September 2026 Grocery Challenge

Suffolk_lass

@Greying_Pilgrim We almost always add a few bits to any (infrequent) pizzas we are having at home. Typically tomatoes, halved, cheese (cubed or grated, depending on what - post festivity Italian blue cheese is a game changer), and a smear or dollop out of a jar of pesto (which we then have with broccoli and cheese and pasta) and a tube of tommy concentrate. I'm going to plant perpetual spinach, having bought some seed and a bit like adding fresh sprigs of oregano, it should work and it really ups the performance of any frozen pizza for us

Greying_Pilgrim

@Suffolk_lass - normally I make my own Detroit-style pizza from scratch. I just got these pizzas as they were on offer, and with extra coupons, they were quite a deal. Actually, the margherita pizza was ok in its own right, I wasn't impressed with the spinach and ricotta version - but I'm not sure adding anything to it would improve it. It just wasn't the best tasting pizza I've ever had. Convenience-wise they scored 10/10 though because we were time poor on Friday night - so I was glad I had them in the freezer.

It's changing my perception of how to have 'easy' available. We don't have any good takeaways available locally (before we even get onto the cost as MSE'rs), but sometimes need food in a hurry. These bought pizzas are good enough for those situations. But (luckily) even my kiddo said they prefer HM pizza. Someone has suggested trying the pizzas from Leedle - they are about £1.49, so I will give them a whirl in future.

Greying X

Soontobeoap

Small spend today of £9.07

mandco

After taking out any non grocery spends & bits I picked up for dd which will be reimbursed

aldi £31.95 - would have been less but picked up a couple extra of each of the jars of antipasti grilled peppers & sun-dried tomatoes to put away for Xmas as they’ve been oos for ages and at £1.29 are way cheaper than anywhere else

Sains £31.59 - I did pick up some of the 1/2 price Cadbury’s bags & wine gums which bumped spends a bit

£29.28 in Asda Which should have actually been £22.57 but checking the receipt the 4 for £5 offer didn’t get applied despite buying 4 of the same item which are in the offer resulting in a £6,71 over charge 🤬I contacted them and they said i could return the items for a refund but I’d already used one for dinner before I checked the receipt so will have to suck it up but seriously peeved
Total £92.82 would have been closer to £65 without the extras/over charge so not too bad really.

RedRose61

Hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday. We’ve been away and I’ve been knee deep in ironing and so I’m only just adding on my spend. Shopping delivery from M*rrisons which includes everything for the week’s meal plans. I’ve still got meat in my freezer but the store cupboards are looking a bit depleted.
£58.52 spent. £211.48 remaining.

K9sandFelines

£1.18 today spent in the Co-@p on YS strawberries.

£0.69p in Tesc@ on dill and YS lettuce.

£0.54p in Icel@nd on YS mushrooms x 2.

£2 at Her@n on BBQ sauce .

£0.69p at Am@zon

Spot on a £5 er

PipneyJane

Good morning All

We’re away on holiday with friends, so it’s all been a bit chaotic. I have a couple of spends to declare from the end of last week and then, later today, I’m going shopping again because guess who is cooking dinner for 9 tonight?

Anyway, my undeclared spends are:58p in L!dl last Thursday on 3 bananas and £7.53 in Sainsbugs on Saturday on 3 packets of their 9-pack recycled toilet paper. (Yes, I was stocking up to take advantage of an offer. That’s at least 3 months supply.). In my change, I got another £2 coin, which has gone into the moneybox

This brings our total spend to £90.20/£180 leaving £89.80 for the rest of the month.

• Pip

dollypeeps

£2.88 spent at Aldi this morning on 2 loaves of bread…..very impressed with myself….went in, straight to the bakery shelves, picked up bread, paid and left…..without browsing any aisles AT ALL!! Paid for it on my Barclaycard cash back card and then sat in the car and paid that off.

Quickly over to Tesco for diesel. 😧 £1.909 per litre 😦 £63.99 to fill up half my tank ….tbf it was better than i expected but where’s it going to stop!?!? I’m taking my speed awareness course very seriously and driving like Miss Daisy 🐌 …. a) because I don’t want any points and b) my fuel consumption……I was ‘caught’ doing 26mph…. annoying really but there you go 🤷‍♀️

So this weeks total is creeping up £92.93 and I’ve yet to take a delivery off my egg man. We need 1 1/2 dozen this week.

Keep saving GCers

LotsOfTea

Went with the car to do a big shop today at Aldi but I stuck to the list and did not get distracted. £74.74 spent and I'm happy with that as it included 3 bottles of wine. I should have everything I need to cater for various visitors over the weekend so I'm hoping not to have to head to the shops until next week now.

New total for the month £130.65/£300

Soontobeoap

Blimey @PipneyJane. Please tell us why you are feeding your 9 guests tonight on your structured budget. I am fascinated to know how others feed big groups within budget especially when they are not used to having soany. It is always where I fall down.