Monday, 29 April 2024

The Final Shopping of the Month ... and the End of April Figures

 

Over the weekend I did the final shopping trip of April, how has this month come to an end so quickly, it's whizzed by!!

As you can see I spent a total of £15.65.

Only the tissues were a really needed purchase ... it's hay-fever season and I've used up the couple of boxes that I had at home pretty quickly over the last couple of weeks.  When I saw these on special offer at just £2.50 for a twin pack if you had a Nectar card, instead of the usual £4, I decided to stock up.  In fact if they are still on offer this week I may even get a few more.

The lemon curd and bake at home baguettes were an impulse buy as I had done that terrible thing of going shopping on an empty stomach.  But the spread was a good purchase as it was still on offer at just £3.35 instead of it's usual £4, so I thought I may as well get another even though I only bought one quite recently.

Seemingly this one was bought on the 12th of the month.  

This is one of the reasons I am monitoring what I buy this year, so I can figure out how often I purchase things, what they cost and how quickly I use them up.  It's proving to be a real eye opener.

This month has been a month of very varied purchases and thankfully quite a low spend, because I am still mostly eating what I have in my cupboard and freezer, and what I have spent has been mostly on fresh things to supplement these.  There was of course another £20 worth of food bought from Booths with my voucher, two freebies also from Booths for having their loyalty card, and Alan bought me some things from the Farm Shop when we went out on my birthday.

My total spend for April was £80.09.

So I have added the change from my £100 to my little pot, and I now have £62.08 carried forward for use as and when I need it ... think of how many tissues that would buy.  😄

I'm doing something completely different this week which means I won't be spending a single penny of my May budget for the first week of the month.  I promise I'll tell you all about it eventually.  


Sue xx


22 comments:

  1. That's a very frugal spend.
    I really get it about impulse buying when hungry, love a bit of lemon curd 😀
    Alison in Wales x

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    1. I wouldn't mind, but I came home and had something totally different for my lunch, the lemon curd is still untouched!!

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  2. Hi, just want to thank you for informing us that the spread on offer - I am off to stock up. I have been using it since you mentioned it probably a couple of years ago & it’s a game changer. Three vegans in a household of five & we really struggled to find a spread we liked, until this one - thank you. Well done with your spending. Glenda

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    1. It's one of the best available isn't it, and is great in baking as well as spreading. I hope it's still on offer today for you. xx

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  3. Good spending for this month and I too have had to buy eye drops and these hankies for my hayfever. We had a morning of sorting out our budget after we looked at the increase in our state pensions. I also decided to raid the fridge and freezer for the next three days dinners as I can’t be bothered going shopping/doing an order. Catriona

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    1. Yes, I'll be needing some more eyedrops soon, luckily I had an unopened one in the bathroom cabinet on standby.

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  4. I must make some lemon curd. The hens are laying well and I have home made butter in the freezer. Six minutes in the microwave, and yet I don’t get round to it.
    I bought two boxes of quality, vintage handkerchiefs on eBay for BIL, a lifelong sufferer of hay fever. They are larger than modern ones, and the linen will be softer for his poor nose.

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    1. It's really easy to make isn't it. I used to make it regularly when I had my chickens, although I didn't make it in the microwave.

      My husband uses soft cotton hankies, he always has one on his suit pocket.

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  5. I'm the only person I know that always has a hankie up her sleeve.
    I don't get hay fever but I do have that typical over75s condition known as Runny Nose!
    I've started a spreadsheet on prices and Aldi on toothpaste and deodorant far outshines the others so I've bulk bought both ( a good tongue twister )
    The spreadsheet isn't just for price, its availability and choice too.
    For example, round here the only shop that reliably stocks Coffeemate is B&M.

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    1. I have a hankie up my sleeve! and I am that person who does NOT own an air fryer. Well done on the spreadsheet, Yellow Shoes [do you have a blog?]

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    2. I don’t, yet !

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    3. There's no hankies up my sleeves, but as I live mostly on my own there's usually one lying around in every room. 😄

      It's going to be interesting looking back at these prices in a year or two.

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  6. I have to confess to never buying tissues, even though I get hayfever (very early Spring for me).....I just use toilet paper. I'm always in awe over your low monthly spends, but then I think that's just your own food spend isn't it (i.e. not including Alan). And doesn't he buy the animal food?

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    1. If I use toilet paper for more than the odd nose blow I get a really sore nose within a day, so I have to get this sort of tissue. But I guess using tissues makes my toilet rolls last longer. 😀

      It is just my food, cleaning products and toiletries spend that I'm monitoring. Yes, Alan pays for most of the dog food, I now pay for the cats food and the animals flea and worm treatments, and we put the vets bills on our joint account. But they all go on my credit card and do not come out of my personal shopping money.

      As I'm mostly eating from the cupboard at the moment, the things that I buy are just top up items, fresh things and things that I am tempted to buy while I'm out. Life is too short to say no to yourself too often ... although I should try it sometime. 😄

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    2. Thanks for the clarification, Sue. Yes, the odd treat is good - who'd want to deny ourselves any treats at all?! What a sad life that would be!

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    3. Gosh yes, we only have the one life to enjoy, and at this time of our lives we should. ❤️

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  7. You did well on your April spending!

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    1. It seemed like a very short month to me. But it's been busy.

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  8. Your treats are lemon curd and wholemeal baguettes, mine are holidays and clothes - you're far more restrained than me! xxx

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    1. These are little treats, bigger ones come from our joint account ... and are BIGGER. 😂🤣

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  9. You are doing magnificently - and I guess it’s very satisfying to see your saved money going up
    Interesting article in the Guardian today about how much cafe coffee now costs -
    On average £5 a go
    Food for thought
    Siobhan x

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    1. Wow, a fiver for a coffee!! Happily Alan usually pays if we go out for a coffee treat. Ours are usually around £3 -£4. 😄

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