My $100 A Month Grocery Budget – Week 3 of 52 {UK Edition}

If you’re wondering if you missed week 2 of 52, no, you didn’t. I just didn’t buy anything and we more or less ate the same foods we always do last week so I didn’t bother to write up my normal weekly post. 

And anyway, I hopped on a plane last monday for the UK so this week is a little different too.  

Normally when I go on vacation I don’t worry about tracking my spending since I’m on vacation mode and I’m not typically buying much in the way of groceries, but this past week was a little different. 

The HH is at home {and I highly doubt he is headed to a store anytime soon so I’m not going to worry about what’s going on back in Maine} and I’m here on Fair Isle in Scotland {population about 50 or so} at the Fair Isle Studio making my own meals and cooking from scratch.

So for the next few weeks I’ll be showing you around and what types of food I’ve purchased on the most geographically remote inhabited island in the United Kingdom.

Did I mention the year round population is about 50? 

And yet, the shop, Stackhoull Stores has pretty much everything a regular store has… Just on a smaller scale.

My first shopping trip £57.96 = $71.80 USD

The whole chicken was the most expensive item at £12.40 {$15.36 USD} but other than that, I felt like everything else was reasonably priced considering the fact that everything had such a long journey to get to the shelves here on Fair Isle. 

Almost all of the products were grown/manufactured in the UK. Then they were shipped/flown to Shetland. Then they were ferried or flown to Fair Isle. 

Things like eggs £1.50 for 6 which is the equivalent of paying $$3.74 a dozen in the US were much lower than what I’d expect to pay at home. I think the last time we bought eggs in Maine they were $5.79 a dozen. {Which is a crazy amount!}

Milk was £1.20 a liter, which is roughly $3.22 for a half gallon of milk in the US {so about the same}. I found that things like fancy cheese, rolls and other things were about the same price as back home too and my beloved Jammie Dodgers and hot cocoa powder were less than what I’d pay for them in Maine.

My second shopping trip £36.38  = $44.94 USD

While there are a few basic things in the cupboards and fridge/freezer here like spices, jam, condiments, rice, a few canned items and a bag of frozen vegetables, I was mostly buying products to make all my meals from scratch while I’m here at the studio. 

What I don’t use, will be left behind for the next person. 

Here are the meals I’ve enjoyed so far since landing here on Fair Isle:

I arrived on Fair Isle on Thursday morning around 10 and the shop didn’t open until 9:30 on Friday but luckily I had brought some bread and jam from the guest house I had stayed at the night before and had that for lunch. 

There was some leftover lasagna in the freezer so I thawed that out and had it for dinner. It was very tasty! {Would YOU have eaten the mystery lasagna?}

I had a can of beans the next morning for breakfast. You know me, I love my beans. 

After coming back from the store, I had sponge cake, candy and an orange. 

Man oh man these are good!

Chicken, cheese and avocado sandwich. And a few gherkins I found in the fridge.

On Saturday I did laundry and had an orange for breakfast {you know, to prevent scurvy}.

And then roasted my $15 chicken for dinner. 

I  made a big breakfast for myself before heading out on a walk on Sunday. 

And then enjoyed some pickety bits for linner by the fire.

Normally when I go on vacation, I don’t worry about keeping track of receipts for the food I buy. But this time, since I’m staying in one spot for a few weeks and making all my meals from scratch, I’ve decided to keep track. 

Plus, there are a few new recipes I’d like to try while I’m here, and that’s not something I’d typically do {baking} while I’m on vacation so I thought it was only fair that I just pretend it’s like I’m at home. 

Shopping for groceries in another country is always interesting as there are always new things to try.  Some things cost more, some things cost less and other things are pretty much the same.

So how did YOU do this past week with your grocery shopping? Did you find any deals?

~Mavis

Total Spent This Past Week in January £94.34 {$116.74 USD}

Total Spent on Groceries in January $124.94

• Total Spent on Groceries in 2023 $124.94

OTHER

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