Grocery Challenge

[Sexnotgender]

Anyone up for a grocery challenge?

It’s payday today and it’s the first month of SMP. Ooft, that’s rubbish.

Feeding 2 adults, a teenager and a toddler.
Vegetarian.

Aiming for £350 for the month. I’d ideally like it lower but this is my first month so we’ll see what happens!

Includes all food and cleaning products.

Doesn’t include toiletries but don’t really need them right now anyway.

Anyone want to play?

Me! I spend far too much! 4 adults, 8 year old, 7 year old, 3 year old and 2 dogs. I live with DM and DF so food/ cleaning stuff is part of my household contribution, but they buy food too

I have dogs too (and cats) but not including their food.
Don’t need cat food this month and the dog food is from Amazon subscribe and save.

First step. ALDI/LIDL

Meal plan

I write a list of meals.
Then my shopping list with what each meal needs. Plus lunches ( they all take sandwiches, wraps etc to work /school) so the fillers

Then a small list for any top ups or bits we need fresh near end of the week.

Ours is 2 adults, 1 teen who eats adult portion, 3, 1 and 8 Yr old. Inc foods for dc who's cmpa so lots of free from. Stuff is expensive

Due to a change in our circumstances we've now had a big drop in income so have recently started doing this. We meal plan, shop at Aldi, and do one shop a week on Ocado for branded items. It's working well.

I’m in! Payday here today too, going to eat as long as we can out of the fridge and freezer this week, although have visitors this weekend which is normally when I lose the plot and go overboard on the food shop!! Hopefully this will keep me honest and not go too OTT!

I shop at Lidl and meal plan already so hopefully that helps.
First shop done, includes washing powder came to £31.41
This covers meals until Thursday when I’ll shop for the weekend.

My plan is to shop Monday and Thursday.

Total spend this month £31.41

£12.75 spent at the Chinese supermarket yesterday and I need to go to Sainsbury’s today.

Spent £32.93 at Sainsbury’s today.

Total £77.09 for the week as that should do me until Monday.

Unexpected BBQ today might throw a spanner in the budget 🙄

Will try and keep costs as low as possible!

Now at £127.18 for the month so far after yesterday 😱🙄😫

Fridge is pretty full as is freezer though so need to try and keep around £200 for the rest of the month. Only thing I need right now is porridge oats for toddlers breakfast.

Cheaper eating: swap out minced beef for red lentils. (Or bulk out smaller amount)
Red lentils as they are quicker to cook and take less fuel.
Swap down a level of brand. Some things are fine on the cheapest level, some are not.
Meals were heavy on the carrots and onions as a base.
Only bought soft fruit in season.
Cheap (value) squash is not worth it, but gradually dilute more to use less.

Dried sultanas are a cheap way to get fruit portions. Only 30g needed. Jazz up cereal and porridge. I found value wheat biscs filled me up for hours.

Plan ahead, bulk buy offers of stuff you use. This takes time to implement and needs balancing out as there isn't the cash to do it immediately, but once you are into cheaper eating it helps. I used to bulk buy tins during Ramadan offers.

Look at price per kilo.

Value kidney beans are fine.

I added up in my head as I went round.

Keep a note of what to get in which supermarket but don't waste fuel for a few pence saving.

I deliberately don't meal plan for one day of the week. This is in case we have an impromptu takeaway but it's really to make sure that we use up leftover bits of veg etc. Try and eek out the days between shops. Learning to cobble things together with what you have is a learned skill.

Thanks for all the advice. I do know how to shop cheaply I’m just being a bit shit with it right now.
Life has gotten in the way, new baby, toddler, older daughter and husband both with depression. Just drowning a bit and got into bad habits.