July 2025 Grocery Challenge

TravelCrystal

Shopping at Lidl’s on the way back from a trip to town so missed out on any fruit and veggies in the £1.50 boxes, just as well as I still have some left. Couldn’t believe that all the apples that were in there were Pink Lady’s, very rarely have those as they are soo expensive, a real treat.

So today I didn’t have to get much in the way of fresh, just oranges and mushrooms. I did pick up 600 grams of strawberries for free care of reaching my £50 spend which was good.

Whilst I made some homemade muesli biscuits last weekend, we had visitors so they have depleted somewhat so did buy some twix wannabe’s as a treat.

I also bought, mayo, marg, 4 Greek yogurt ( reduced on my app) likewise pate, kitchen towel, coffee beans, toothpaste, crisps in case we have a picnic, ice cream and jelly. Marmalade and salt. Pretty good for £36.97

Total spend so far £110.74/£200

Pleased it’s cooler
Have a good rest of the week 

T.C

t14cy_t

£93/£200 at the moment. stocked up on pooches treats and food. the chooks arent laying much atm, but they are getting on abit so we forgive them! olio has been good to us again!! so far so good!!

themsthebreaks

I went to the Local Pantry today, and spent £5. Mostly, I picked up tinned items - all stuff I would use, such as pulses/tinned tomatoes - plus some rice, chicken breasts, frozen oven chips, tea bags, and a selection of vegetables. This leaves me with £87.90/£320.00 for the rest of the month. 

Items I will need to buy are:

Bread flour
Self raising flour
Toilet wipes
Toilet tissue
Thyme

I have done a two week meal plan, and we can eat from stocks, so I think I’ve got this 🤞

LotsOfTea

I had to buy some bits today including suncream since we've had so much sun recently and some snacks for school holidays to make life easier.  I spent £33.03 in total but I also have a shop arriving on Thursday which will be bigger. 

£119.09/£300 so far so doing well.

wishus

Small spend on eggs and prawns £5.68:

total SPENT £127.53, REMAINING £22.37.

Soontobeoap

So 2 shops today. First in Aldi . £39.34 spent. £14.00 of that was on minced meat. 2nd stop poundland as ours is closing down at the end of July.  2 Bootle of hair conditioner and 2 bottles of bleach = £4.00.

As there are only 2 of us I have had smallish saucepans for a very long time. I have recently invested in new pans one of them is enormous. Seriously I have never owned one this big and it is amazing for bulk cooking. Made a mince base for lots of meals today and simmered for ages. Threw in a head of broccoli and some carrots all chopped small in the hope that DH won't find them 🤣 and a tin of oxtail soup that has been languishing in the cupboard for a while. Plot some off to make pasties tomorrow. Some for a large lasagne for GSs when they come  and hopefully a little one.and then added 2 tins of baked beans to what was left. May also add mushrooms to that tomorrow for cottage pie base. 

Pleased with today's efforts. Hope I am as successful tomorrow. I am hoping to up the pasties, some apple turnovers and some cookie dough that can be frozen and then bought out, decorated and cooked when Gds are staying. It's an activity as well as a snack so a win win . That's if the recipe works!

I have spent more than I would have hoped at this stage of the month but I am beginning to fill the freezer again ready for visitors.

SausageDogSandwich

 Morning all, didn’t realise I’ve accidentally been in Junes thread still. Had main shop delivered yesterday so my new total is £202.33. 

Suffolk_lass

I went shopping, ready for our holiday, but I also picked up a large pack of chicken breasts to be added to my July GC. All separated, bagged and frozen now, they are big enough for us to share one in things like stir fries, curry or sliced; cooked and had with homegrown garden veg or salad. I have also cancelled my milk delivery for Saturday, so have £4.50 to refund to GC now.

C_J

Enjoying the slightly cooler, slightly breezier weather this week. Much more comfortable.

Another £1 spent in my favourite Community Fridge today, yielding:

Jersey Royal new potatoes
2 large baking potatoes
Onions
1 e-n-o-r-m-o-u-s butternut squash
1 tub of M&S microwaveable mixed greens
Aubergine
2 cos lettuce
Tomatoes
Celery
Red peppers
White mushrooms
Porcini mushrooms 
1 bag baby spinach
Avocado
4 apples (Pink Lady, I think)
Bananas
Limes
Rhubarb
1 large pack M&S raspberries
1 large pack M&S strawberries
4 pints whole milk
1 large carton single cream
1 large carton clotted cream
1 pot Greek yogurt with raspberries and blueberries
2 M&S skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 curried potato and pea bake-your-own pastie
1 pack of prawn toasts
1 pack Waitrose breaded Wiltshire ham
1 Pret hoisin duck wrap
1 Pret egg mayo sandwich
1 loaf Hovis sliced granary bread
1 half loaf of Jackson's sliced white bread
1 pack of 6 crumpets
1 pack of 4 chocolate brownies
1 tin chickpeas
250g pack baking spread
1 bouquet M&S cream roses


I've frozen the chicken breasts, half of each of the loaves of bread, 4 crumpets, the prawn toasts and the curried pastie to have later in the week. Somebody next to me in the queue said that the porcini mushrooms are delicious sliced into coins and cooked in garlic butter/olive oil like scallops so I might try that, but there are lots of them so I will also dehydrate some in the Ninja and then blitz into porcini mushroom powder which is lovely added to soups, stews and risottos.

I'm not sure what to do with the whole milk (I don't think whole milk freezes very well (?) but some will be drunk as milkshakes tomorrow when the grandchildren pop over after school).  Any other milk suggestions welcome! Similarly suggestions for the massive butternut squash would be very welcome - it gets a bit repetitive always just having it as soup or curry, I'm stuck in a bit of a rut with this one.

July total so far now stands at £17.67/£150

carboot_karaoke

Afternoon everyone, 

Just popping on to declare another spend today £11 in total for 2 x 2kg chicken thighs. They were £5.00 each last week...10% increase just like that 🙄.

I need them to make pulled chicken on the weekend when we are hosting another lunch so grabbed them while available (they keep running out).

New totals
Grocery Budget £319.77 / £450
Entertaining £78.13 / £120
Total £397.90 /£570

Oh a side note, I've taken to buying filtered milk during the hot weather, its more expensive but not as expensive as throwing away gone off milk 😐  (like l did last week)  lasts so much longer than regular milk.