June 2025 Grocery Challenge

goldfinches

Which have just published the results of this year's sun cream tests which you can see here. The good news is that both Aldi and Lidl ones passed and were judged best value, the bad news is that a Morrisons and an Ultrasun one didn't so do have a look at the article before you buy any more sunscreen.

Soontobeoap

2 shops done in Aldi since my last report amounting to £31.52 in total. Also when I did meal plan I forgot that DH was having a procedure today which meant not eating for almost 2 days so I have been using up salad stuff and we definitely have enough main meals until the end of the month. Every cloud has a silver lining.

Another £9.95 pent on treats for DH after his procedure. He fancied pasty and biscuits, butter and Doritos.

carboot_karaoke

Evening all,  

I hope you have all been enjoying the sunshine 🌞 

My apologies l haven't had a chance to read through all the posts l missed while away. I just wanted to declare a spend from today restocking the CK household.  Lots of fruit, veg and salad and the meat we need for this week's dinners.  

Total spent £69.54.

New totals £351.52 / £446. I have £94.48 remaining 

Suffolk_lass

It's really interesting, reading through the posts on here, how many of us have reduced the UPF we are buying. Lots of the recent posts are "I bought meat, fish, salad, fruit and veg. Me too with two exceptions. I bought egg tagliatelle. It was that (£2.60) at three times the price of the non-egg, or make my own. Durum wheat, egg and a little salt. And a bag of own brand chilli tortilla chips. Now the latter definitely fall into the UPF bracket. I did do that shop in M&S though so paid a premium. £5 for beautiful strawberries that were £3.90 in Morries last time is one example. I am paying a premium but the quality is noticeably different.

I am struggling to stay under £300 this month, but it is berry season. Our own fruit is ripening but the strawberry plants I was sent were mostly dead-looking when they arrived and have confirmed my suspicions, by not producing, so it is only the runners we moved that are giving us strawberries. The dessert gooseberries are changing colour, and are protected from the pigeon this year. Raspberries are incoming, apples, plums and gages have a way to go and the currants (red and black) are fighting off the aphids and ants that farm them. Oh and the rhubarb is reliably producing a few sticks a week. It all helps.

With lettuce, chard and pac choi maturing it will be lots of salads and stirfry here.

K9sandFelines

DD1 picked up a 1kg tub of Flora buttery for me yesterday, some oxos and spring onions. So I've added £6.74 to signature. Plus £1.70 for two Yubi bars from stores.

Today I want to get some red peppers from Ald!s whilst still on offer. Also bananas. Not sure what else I need, but going to try and keep the spends as low as possible.

JingsMyBucket

Morning everyone. Earlier this week I visited M & S and spent £18.20 for bananas, clementines, strawberries, sliced ham, canned tuna, olive ciabatta and one other thing I’m forgetting.

£266.64 / £325 spent. £58.36 remaining.  

I’m going to head out early this morning to visit M & S and Lidl for a few items such as olive oil, other ingredients and some non-perishable snacks. I’m doing an overnight camp tonight for the first time in my life!! 😬 We’re attending a solstice party and will sleep over in a tent. Usually everyone contributes to the buffet. I’m going to make a vegetable tart and Mr. Jings will bake some goodies. 

PipneyJane

Good morning All

I have a small spend to declare from Thursday.  £2.55 spent in L!dl on 3 large sweet peppers (£1.79), a YS bag of lettuce (32p) and a YS bag of stir fry veg (44p).

This brings our total spend to £157.55/£165 leaving £7.45 for the rest of the month.

It’s going to be very tight.  I’ll need to do some serious meal planning to a) ensure we can live off what we already have in stock, b) that it’s summer tolerable, and c) that, if I do need to purchase something, it won’t push us over budget.  Also, that we don’t waste anything.  Hmmm….

To get through the next week, we’ll need eggs.  That’s £2.79, spent.  A hand of bananas, approximately 80p. And one carton of lactose-free milk (99p).  There’s a Sainsbugs Smartshop offer on small tubs of Greek yoghurt (which I use in potato salad), 62p.   That’s £5.20 “spent” before any of the fresh veg we have needs replenishing.  Hopefully the mushrooms will survive, but I may have to make up a few tubs of base to freeze.

- Pip

TravelCrystal

Morning all
Had to go to the dental hygienist early in the week so spent another £2.22 on cakes.
This has made me go over budget 🥲

Just back from Lidl 
Picked up some free lemons which is good as SIL is making cheesecake for tomorrow so don’t need to worry about my fruit Charlotte.
YS muffins and discounted eggs, celery and cashews from my app
Had to get drinks for tomorrow, decaf T bags, biscuits, fruit and veg, oats, mayonnaise, mango chutney and milk £30.85 spent
Total for the week £33.07

I am declaring for June as I don’t want to spend any more this month

£400.29/£400🥲 plus £290.82 Bulk 

Have a great rest of the month all

T.C

Soontobeoap

Sorry @TravelCrystal I think I am missing something! What is the link between the hygienist and cakes? 

We have spent another £15.00 today on salad, milk, bleach, mince and a few other bits and pieces. I really hope that's it for this month but it's still early isn't it? Anyway that's the only raw meat I have bought this month ( I've been working through freezer cooking the joints on Sunday and then making things out of leftovers to last the rest of the week) This worked better as the month has gone on because when I made 4 individual pies they did 2 days so I could freeze 2  to have the next week etc. 

We have been eating like kings and there are still 4 or 5 joints in the freezer. I know I have chosen the wrong weather to be cooking roasts but we have had a lot of salad with rissoles, fish cakes ( from left over fish and chips, lasagna etc, so it's not all been heavy. I will definitely be investing in the half price joints at Christmas and Easter again next year.

So going forward into July I plan to carry on like this. I will need to buy some chicken breasts  for a bit of variety but if I do as well as this month I will get my monthly average down. Then I will have some hope of coming in at the same as last year in total. Fingers crossed but it is really getting much harder with things either shrinking or getting dearer.

AnotherNewDay

 The month has run away from me, and I have not been tracking as well as I should have been, so no surprise that human/household is now at £85.79/£50 and the cats are at £32.95/£50 bringing total to £118.74/£100.
Human/household should be fine until the end of the month but will need to get dry food for the cats tomorrow and possible also wet food before the budget resets on 28/06.

Most of the extra human/household has been spent on ice-cream/lollies etc due to the heat as well as extra crisps/treats due to lack of willpower.