August 2026 Grocery Challenge

PipneyJane

@Greying_Pilgrim don’t worry. You will regularly get vouchers for £1 off from the C0-0p. They’’re good like that. Sadly, our closest branch was a petrol station, which got sold to A$da when they pulled out of selling petrol. During the Pandemic, we’d walk down there regularly, buying milk, etc, and taking advantage of the weekly offers.

I have one small spend to declare: £1.05 spent today in Sainsbugs on some bananas. Used the self-service check-out and was overjoyed when it accepted the dodgy-looking 20p, which I’d received from them in my change last week. Received three 5p coins in my change, though, which’ll have to go to the shrapnel money box.

This brings our total spend to £114.30/£180 leaving £65.70 for the rest of the month.

Payday is the 28th, so it should be do-able. Must do some meal planning, though, because next week, we have two evening Prom Concerts to attend, for which I’ll have to make sandwiches/wraps.

• Pip

Greying_Pilgrim

@PipneyJane - Thank you, my offers refreshed this morning and there is certainly the incentive to shop with the c0-op again. I can put my effort into making shopping there work. For every saving I make eg on milk, I shall remind myself of, if I have to buy milk occasionally at our local c0-operat1ve, say to avoid a trip to aldee or leedle (using the car/fuel), and have to pay an extra 10/15p. I'm already 50p "up", and rarely have to buy milk at our local c0-operative - but I could now buy 3x4pinters, and still pay no more than aldee or leedle milk. I don't know how long it will last, but it's helping me save some pennies, potentially at the mo.

Thank you everyone for your help, it is so appreciated 🥰

Greying X

Finstickle

Morning all, coming in with my August updates.

Biggest issue this month was an Asda delivery which arrived early, didn't wait and then the app kept telling me it was coming so I was waiting around very frustrated for a long time. My mum is just out of hospital following surgery so i will need to be shopping for her for a while and she doesn't like Asda so i have cancelled my delivery pass and will be lodging a complaint.

Aside from that i had already spent £62.82 with them plus £6.95 for the delivery pass I have now cancelled. Swapping to Lidl I had a total of £161.92 including a Lego set for DD (the joys of in person shopping meaning extra things in the trolley!) £35.34 in Tesco and £20.70 in the Co-op.

I have £63 left until next payday (28th) and my freezer is pretty stocked, although I need some Tofu and Seitan as can't get those in Lidl (or at least not the tofu I like). I have a £5 Tesco gift-card from The Postcard Lottery so will likely top up with fresh produce etc there next week as shouldn't need much else.

Off to formally complain to Asda about their service.

Total so far:

£287/£350

K9sandFelines

£8.38 at Tesc@ on rice cakes, Weetabix, two Buttermilk chocolate bars, and some sticky toffee teabags I've been wanting to try for a while. This also includes a big bag of popcorn from £land ( I think) 🤔

Also, £2.00 odd at Ald! on laundry liquid and bourbons (for granddaughter, but she didn't want them in the end).

And finally, £8.66 @ Am@zon spends -agave, coconut milk x 2, earbuds and meat free Oxo cubes.

PipneyJane

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82107037#Comment_82107037

Sticky Toffee Teabags @K9sandFelines ? Tell me more, please!

• Pip

K9sandFelines

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82107096#Comment_82107096

They are the Yorkshire tea pudding range. New out! They are currently £2 on clubcard but dels change on Tuesday, so double check.

I'm undecided whether I like them, but I'll try again today with some sugar, as I forgot to put some in last night.

My favourites are the biscuit brew ones, but I stopped buying them.

Suffolk_lass

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82107499#Comment_82107499

🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢 They sound revolting to me. Sorry, but just have a biscuit or a bit of cake

Blackcats

I'm currently drinking a cup of Yorkshire tea Bakewell brew - very nice. An acquired taste I think. I started drinking their rich tea biscuit brew when I was working from home and needing a mid morning treat. Less calories than an actual biscuit and it tastes like when a dunked biscuit has fallen into the tea. Although I'm sure none of us dunk our biscuits 😉

K9sandFelines

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82107608#Comment_82107608

I love quirky flavoured teas. I also love normal tea, herbal teas, matcha tea. Like Blackcats has said it's a little treat without the calories etc. I haven't tried the cherry Bakewell one yet @Blackcats. Like having a hot chocolate instead of a bar of. Don't get me wrong, i'd gladly have the brew and cake as well, but I'm trying to eat better.

