July 2025 Grocery Challenge

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. 

Naturelover22

Hello, thank you for administering the thread elsipac.

Budget this month is £215

For 2 adults, 2 cats, food and cleaning.
This will be a tighter one as we have extra expenses this month.
Will need to do planning and actually carry out the food plan which is more of the challenge!
Big shop tomorrow in Aldi so I will post about that tomorrow.
Good luck all

PipneyJane

Good evening All

DH took the housekeeping out on his way home from work this evening and then went grocery shopping.  He did have the shopping list. £44.71 spent, as follows:

• £17.89 spent in Sainsbugs on onion bagels 2x£1.37, yeast £1.55, mustard powder £2.30, Yeo Valley yoghurts 4x£1.50, spring onions 50p, 200ml Greek yoghurt 80p, rocket £1, loose broccoli £1, Choux buns £2
• £19.86 in L!dl on Cashews 4x £1.49, smoked salmon £3.81, prosciutto x£1.61, jersey potatoes 99p, crème cheese 2x95p, butter 2x£1.99. 
  
• £4.83 in a different L!dl on Chorizo 3x£1.61
• £2.15 in shrapnel that’s gone to the moneyboxes, including a £2 coin.

The above brings our total spend to £44.71/£162.50 leaving £117.79 for the rest of the month.

- Pip

wishus

Good morning all. Officially July!
I think I might save money because it's too hot to eat most of the day!

We did try the Pinch of Nom on a budget creamy chicken and tarragon pasta last night. I used chicken thighs instead of breast and the bones and skin have gone in the freezer for future soup and crunchy salad toppings. 

OH declared it delicious and said it was the best pasta dish we'd ever had.