July 2025 Grocery Challenge

themsthebreaks

Well done on your MacMillan Mighty Hike, @PipneyJane. How far did you walk? 😊

themsthebreaks

Don’t give up @RandomOne. Just keep trying to whittle it down. I’ve found taking an inventory of stocks, has been very helpful in planning around 😊

diminua

I haven't been posting much but am just popping in to say I have spent £239.39 not including spends while I was in Italy for a week (as that's a different budget) but including three nights out, so not bad at all. I do need the inevitable bread and milk in the next couple of days, and perhaps some fruit. 

RandomOne

Thanks @themsthebreaks I wont stop trying.  I could have saved thousands if i hadn't spent it all on food. 

Naturelover22

@RandomOne its easy to look back and beat yourself up. You say you have lots of food in the cupboards, write out a list and plan a few days worth of meals using as much of that as possible. I did this last week and managed a smaller shop and some tasty meals. Don't bother being fancy with the meals, just easy to cook and what you like.

Declaring £11.26 in Asda on Friday.
Cat food £7.98
eggs
Bread, and 2x warburtons flatbreads, all YS reduced.

£285.27 out of £215

Husband will do a small shop tomorrow for the last few days of the month. Keeping the list small and using up cupboard food first.
This week we have had
Jacket potatoes, burgers and green beans
Lentil, sweet potato, chicken and feta jumble.
Tonight is chilli (well mince and red kidney beans) with potato wedges and cheese.

I have bulgar wheat, chicken, carrots and asparagus for my lunches all week.
Hope everyone is well.

Mrs_Cheshire

RandomOne said:

Thanks @themsthebreaks I wont stop trying.  I could have saved thousands if i hadn't spent it all on food. 

Could you challenge yourself to shop from your cupboards using fridge and freezer contents as you go. That way you would only buy the essential from the shops to match up with your plan. That way you'll save money from now on. 

An example I had one chicken breast and a pack of prawns in the freezer, I knew I had some stir fry veg in the fridge, dried egg noddles and a couple of various microwave rice packs in the cupboard plus some sachets of stir fry sauce. I also had a box of spring rolls in the freezer and a bag of interestingly flavoured prawn crackers in stores. I bought some baby corn from the shop today on the way home as my youngest son isn't keen on most veg but will eat those. Easy dinner for 5 - 2 adults, 2 tall, lean teen boys and our 9 year old boy. 

Mrs_Cheshire

I've done a meal plan to help me get to the end of the month without too much more spent. 

Monday - Cheese burgers and chips with salad. 
Tuesday - Ham and cheese pasta bake 
Wednesday - spicy chicken breast steaks, rice and stir fry veg
Thursday - lamb chunks, couscous and salad, possibly some halloumi to go with if its still in the back fridge (will have to find an alternative to couscous for my fussy husband)
Friday - filled pasta with a sauce and some roasted veg
Saturday - sausages, mash and veg
Sunday - undecided but in August's budget

I need to buy tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, carrots, bread rolls. Hopefully that's all. I'll make some cookies to give to my snack hungry boys. 
Breakfasts will be cereal or pastries/crumpets we already have, lunches will be sandwiches/wraps with egg, tuna or cheese when needed with crisps and other snacks already in. the fruit bowl and fridge have a decent stock of fruit too. 

t14cy_t

RandomOne said:

I've not posted in here for ages, mainly out of shame and embarassment. I had so much help last time i posted, lots of great advice etc, but i am still really struggling with food shopping every day and having a ridiculous amount of food in my house. 

I wont stop trying though. So I'll jump on the August thread as soon as it's posted. 

no judgement here. we are all in this together.

mandco

RandomOne don’t give up we’re all just doing our best and it’s a process the main thing is to just stick at it and not give up.

well the budget is well and truly blown this month more shops totalling £114.55 to add  some if that was stuff that won’t be used till August but can’t find the receipts to work it out so as I really do t need anything other than some lactose free milk & a loaf of bread for the next few days I’m going to declare now for July £855.05/£800  
also spent another £85.42 on bulk pet supplies as a load of stuff I buy regularly was on offer for 1/2 price/clearance but I’m going to spilt that over aug/sept as it’ll cover those months.

mandco

Soontobeoap said:

I went online last night looking for all of the bargains that I could find to feed 3 growing boys and OH and I for 2.weeks from next weekend. I am very cross with myself that we go to the shops so often for bits and bobs when they are here. The freezer that I have run down over the last 2 months is now chocablock. I have hopefully got enough bread and oat milk  for the gluten free / dairy free twins, At least 10 out of 14 evening meals, bits and pieces for picnics including gluten free sausage rolls, gf/df plant based cheesy dippers, gf pizza bases, gf sausages. (all of the gf/ df stuff really adds up and out Aldi doesn't stock it.) I also bought ice pops instead of ice lollies.  We usually spend a fortune topping up on lollies. We will buy them ice creams for a treat when we are out. There are several Amazing ice cream shops that have dairy free ice cream on the island and it's so much easier than trying to find something they both can have in the supermarkets. I expected the total shop to come to £200. No I am not joking. I bought quite a lot of meat. I can't get joints big enough for 2 meals for 5 or 6 people in Aldi. Anyway by doing my research we saved  £35.37 for having a nectar card so we only spent £170.87. How do people even afford to feed a family these days? I am trying to get an order from approved foods for crisps and sweet snack bars to bring the cost down
 Had the whole shop in my basket last night and couldn't check out. I couldn't register an account because my email had already been used but when I put in a forgotten password request they couldn't send it to me because they didn't have my email address!!! I did email them yesterday lunch time but they didn't get back to me and they closed at 5 so I will try to sort that out  on Monday. I am determined to enjoy our grandchildren for less this holiday. My daughter can never believe how much they eat when they come to us. It must be the sea air.
 Hopefully the weather will be lovely and we can have quite a few beach days. This shop will go towards August budget as we won't be using any of it until then.

Gf/df really bumps up the spends you can easily pay 4x the cost of the regular product for a fraction of the size/weight my shopping bill would be so much cheaper if I didn’t need to buy it - I can’t do onions /garlic either (along with a bunch if other things) and it’s ridiculously hard to find things that don't have them in as an ingredient especially the cheaper/budget brands.
my boys are bottomless honestly don’t know where they put it all some days it can be tough for those with kids over the summer holidays the extra food requirements can put a strain on already tight budgets.