On another note. I had to go out again today for some prebiotic paste and cat food again. If there's no improvement, then it looks like a vet visit is on the cards.

Whilst there I made use of almost five pounds that was remaining on a Tuck cashback card for S@insbury's, alongside £2.50 in nectar points. I also bought a potential gift with that.I can't remember if Ive already tallied the credit on the card previously, so I'm going to call it a free shop.

Just aswell as one of the YS items in L/dI scanned at full price and should have been 50% off. So, ended up spending £6.32.

Then 71p in the C@-op. I scored with a 25p off coupon on bakery which were already reduced.

Once I've totted it all up, I will add to signature. I need to sit on my hands now until next week. I've got pretty much everything I could need in the cupboards, fridges and freezers. Already got the laundry liquid I was low on and so again, should just be toilet roll to buy at some point

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning GC'rs

I've yesterday's grocery spends to 'fess up to. We had a lovely day out with a chum yesterday, so I didn't have time to write up the details, before we were out adventuring in the countryside, climbing up hills and traversing ancient paths.

So yesterday's shopping was conducted in Leedle, sainsbugs and 'ome bargins. I spent; £21.72 in leedle, £10.85 in Sainsbugs and £4.17 in 'ome bargins, £36.74 in total.

I did get a green box in leedle. There were quite a few…maybe 10? and I probably could have made use of each and every one of them yesterday. I was happy with what I bought. I did encounter an issue with the app in leedle, which is the second time I've encountered it. First time I thought it was a blip, second time, I know for sure it's an issue. Basically, if I try to use more than one or two vouchers (legitimately) in my purchase, the app doesn't count all the vouchers and 'deactivates' them - and it's always the most 'valuable' that are deactivated.

Yesterday I had two activated vouchers - the free bakery item, and I'd accrued enough points for a £10 off my shop voucher. I didn't purchase any alcohol in my shop, so when I came to the till, I was expecting to pay around the £10 mark. The cashier said "£19.72 please". When I queried why it wasn't £10 less, they helped me to swipe to my offers/vouchers - and there was the £10 voucher - NOT activated. However, because converting points to vouchers is a big thing to me, before we'd set out to the shops, I had - with my kiddo witnessing what I did - sat down and gone through the steps to select and activate the £10 voucher, it turned green in front of our eyes. And yet, by the time we got to the till, it had mysteriously 'de-activated'. This is the second time this has happened to me, easier to spot, as it was a large amount of money. Thankfully, I could activate the voucher again, as the wifi was actually strong enough for once, but wth? How come Leedle get to dictate what I can spend, and when?

I got a little bit of fruit, veg and cupboard staples from Sains. I also used a voucher that had come through the post for some branded incontinence products - which I intended to leave in the foodbank collecting box. It wasn't super clear which products that were in the offer, but I plumped for what I thought and took them to the till. The voucher wouldn't scan against the product, although the cashier tried several ways of doing it. They put through my other shopping and called the supervisor. I said why I was buying the product and where I intended to donate it - and the voucher could have been used in several of the supermarkets and several chemist chains. The supervisor was very nice and sent me to the customer services desk and said they would sort it for me. And they did. The voucher (worth up to a whopping £9), got the item free, and I went and put the product in the foodbank collection point. I was very impressed with sainsbugs 'making that happen'. I didn't benefit, but had I been purchasing these products for myself, they took something that could have been a little bit embarrassing, and just made it work. We're often told how foodbanks are needing personal hygiene products because they are so dear - why are (branded) incontinence products so costly?

Last stop was 'ome bargins, and I got herbs and peanut butter.

Yesterday I also received some home grown tommies off our friend, and some plums - straight off the tree. Chefs kiss!

We have cupboards stuffed full of food, and a wonderful range of fruits and vegetables, thanks to careful shopping and our friend's generosity.

Off to update my siggie figgie.

Greying X