July 2017 Grocery Challenge

GroovySciFiChick

Hi everyone, just read through this thread, we're a family of 2 adults and 2 furbabies who have been spending way more than we should on food. We want to pay off our mortgage quicker so making cuts is the sensible way to help achieve this. So I'd like to join you for July, I read through the advice at the beginning of the thread and I've stocked checked the freezer and cupboards, made a meal plan for the week and took a list shopping yesterday and I spent loads less than normal! £51.78 instead of £90 upwards!

I'd like to start our budget at £300 a month running from 28th June - 27th July I'm not sure how much we normally spend, but would guess at about £400 a month or more?! I'd like to reduce even more, but baby steps while I get used to the new system. Our budget includes all cleaning, toiletries and cat food. Already spent £86.66, went to The Range and bought some plastic tubs suitable for storing food in freezer/fridge, a bulk box of cat food and add the spends from beginning of pay day to this months total (35.08 on rubbish mostly )

I feel nervous, hubby doesn't think I can do it, but I'm determined that I can, I'm making homemade tuna fish cakes (found 7 cans of it in back of cupboard :embarasse ) and some veg from freezer and parsley sauce out of cupboard. Lots of stuff to use up, will have a look at some of the recipes and other threads. Off to get more inspiration now

Groovy x

Skintmama

GroovySciFiChick - Welcome It sounds like you are off to a great start!


£67.33 spent over the weekend. More than I would like but it includes several packs of frozen fish and some large bags of nuts and seeds. I have plenty of fruit, meat and dairy in but will need to buy more vegetables this week.

purpleybat

Florence_J wrote: »

O As some may know from my debt free diary I am having mental health difficulties at the moment and will try anything to get better, so was doing some research and heard that nutrition and vitamin deficiencies can play a big part so shopped around 5 different stores to get the best price on the four supplements that can play the biggest helping hand.

As a result the budget is severely deflated but we may be ok this month.

I did read that food high in omega 3 are good for people with depression, so you could try upping your quota of them as well as getting lots of fresh air. gentle exercise is also recommended by mental health doctors, even a stroll will do you good, esp if you have a friend to go with. hugs to keep you going.


on the foody side I had to buy breads today, £1.57, cos I was disorganised, I wanted to get up 15 mins early (3.15am!!) to set the bread maker going before work but ended up putting the alarm on snooze.

Ginmonster

Well, first spend of the month today of £15.77 on some veg and a few bits to make pizzas with. I've got my 4 year old's best friend coming round with his Mum to play on Thursday so I thought letting them top their own hm pizzas for lunch would go down well.


I didn't do so well last month but I have extra incentive to be good this month as it's been confirmed today that I'm 'at risk of' i.e. being made redundant. The good news is that there is a temporary secondment into a related role that I'll be able to do that will take me through to Jan but I'm going to try and be as sensible as possible now to get ready for it. Even with a good amount of notice like this there's bound to be some time in between jobs where I'm not working.

Florence_J

Hi everyone, thank you for your advice. I had been reading a book called 'Mad Diet' by Suzanne Lockhart and the supplements she recommended were B Vitamins, Magnesium, Omega 3 and a Probiotic. I am aware of being careful about overdosing on certain vitamins as I know the consequences can in some cases be bad, so what is great about the book I was reading is it tells you the dose that would fit with an average diet, so I am unlikely to take too much.

I have bought laundry cleanser, washing up gloves and bread rolls today.

Doom_and_Gloom

Did our L!idl shop, spent £8.08.
Frozen mixed vegetables, frozen sweetcorn, pasta, rice, soya sauce, celery and chewing gum.

£69.92/£155.
£85.08 left.

allmannerofthings

I didn't do my usual weekly online shop on Friday. Fresh stuff is a bit sparse now, but I've managed to find something to eat from my extensive freezer and cupboard supplies! Last night I made Jamaican style rice and peas and steamed cabbage, and very nice it was too. I expect the recipes I found online were probably inauthentic, but they tasted good to me and used some things up. Have only spent about a fiver so far, on bread, milk and completely unnecessary biscuits

lynnejk

Ginmonster wrote: »

Well, first spend of the month today of £15.77 on some veg and a few bits to make pizzas with. I've got my 4 year old's best friend coming round with his Mum to play on Thursday so I thought letting them top their own hm pizzas for lunch would go down well.

Ooh that brings back some lovely memories of when mine were smallies. We often used to do that in the holidays, when there were often six or eight hungry lads at the house. It also saved all the "I don't like that/eat that" business as I used to put lots of different toppings out on plates and let them choose their own - just watch they don't start building 'towers' that melt off the pizzas and all over the bottom of the cooker :rotfl:

Another NSD here today :j

Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday
Lx

armchairexpert

Lots of little top up shops this week, which is a deliberate strategy, puts me at $350/1100 with very few things to buy in the upcoming week, I hope. Rest of the week's meal plan, so I can get it straight in my head:

Wednesday: Tacos
Thursday: Tuna patties, couscous, salad, lemon mayonnaise
Friday: Laksa (w/ leftover roast chicken and seafood bits that are kicking around in the freezer)
Saturday: Salmon fillets and veg
Sunday: Roast lamb and veg
Monday: Lamb stew with pearl barley and whatever veg is leftover from the above
Tuesday: Gado gado

That means buying some fresh veg in a couple of days, plus fruit and dairy for snacks, but that's it.

ancientmum

First spends of July not bad as it includes cat food for the month, £34.34 in Sainsbos and £2.39 at Tesco.