May 2018 Grocery Challenge

selloptape wrote: »

Hi everyone, I'm aiming for £290 this month.

I've meal planned for next week - trying to follow SW and budgeting is a little challenging. I've previously relied on a lot of expensive soft fruits and lean meats so trying to find cheaper options. Luckily I love a lot of veggie meals

Monday - Cajun dirty rice
Tues - l/o Cajun dirty rice
Weds - sesame tofu and steamed veg
Thurs - sesame tofu and steamed veg
Fri - rice and lentils

Good luck everyone x

Would.you mind sharing your first two recipes please. I'm vegan and they sound perfect for a change. I've tofu out at the moment too.( I prefer it frozen, then defrosted). Thanks

Nipped into Asd@ after work tonight. Picked up a bag of Richm0nd frozen meatballs. Paid £1.50, but I'll be getting that money back though an app on my phone so nothing to add to my spends

Opened the bag when I got home (before putting into my freezer), and I reckon they'll do 4 meals - so that's a meal for each week this month once I sort out some pasta sauce (either need to buy onions so I can make some, or need to buy a cheap ready made sauce - undecided as of yet).

And when moving a few bits round in freezer to make space for those and 4 portions of the mince and baked beans concoction I cooked and had last night (one per week, including one when I'm also feeding OH) I found some batch cooked meals I'd forgotten about! I think they're bolognese sauce, but there's an outside chance they're chilli. I'll find out tomorrow as I currently have one defrosting in my fridge for tea Also have enough of those for one per week including one when I'm feeding OH. Just need a garlic baguette for when I do it for both of us, and something for my 2 other individuals. Pulling some small part baked rolls out of the freezer for tomorrow, which I'll slice and fill with a non-dairy garlic spread before baking.

So my weekly menus for this month may be boringly the same (and very heavy on the red meat which I've been trying to cut back on this year), but they'll require very little spending which is the name of the game for May. I have enough burgers (including a lot of veggie ones) and buns for weekly (need chips), enough mince & beans concoction (have everything), enough sausage and ? (have various savoury rices, but may get spuds to make mash with some), enough bolognese/chilli (whichever it is I need garlic bread or part baked rolls), the meatballs I got today (just need to sort a sauce), and enough fish of various types (and plenty of suitably flavoured packs of couscous to go with some, may fancy baby boiled spuds with others). That's potentially 6 meals for each week, and I have various options that should make up the 7th but without having enough to have more than once or twice in the month - may well be able to swap out one or two of the meals I currently have down as a weekly opton each week, which will mean at least the first week (possibly fortnight) of June will also be sorted

Just need to meal plan for the week away, and try and base as much of it as possible around what I have in. We're definitely having rabbit casserole one day (got the diced rabbit at the food festival, so that's already in my freezer), lamb steaks (positive I have enough in freezer), and salmon (I know I have enough in freezer). If I don't use more than a couple in the next few weeks I also have enough chicken breasts to do something with. Probably have enough pork steaks as well. Can't do anything with tomatoes or tomato sauce, as one of my GDs won't eat it - won't even eat pizza because of the sauce! I suspect the big spends for that week will be milk for the 3 girls (cereal and drinks), fruit (2 of them love their fruit, especially the more expensive ones!), and part baked rolls, cold meats and cheese for packed lunches.

I'm on loan to a different office tomorrow, which is near a discount food store. When I was there last Friday I picked up some very cheap (because they're well out of date) sweets which are fantastic. I'm hoping to get finished before they close tomorrow so I can go and get some more if they have any left (I was there today but wasn't done in time). At 10 x 100g bags for £1 that will definitely help stretch my £1/week allowance for evening sweet treats

3 NSD's in a row.. :T
Think it'll be Saturday before we need milk or bread too!
Planning an easy re-heat meal for the boys as I'm working late tonight.

I'm up to 146.40 out of 390 so far and have shopping to get for this week. Will update as I go.x

Apologies for posting almost daily, I'm just really determined to keep track of the spends this month. I'll calm down soon I'm sure

So another spend at Sainsbugs today - I'm certainly getting around the shops this month and it is still only 3rd May. I bought about £15 of food - more sweet treats - but also onions and mushrooms for the spaghetti sauce. And just under £15 of toiletries and stuff for DH and myself, that should be it for a little while.

I need to order a delivery again soon as I find shopping every day exhausting, but as the cupboards were full it seemed crazy to get a huge order in.

Current Totals: £88.24/300