July 2020 Grocery Challenge

boultdj

Lidl shop done, another £37.23 spent.

Doom_and_Gloom

Thank you elsiepac for doing this thread. As I've said before it helps keep us accountable. 

Our July budget is £300 and the month goes 1st to the 31st. This is for two adults, my OH and I, and a chinchilla. Includes all food and drink (except alcohol), cleaning products, toiletries etc and all chinchilla items (food, hay, sand, treats etc).

So far £87.70 spent.

£87.70/£300.
£212.30 left.

Pixiehouse55

Food shop today for the next 4 weeks £178 and oddsies. Not been seeing as we got paid Tuesday and hubby didn't go shopping till today. Freezers going down so will soon be able to defrost it. Found odds and ends in big freezer so will get them used up this month. I need to seriously lose some weight after self isolating plus having our people home as the day centres are closed. I will make cakes/puddings that I don't like so fingers crossed I wont be tempted😁🤞.  Will need to pop out once a week for bread veg and milk. As I think I've said before we have 2 service users who are very funny with what they will eat. Burgers or sausages every day and they would be happy lol. 
So weve had 4 NSD so far 
Dog food should arrive in next few days but that's separate to our shop about £79 a month
I'm still,picking up little bits from you all as I go along, so thank you 

sarahj1986

Hello all

Elsiepac please add me for €300 for July

€65 spent (rounded up for ease)

spent in Aldi and Lidl today and 1st July. New offers started so took advantage plus as it is very hot here we are eating more salad so I top that up more often. I’m trying different fruit with my girl too but so far no success on anything. She used to love it all now it’s pears only but I keep trying 

€235 remaining 

K9sandFelines

Can't sleep, so just done a gluten free flour order. This should last a while as ordered a bundle of four of both s..r. and plain.
I also have a shop to add from earlier, but the receipt is on the fridge. So that'll have to be added as and when.So far I have spent about £100, but for now in will just add the gf flour order til I can get to the most recent receipt.

Chloris

I've spent a lot but I have tried to be organised by buying the toothpaste, washing up liquid etc for the month. The following weeks shopping should be less. So a whopping total so far of £174.05/£550.
@joedenise I made the falafel you recommended. What an interesting recipe. I have never only soaked and baked chickpeas without the boil! But it worked. I baked half and froze the remainder for another day. So far we have had 5 meals out of half! I will definitely make again, although I will put more spices in. 
DD has made vegan spinach and mushroom lasagna for her school work this week. I forgot burger buns at the shops this week so I have asked her to also make bread rolls for tea tonight as I am out for a work thing today. Unfortunately for DDs GCSE she has picked up my habit of eyeballing recipes rather than weighing ingredients! She has made white sauces very runny and very thick this week on Mac and cheese and lasagna! Oh well, she is enjoying herself and is definitely helping me out. 

joedenise

It's a great recipe isn't it?  I also add extra spices but didn't want to say that in case my taste buds are different to anyone else's - you can always add more but not take it out, LOL!

CRANKY40

£22.18 spent in H'bargains this week. I think that's the first time that I've ever been in and spent less that I'd allowed myself. I'd planned roughly £25 and that was for cat food and treats, some toiletries, cake boards for a couple of cakes that I'm making next month (I like to be organised) and some grated cheese for cheese scones. The cakes are for friends so the HB boards and boxes will be fine. 

Finstickle

Suffolk_lass said:

Finstickle said:

Hi, I went off track following lockdown and we are definitely a family which had just gone with on the food and alcohol side. 
June was shocking so need to reign it in. 

Please put me down for £800

Welcome to the challenge. You might find it is worth your while to keep your receipts and go through them and tot up where your money is going - I use a category for fresh food, store-cupboard, treats (shocking!) and alcohol (currently the entertainment heading) but everyone's are different - I would include a mystery heading too where I can't find the receipt or lost it!

How many in your household in that figure? - you might find some useful advice in the first couple of posts for the month (carried forward each month, ahead of the recipes) for things like focussing your efforts and starting to reduce things. Mine was over £700 for three of us when I started. It is under £200 most months now (for two).

Thanks SuffolkLass,i had set up a spreadsheet at the beginning of the year into all the different categories - it's that that has shocked me - I definitely used to spend a lot less!! 

It's 2 adults and a 1 year full time and two teenagers part time. 

Finstickle

Lidl shop today - however I spent my Fri evening meal planning so feeling positive.
I did a Musclefood order last night and planned the month's food around that and what I know I have in the cupboard. 
Going to keep an eye out for a freezer for the garage - if we can store bread, milk, discount meat etc there should be less trips to the shop and therefore less opportunity to spend.

Feeling positive that July is the month to turn it around 😁😁