May 2026 Grocery Challenge

Quantaqa

My new month starts today so I've gone through the cash envelopes for last month and have £45 left over from April's grocery budget (we were away on holiday for a week so this makes sense). I'll put this towards a stock up of some items like tin foil, greasegroof paper, ketchup, brown sauce, mustard, mayo etc.

JingsMyBucket

Happy Sunday evening folks. Welcome to the returners and to @MrsFrugalLiving who's new to the challenge!

Budgets updated to here.

I still need to set my budget for the month but I'll do the calculations in a bit.

Sallyp2

Hello busted my april aim - ouch

going higher for may - 2 adults a cavapoo and puss (who shall be included in the spend challenge as they are family)

£310 - up from £200 but it will still be less after my budget busting efforts

cowboymum

I've started spending Mays budget already for monthly stuff. My excuse is that the oat milk was on offer and my DH was about to cart it home, and I needed stuff from grape tree and again am splitting into two shops for ease of carrying home.

Oat milk £11.20; grape tree £13.26.

Total: £24.46 / £550

JingsMyBucket

@Sallyp2 I've got you noted down. We're here to support you in your grocery budget lowering efforts. :)

For mine, I'm going to stay with

£350 for 2 adults for May 1st – 31st.

There are a couple items we need to replace this month that will take up about £50 of the budget so I'm keeping it where it is for now.

Greying_Pilgrim

I've spends already to report for May 😬 Even thought my April budget goes from 1st - 30th. I did go out today to the side of Greying Town that has the fArmf00ds. I was looking for frozen block ginger, but they didn't have any. I've listed what I bought in the April thread, but I was most pleased with the 500ml (glass) bottles of Bee-v0ir Farm apple & blackcurrant cordial. Each bottle was 69p. £4.26 in total spend, which has been added to my siggie figgie - even though technically I am still in April's budget, but if I don't note it down, I shall only forget.

Greying X

Sallyp2

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81979890#Comment_81979890

its gone up but includes dog and cat food & treats - as well as household & cleaning (when i feel inspired to locate the duster)

will make tracking easier as i got lost mid month! Am also going cash only for shopping - all shopping! I've put my 2 debit cards in my potting shed

TravelCrystal

So, I bit the bullet and went out to do shopping at Lidell’s

They sent me another spend £30 and get £5 off. It ran out today, so I cancelled my O order which was coming Saturday. In theory what I have spent should cover a large part of May. Haven’t cancelled a pending O order yet for end of May in case.

I picked up a £2 box before I started, mango, easy peelers, various peppers and lots of avocados. Because I spent over £50 I grabbed a family pack of tomatoes as DH had already bought potatoes on his app.
Bought lots of fruit and veg, tins of baked and cannellini and mixed salad beans. Tinned lentils, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, Tom purée, garlic, herbs, mayo, Tom sauce, lots of cheese, yogurt and milk, granary bread, baguette as a treat for today’s BLT lunch, tortilla wraps, naans, mango chutney, jelly, muffins, pate, kitchen rolls, toothpaste, apple juice, marg and crème fraich.

Total cost £94.11 plus £1 DH spent on air freshener yesterday.

I reckon I have saved about £30, so maybe a lesson learned.

I didn’t buy any biscuits or cakes, normally have something I have made to go with our evening cuppa. I made a ginger traybake yesterday with almost the last of my stem ginger and iced. It is delicious and very tempting to have more than one piece 🤭

It’s lovely weather here today if a little windy so when I have had a little rest will go out for my daily walk.

Enjoy the rest of your week all

T.C

Soontobeoap

Really pleased with April. Ended up £19.00 under which is in heard of for me. Also we have finished under a third of the way through our budget for the year after 4 months. I am feeling smug whilst I can. It can all go pear shaped very quickly!

PipneyJane

@JingsMyBucket my apologies but we had money leftover from April. Please change my budget to

£184.40

For May.

Many thanks,

Pip