July 2025 Grocery Challenge

TravelCrystal

Just a quickie guys
Just been to Farm foods for a bulk freezer and other items which although doesn’t count on my GC monthly I will add to annual budget
For interest I just spent £108.07 Total saving with my multi buys and vouchers because I spent over £100 was £42.46. Well pleased with that
This is what I bought.







Catch you in August 
TC

Suffolk_lass

Any sign of the August thread yet please @elsiepac?

C_J

I have £14.80 to add to my total, milk and dog food bought yesterday. 

I made a good dent in the fresh food mountain today, making four portions of leeks wrapped in ham and smothered in a cheese sauce (one portion for dinner tonight, three for the freezer), and a small pan of leek and potato soup (with added garlic, spring onion, fresh parsley and a tiny bit of mild green chilli which needed using up). I kept back a bit of the cheese sauce and a slice of the ham, and will use them to make a sourdough croque monsieur for lunch tomorrow.

I can’t think of anything I will need from the shops before the end of the week, so my July total looks like it will end on £33.47/£150. My daughters pointed out that technically I should add an amount for fuel** because I have to drive to the community fridge, but still….. 🤣

** Fuel is a separate budget, and is nowhere near its limit.

PipneyJane

themsthebreaks said:

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

Thank you.  We did 14 miles, @themsthebreaks.  It took us 5 hours and I’m not certain who was more knackered at the end, me or DH.

I’m declaring at £166.10/£162.50, an overspend of £3.60.

We went to Sainsbugs yesterday, spending £13.57 on 450ml Yeo Valley Greek Yoghurt With Honey 2x£1.85, 450ml Yeo Valley Lemon Curd Yoghurt 2xE1.85, baby plum tomatoes 85p, bananas 78p, 2kg sweet potatoes £2.37, 288g baking potato 23p, 864g carrots 60p, and 610g broccoli £1.34

We’ll roll the overspend into August.  Had a serious discussion about putting up the GC budget by £20, to £180.  It’s only been £160 since May 2024, so not long, but prices have increased again.  Still not 100% certain whether we agreed to do so, or not.  I think DH wanted to increase by £10, so £5 each, which is quite difficult - I don’t know any cash points now that give out £5 notes.  Hmm….

- Pip

AnotherNewDay

AnotherNewDay said:

Hi, I'm joining again for July - and this time with a slightly increased budget of £115 (up from £100). This will be split as follows £45 for 2 ravenous blackcats and £70 for 1 human female groceries, household & toiletries. 
Hopefully, this adjustment will help me stay on track.

Scores on the doors for July = Cats (Wet +dry food, litter +treats) = £24.36/£45 - one human female who really needs to sort out her budget + stop buying so many treats = £96.23/£70

Technically only £5.59 over budget, but since this is on an increase from £100 will try again for £115 in August. 

Mrs_Cheshire

I went to our local community grocery yesterday (this one is newly opened but I've used the flagship one previously, they were offering free membership and a lindt bunny to the first 100 people this week). 
Got the following
6 carrots 
4 vine tomatoes 
a large handful of cherry tomatoes
rubicon black cherry & raspberry sparkling water
soreen chocolate orange lift bars
macaroni cheese (frozen meal)
2 rice Krispy squares bars 
4 flavour sachets for meat (2 chinese, 1 bbq, 1 garlic and herb)
pack of apple pies ( unfortunately they tasted stale so were binned)
and something else I can't remember 
Cost me £5 

They have different pricing for people who want more items too. I'm going to try and go once per week and base the following weeks shopping on what I pick up. 

Nelliegrace

Five jars of apricot jam made with fruit from the garden. The best crop yet from a Tomcot apricot. 

themsthebreaks

PipneyJane said:

themsthebreaks said:

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

Thank you.  We did 14 miles, @themsthebreaks.  It took us 5 hours and I’m not certain who was more knackered at the end, me or DH.

- Pip

That’s great, @PipneyJane. We love going on a hike, and I’m always shattered at the end 😊

————————————————

I spent £5 at the Local Pantry this morning, so I’m declaring £306.60/£320 on groceries in July. Considering how much I’ve spent previously, I am amazed by this. I have used up stock, and that will start to deplete, so my costs likely won’t be the same next month, but there have been no complaints at mealtimes.

Random question, but how do people increase the size of their text when posting?

Naturelover22

@Nelliegrace those apricots looks delicious, have you had a good harvest this year?
My plums are coming on well, we usually get alot to pick!
@AnotherNewDay interesting to see your cat budget. This month I have fully tracked our cat spending and I have been very shocked! 

K9sandFelines

A few spends to report.

From stores - two Yubi bars and two loo rolls - £3.00
Got five reduced alpro creams @39p each from a Co -@p by Her@n, whilst killing time waiting for the bus. Gonna use it instead of milk, I've just watered it down. Also, got ys crumpets.
Then in Her@n two packs of kallo corn cakes @69p each and two boxes of crackers @49p ( I think also Kallo). Finally, a large tomato sauce for £1, should last ages as I rarely use it.
Today, bag of sweetcorn  for £1.35 as I was near to the Waitrose, whilst at the chemist.

Freezers are full and I've got bits of bobs in the cupboard, so should be good. Maybe just need a few fresh bits but should get them at the next Bread and Butter thing, as I haven't been today.

£9.65 total