July 2025 Grocery Challenge

Blackcats

£380 for July please.

goldfinches

Thankyou for setting up this thread @elsiepac.

Please would you put me down for 

£150 main GC, £25 Baking Fund, £73.23 Bulk Buy Fund

The main GC covers all food, household necessities and basic toiletries for one moderately active vegetarian woman.

The Baking Fund covers making vegan and gluten free treats for a group of 12 every Wednesday.

The Bulk Buy Fund is for any regular purchase spotted on offer at a reduced price e.g. instant coffee, washing up liquid etc.

JingsMyBucket

@goldfinches I was just reminded of an accidentally vegan chocolate cake I saw today. It’s from the Great Depression era when people were low on eggs and butter. The lift and moistness comes vinegar and oils. It gets rave reviews   https://www.budgetbytes.com/chocolate-depression-cake/

diminua

Hi Elsiepac,

Could you put me down for £250 this month please?

thank you. 

Suffolk_lass

Because I shopped for July yesterday (I needed the air con after a bee episode at the Teaching Apiary), I spent a whopping £58 on groceries, plus £32.34 on stores (like @goldfinches, I buy my storecupboard item when on offer, and usually in multiples, but in singles if not on offer and none left. I am cross with myself for accidentally picking up a branded carton or ready-made custard which was £3 instead of the OB same size for £1.70 - it's because I was looking for unfamiliar low-fat, which is relatively new for me as we test Mr Sl's capacity for slightly more fat in his diet now his gallbladder has gone.

Anyway -

• I also have a treats and entertainment pot (it includes any drinks, food or outings outside the SM (ie T/A or restaurant/pub visits, but also anything like ready-made cream cakes (!) or ice-cream, chocolate or [on this occasion] wine). I took advantage of 30% off three "the best" and one also had a More-card £1.50 discount, making the saving £10.80 on £32.50, just a smidge under 1/3 off (what is 10p!)
• A pets and livestock pot (with three bags of cheap clumping cat litter)
• and car expenses (with both RM and concentrate of car screen wash for £9)

SausageDogSandwich

£400 for me please and thank you @elsiepac

Changeyourlife25

£450 for me please!

It’s high but I’ve failed every previous GC 

Myself, 3 ds (17,11,9) and a dd (12) 
pretty much all adult meals
im not gonna include the cat

I want to go scorched earth this month to help pay off a small amount of debt I have. Desperate to change my ways ( I’ve been saying it since January (saying it for years) but determined to go out with a bang these last 6 months of 2025! ) 

so the extra to include snacks and drinks and stuff to avoid take away temptations, and food out. 

As well as a few bits of convenience foods for tough days. 

wishus

First shop in - £44.37. A big-ish shop as I needed to get cat food and loo roll.

My meal plan for the week:

dinners:
Chickpea dhal
Creamy chicken tarragon pasta
Fish, sweet potato wedges, coleslaw, peas
gingered pork and rice
Orange chicken and rice or salt and pepper chips
Pork fillet and mash
veggie chiili.

OH lunches - ham and potato salad, crudites, savoury muffins
Me - whatever I can scrounge in the fridge
Breakfasts: toasts, eggs, overnight oats

Soontobeoap

@Changeyourlife25 that budget doesn't sound high to me when you have 5 adults to feed. ( I have grandchildren the same ages and can't believe what they eat!) At that age they have hollow legs and are always looking for snacks too. Good luck.

Several spends to declare already. 2 for Aldi = £35.68, a bulk buy of typhoo teabags in B and M £12.98 for 1100 and a bottle of bleach and 3 tubes of hair conditioner  in poundland = £4.00 . £52.66 in total 🤯. I have been doing this for 3 years now and it is definitely getting much harder. I am running out of ideas to make the money for further.

DH bought ice lollies whilst he was in Aldi which were very well received in this heat so when I took a shepherds pie base out of the freezer for tonight I removed a small tub of meat before making it up. I will use this with veg in pasties for tomorrow and feel I have paid back the budget for the lollies by getting another meal out of it. I  Should manage until Friday from freezer.

LiveSimply

I might go for £240 this month.