October 2026 Grocery Challenge

TravelCrystal

@Greying_Pilgrim that is such a coincidence I have vanilla bean paste coming with my Ocado delivery next week, never had it before but thought it might taste nicer and would be cheaper in the long run. It’s £4 for 65gms so not sure if that’s good or bad, hey ho. Plan on doing a bit of baking over the cooler months and will also be tasty in crème caramels that I make for Sunday lunches sometimes.
T.C

Greying_Pilgrim

@TravelCrystal - I've never used vanilla bean paste before either. I had it in my mind that it was going to be thick - sort of margarine consistency, but I've just picked the bottle up and the contents moved. Not like liquid, but more like a sauce or ketchup. This bottle is 118ml, and was £10 in sainsbugs. I may yet regret my purchase, but I was thinking of buying the 118ml bottle of extract for £9, so it I make a mistake, I'm only £1 out of what I would have spent anyway. I have to say though, I am beginning to wonder if I can sustain such purchases. I tend to make 'plainer' cakes anyway, so it's not like I'm using vanilla extract, and then x more ingredients and flavourings. Fingers crossed it works for us both!

Greying X

Suffolk_lass

If it helps reconcile the paste purchase @Greying_Pilgrim and @TravelCrystal, I re-use a vanilla extract bottle and pop some paste in when it is empty and add a little drop of vodka and the same amount of water to take it back to the cheaper extract - don't over-dilute it but it does work well and ekes it out a bit. I'm not very good at adding less. I use the cap on the extract bottle as my measure when adding it to recipes. [The branded one that sound like the singer Harry N of "Without You" from the 1970s].

I can't believe the onion squash was so cheap - when I think of all my time, care and attention, watering my planted squashes and all for just one (albeit spectacular) fruit from that plant!!

Greying_Pilgrim

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82162138#Comment_82162138

It's a good job I'm of an age to remember that singer @Suffolk_lass 🤣 As that is exactly the brand I purchased 😁 Thank you for the tip - unfortunately we're not spirit drinkers and have no vodka in the house - would c0intreau (bought for the xmas pud) work?

Talking of 'old enough to know things', I was in the opticians today, trying on frame styles. I hit on one type, and the lass - very helpfully pointed out it came in a lighter shade. I did try them on to humour her, but I'm afraid that they were too reminiscent of NHS children's glasses in the 1960's and 70's… the 'girl' version IYKYK….. 😉

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

I went over to a nearby market town today to have a hair cut. That town has a h3r0n f00ds, so I did end up getting a few food purchases - mostly seasonings, it has to be said. I bought 1 jar of cannellini beans from m&$ 55p. I bought tarragon and thyme from Sainsbugs £1.60. I spend £3.21 in bee&Em, on 8 (total) bRew dawg seasoning pouches and a bag of mini-marshmallows (for hot chocolate and for when we're away on hols). And then I spent £4.97 in H3r0n f00ds, on; 1 bag of beet and bean burgers (g00d r00ts) £1.25, 2 bags of meditteranian veg mix £2, a total of 15 wArburt0n crumpets (2 separate packs) that had reduced down to £1.12, and 2 x soft wholemeal pittas 6 in a pack (could have bought a shelf full) for 60p. Total spend in there was £4.96. So all together, £10.33 needs to go on my grocery spends.

I hope I'm doing right "investing" in herbs and spices. I try to make most of our food from scratch - but do use premade things sometimes (ie veggie sausages in a sausage casserole). I very often make curries and things, so have bigger packs of things like cumin, coriander and turmeric, as I use them frequently. But today I bought thyme and tarragon, which are constituents in a 'chicken' seasoning mix that i have a recipe for. I originally saw the seasoning in m&$ and was going to buy a jar and then try to recreate it. But found a recipe that works well, online instead. We are veggie, but the seasoning works well for tofu, or tempeh etc.

Right, off to amend my siggie figgie and dig something out for lunch. I'm Hank Marvin……..

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

I'm a parsnip - I also bought tomatoes today. That particular market town has a (blue) c0op, and so I called in before I left town and used a coupon. 6 salad tomatoes cost me 49p.

@Suffolk_lass - these squashes aren't organic tho ☹️ It was one of the culinary ones m&$ do (I saw them in sainsbugs today as well). I think they have acorn, and sometimes small turks turban, and although I selected the largest because I intend to cook with it, I know that it was really cheap. I saw some crown prince for sale today and they were £3.50 each. It was in a greengrocers, so I don't know if they were marketing them as carving pumpkins, or eating - because of course crown prince are a good eating/storing pumpkin, aren't they. It weighs 1.6kg, and I want to make sure I do it justice and turn it into something yummy. Make the Lincolnshire pumpkin grower proud!

Off to revise siggie figgie.

Greying X

carboot_karaoke

@karenccs67 Very sorry to hear about your husband x

thriftwizard

Oooer… a big joint of beef set me back a fair bit on today's pre-weekend shop at the butchers & the supermarket (£72.10 altogether) and I'm now fretting about staying inside my target, having realised that it's also a 5-week month for us. That said, there'll be leftovers & some to freeze too so some canny planning & sensible use of resources will see us through. Essentially I'll have £59.40 left per week, plus some of last month's underspend to play with when DS1 & family come down at the end of the month. That is very do-able although OH & DS3 (who is only generally here for 2 main meals per week) may not get to eat wall-to-wall steak!

carboot_karaoke

Hi all,

Another couple of shops to declare totalling £41.00 this took into account a £5 off £30 spend with Lidl. My third such coupon in the last 3 weeks. Plus a further £5.79 on bulk items, toothpaste, cleaning products etc.

New Totals

Grocery Budget £115.09 / £400

Bulk Fund £28.83 / £50

Grocery Challenge £ 143.92 / £450

K9sandFelines

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82160568#Comment_82160568

Hi, I don't know whether you particular want to use those two brands as you prefer them, but I've tried quite a few bamboo toilet roll brands now, and I've stuck on the Ochama brand from Joybuy which is super cheap - 5ply bamboo toilet roll and it's unbleached. So gentle on those areas!

I get my washing up sponges from Am@zon, and they last a year easily. Like you I hate the green and yellow ones. I only use those ones for cleaning the bath. Mine are £7 odd for 24 and the best ones I've found. A few others I've used had the coconut fibre on and it used to detach and get everywhere.

I just use a metal scourer or wooden pot brush for any stubborn bits or even a bit of rock salt to act as an abrasive.