July 2024 Grocery Challenge

LadyWithAPlan

My July GC budget will be £160 plus £30 bulk (oil and such bulk foods that are bought for longer use than the month and kill my budget)

I am back from travelling abroad for both work and play for most of May and June - I did shop in Lidl in Europe a lot and tried when I was further afield to buy local salads and keep meals out to a minimum wherever possible. However the spend inevitably was higher than normal. The NSD disappeared.
However I am back to being in London bar a 5 day vacay in Europe mid month so I can refocus..

I am feeding myself and now often feeding MWAP a few times a week  so £160 is the goal but we will see. It may need to be higher. At least July means loads of salads! However I have started training again quite hard so more lean protein..

peony40

Hello,

I will try again, my budget is £300 for 2 adults for all housekeeping, toiletries and food for the month of July.

thriftwizard

And I can report my first "July" spends amounting to £61.38, between the butcher, the supermarket & this morning's market. Meal plan for the week is done, including one overnight visit from DD1 & catering for the fact that I'm on a "light" diet today (Yuck! Just about pure stodge!) and starving tomorrow prior to a routine check-up procedure on Sunday. So far, so good...

PipneyJane

PipneyJane said:

Count me in, please, @elsiepac.  Thank you for the new thread.  Hope all is well with you.

My July GC budget will be £160.

This will cover all UK supermarket spends for two people, including food, toiletries and cleaning products.  Our month runs from 1st to 31st July.  We will be going to France for a week’s holiday, self-catering, but any items purchased there will be paid for either out of the Holiday Fund or the Bulk Fund (e.g. if I stock up on olive oil).

The budget is subject to change if there’s any money left over from June.  (Currently £18 left, but we’re going to L!dl today, so that won’t last.).   

- Pip

Hi @elsiepac.  As predicted, we do have some money leftover from June.  £5.40.

Please change my budget to £165.40 for July.

Many thanks.

- Pip

carboot_karaoke

Hi everyone our total July budget is £687 this is more than normal due to a camping trip.

1. Petrol £180 
2. Food/Cleaning £350 
3. Camping food £100
4. Toiletries £57 (This is for aboard hols so need sun cream, travel sickness, insect repellent etc.)

goldfinches

Just popping my head round the door to say both these articles are worth looking at before you buy sunscreen, there are some very effective bargain priced ones.
3 sunscreens fail Which? tests, but we've also uncovered some Great Value options we recommend - Which? News
The 11 best sunscreens for every need – from solid to mineral, body to face | Beauty | The Guardian

Daywon

£100 for my July GC please. Thank you.

LotsOfTea

I'm joining again for July but upping my budget a bit as we've got a few visitors at weekends and one camping trip all of which mean I'll be buying extras I don't normally get.

£300 for me please!

PipneyJane

@carboot_karaoke, according to my ecologist colleagues, the best insect repellent ever is Avon’s Skin-so-Soft dry oil spray, in the original scent.  They call it “Skin-so-stinky” and swear by it to repel midges and mosquitos.  HTH.

I have shops to declare:  £8.13 spent yesterday in Sainsbugs on fresh veg and 3x450g tubs of Yeo Valley Greek Yoghurt With Honey (£1.50 each).  Today, we walked there to buy the Sunday paper (voucher), and spent another £6.49 on two YS items:  a chicken crown roast (£1.99 was £4.15) and an “Indian takeaway” (£4.50 was £8.95).  On the way back, we stopped at L!dl and spent £4.77 on an impromptu picnic (scotch eggs £1.09, cheese-ham wraps £1.69, mini pork pies £1.99).

We ate the picnic on the way home.  (Fortunately, we had the sense to take a drink with us.). The chicken roast is now in the freezer.  We’ll have the “takeaway” for dinner tonight.  

The above brings our July GC spend to £14.62/£165.40 leaving £150.78 for the rest of the month.

- Pip

carboot_karaoke

Thank you @PipneyJane and @goldfinches l will have a look at your recommendations. Especially the insect repellent one DD normally gets eaten alive !!!