October 2026 Grocery Challenge

K9sandFelines

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82162432#Comment_82162432

They've come back in fashion now Greying. I remember a time any glasses wearers would get bullied something rotten for those paler colours. How times and trends change, or rather do not ☺️!

I've also avoided buying vanilla for a good while for the same reason. The last time I bought the paste or extract was years ago, and one of them was a yellow sticker. My daughters used to get a bit slap happy throwing it in everything. I now get a smaller one from the international shop when needed. It's a Dr Oetker brand and supposed to be more concentrated; and they have rum and almond flavour as well as vanilla. I don't bake as much now unless someone is visiting, as if there's surplus and no visitors or room in the freezer, it's asking for me to overeat 🫣.

I always meant to make my own extract too; but don't drink any more, and even just vanilla pods are expensive to add to said alcohol 🫰🏼; so I've never gotten around to it.

K9sandFelines

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82162508#Comment_82162508

Me again ( I still don't know how to double quote despite all my years on MSE).

Did you notice in Heron if they had any cheap plant milk or tofu? I always make a special visit for them and stock up; but there has been none for quite a while!

Soontobeoap

The glasses conversation reminded me. I was in the chemist today waiting for my flu jab and a man came in asking for victory vs. the assistant told home that they stopped making them 20 years ago. He chuckled and said " I know I am getting old but I have never been told I am 20 URS out of date before". Then she said " Don't ask me for TCP then because that went the same way! I havmt needed a Victory V for years but now that I know I can't get them, I really want one! 🤣

Greying_Pilgrim

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82162686#Comment_82162686

Plant milk - yes, I saw some, but please don't ask me how much and what brand - but I don't think it was specifically on 'offer'. I didn't spot any tofu - I wasn't specifically looking for tofu, but tend to notice it when I'm looking in the chilled cabinet for YS'd things. I didn't notice any today, and I'm 99% certain there wasn't any in the little 'on offer this week' chiller cabinet.

Greying X

Suffolk_lass

I'm sure you could use any spirit or liqueur instead of vodka to mix with Vanilla paste (especially as Dr O do a rum one) - but you would have to want the orange and vanilla flavour if using orange liqueur as it would carry it. I don't know where they come from (maybe freebies?) but we seem to acquire miniatures - I used to run a cocktail making course (and mocktails) most years before Christmas and I was buying more than your average household, I guess - anyway, you could use these. It's not like clear spirits go off. Maybe look after Christmas to see if any of the sell-offs include Christmas box selections.

Yes, you are right about the squashes and both Crown Prince and Onion squashes are good eating. Personally, I pick butternuts half the size of SM ones because I like to store them and prefer not to increase the stores of squash in the freezer when I use about half a SM -sized one at a time so picking them smaller and curing then storing them works for me, and possibly mean we get more in number, as the plants tries again to reproduce. There's a lot to be said for organic too.

K9sandFelines

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82162736#Comment_82162736

Thanks for replying. I've seen a video post somewhere, so I think it's Alpro. I will wait until they have a few bits in, as I don't need milk at the moment.

Greying_Pilgrim

@Suffolk_lass - I'm careful with my selection of supermarket BNS. I don't go for the huge bulbous ones, which are all seeds and no flesh. I know you can eat the seeds, but it's a tiny bit of a faff, so I'd rather concentrate on selecting for cooking. Buying the onion squash/potimarron seemed like a good idea, and at least it was grown in Lincolnshire. y0tam 0ttelengh1 had a utoob short on cooking a version of parmigiana - but with BNS, rather than aubergine. I didn't quite make it like he did, and if I was to make it again, I would bake the BNS in the microwave first - to soften it, and then finish off in the oven, but the idea was nice/different. I didn't think my lot would go for 'whole' (actually wedges, but still with skin on) BNS, but all plates were cleared. I think the recipe is in his new(ish?) book 'Too'.

Greying X

navelorange1

I’m really struggling at the moment. Spent £195.69/£300 by day 8 out of 31. Not sure if I’m depressed but feeling exhausted and overwhelmed all the time. I do x3 9-5 days at college each week plus a 1.5hr commute each way, then one 9-5 day work experience and about to start volunteering at a cattery for a few hours one day a week. All of this is to find paid employment as I’ve simply been unable to find anything for over a year. I just want to stay in bed all the time and never have any energy to cook, despite this I’m up and out for most of the day. Also potentially looking to do a flat swap by the end of the year.

I’ve put myself into a corner where the more I spend at the earlier end of the month, the tighter things will be at the end to stick to the budget.

I’m thinking of eating the same thing a week at a time for simplicity. For example week 1: L ham & cheese sandwich, D rice noodles miso, silken tofu, veg. It’s annoying that you can’t eat tuna more than twice a week as I could happily eat it every day. I think I may have decision fatigue as I find chopping & changing meals quite stressful. Feeling overwhelmed!

Suffolk_lass

@navelorange1 Can you chop and fry vegetables in a saucepan with a little vegetable oil - then let them down with water/stock (I use a veg stock jelly) and some herbs to make a soup ? it's my go-to when I have no energy and although I grow my own squashes and some onions and garlic, they are inexpensive to buy and prepare. As vegetables you don't need to boil it all every day, just take off a portion, heat it and season to taste as you go. It's a go-to after your 13 hour days. Cooked as a batch and ready and waiting. It always makes me feel better, anyway

dollypeeps

Week 2 £23.60/£90

Only a small shop this Friday as I did a big shop on Monday 5th. We’ve been away end of September beginning of October so just getting ‘back to normal’