice strawberries with a little sugar and put them in the fridge. The sugar draws out some of the juice, it is lovely with yoghurt.
Fashion on the Ration 2026. Coupons used, 6 pairs of socks non-wool 6, 4 cotton vests 12, sleeveless wool cardigan 5, 2 pairs of summer weight cotton pyjamas 16. Total 39.
Grocery Challenge 2026, £5 a day for food for 2 pensioners. Total £1,825.
January £128.45/£155, -£26.55
February £122.55/£140, -£17.45
March £154.50/£155, -50p
April £144.78/£150, -£5.22
May £151.63/£155, -£3.374 -
£12.16 to daughter for Tesc@ and Ald! bits
£2.86 and £2.80 on Subscribe and save that I didn't actually need right that second but couldn't skip or cancel.
I will add the latter into Bulk buys
Off to update
I'm hoping we are good now for the next few days.
GC 2026 ~ J £213.45/180 F £180.21/£120 M £158.53/£150 A £184.65/£150 May £89.40/120 (includes food, toiletries and cleaning from 13th to 12th of each month). £24.63/30 Bulk fund Two person vegan household, with occasional visitorsJoin me on the meal plan thread : https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6356309/could-we-start-a-meal-plan-thread-again-so-its-not-lost-in-the-gc/p1Forever learning the art of frugality4
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