July 2025 Grocery Challenge

Changeyourlife25

£373.54 /£450 

😩 
I shouldn’t have posted last night , I didn’t realise I couldn’t edit my posts. 

The Morrisons order ended up being £202.09
although I’m not sure why…. I don’t know if some offer expired or it’s a hidden charge. 

Then ended up needing stuff in the corner shop £12.85

Only £76.46 left for the month….. and we are 2 days in.

maybe the budget needs to go up? 

My farm shop and Morrisons order were big ones and that’s a freezer full of meat and a lot of dairy! So I’m hoping that’ll do us well.
i just need to stay away from popping to the corner shop for little bits and actually plan properly and be ahead. 

Just waiting for Morrisons to arrive now! Will be sitting the kids down and having a long discussion about portion control and not swarming the fridge like a bunch of locusts. 

So I can actually make what we’ve got last
 
Thanks for the creamy tarragon chicken pasta recipe! Sounds lovely, I was looking for it online but couldn’t find it. I’ll try that this month.

Anyone feeding 5 adults? (1 adult and 4 big children 17,12,11,9) what would your budget be? 

Changeyourlife25

Changeyourlife25 said:

£373.54 /£450 

😩 
I shouldn’t have posted last night , I didn’t realise I couldn’t edit my posts. 

The Morrisons order ended up being £202.09
although I’m not sure why…. I don’t know if some offer expired or it’s a hidden charge. 

Then ended up needing stuff in the corner shop £12.85

Only £76.46 left for the month….. and we are 2 days in.

maybe the budget needs to go up? 

My farm shop and Morrisons order were big ones and that’s a freezer full of meat and a lot of dairy! So I’m hoping that’ll do us well.
i just need to stay away from popping to the corner shop for little bits and actually plan properly and be ahead. 

Just waiting for Morrisons to arrive now! Will be sitting the kids down and having a long discussion about portion control and not swarming the fridge like a bunch of locusts. 

So I can actually make what we’ve got last
 
Thanks for the creamy tarragon chicken pasta recipe! Sounds lovely, I was looking for it online but couldn’t find it. I’ll try that this month.

Anyone feeding 5 adults? (1 adult and 4 big children 17,12,11,9) what would your budget be? 

Morrisons order just arrived! I’ve got a large freezer full, small freezer almost full and fridge full! This will definitely last us. I’ve written the dates for everything fresh and I’ll plan accordingly. 

Blackcats

I'm really noticing how prices are increasing and it doesn't seem to be by a few pence here or there.  

After months it seems that Lidl's now have their own brand dreamie style cat treats back again.  I just hope the cat doesn't notice that he has been downshifted back down again.  I swopped my Lidls fancy chocolate bar that is now £2.29 for the cheaper version for about £1 less.  It's not as nice but that helps me eat less chocolate.  

As I'm shopping I'm being careful about the extra treats that often find their way into the trolley.  

Anyway first shop has been done which includes the cat food for the month and I took advantage of my 10% off.

£305 remaining.

C_J

I've just finished putting away all the bounty of stuff from my favourite Community Fridge. This week my £1 bought me:

2 large bags of M&S potatoes (didn't want this many, but they insisted. I will pass some on to neighbours)
Red onions
Brown onions
Leeks
Carrots
Parsnips
Sweet potatoes
Red chillies
Green chillies
Large bunch of asparagus
Bag of Swiss chard
Bag of beansprouts
Large bag of stir fry mixed veg
Avocadoes
Spring onions
1 bag baby spinach
1 pack of cut fresh parsley
2 Little Gem lettuce
Tomatoes
Mushrooms (white and chestnut)
Bananas
4 apricots
2 oranges
1 pot of pomegranate seeds
1 large Hovis sliced granary loaf
1 M&S bake at home olive ciabatta
6 sachets Hello Fresh chicken stock paste
6 sachets Hello Fresh vegetable stock paste
6 sachets Hello Fresh honey
4 sachets dried oregano
1 Pret hoisin duck wrap
1 Pret egg mayo sandwich
2 Pret blueberry breakfast oat bowls
1 tub Waitrose lemon and coriander hummus
1 300g pack diced chicken breast
1 pack of six M&S Italian herb spiced sausages
1 Waitrose beef vindaloo curry ready meal
1 tub ricotta
2 Waitrose all butter croissants
4 small chocolate pancakes
1 large box of breakfast oats
1 pack Smiths cheese and onion crisps
1 bunch Waitrose long stemmed pink roses


Really pleased with this. I have frozen the ready meal curry, sausages, spinach, raspberries, pomegranate seeds, parsley, pancakes and croissants to have later in the week. I'll use the diced chicken with the beansprouts and stir fry veg (I already have sachets of black bean sauce to go with this) for dinner tonight and to finish up tomorrow. The blueberry oat bowls and croissants will be breakfasts for the next couple of days, and the sandwiches will be lunch on Thursday and Friday. 

I have recipes in mind for the mushrooms (and have the other ingredients for these): I'll make a version of these mushroom and chimichurri tacos but I will add strips of sweet pointed red pepper to them, and might serve them in lettuce wraps instead. I also have the ingredients to make this vegan mushroom, chickpea, spinach and coconut curry later in the week. I also have the ingredients to make this pearl barley, parsnip, preserved lemon and sweet potato tagine but I honestly think I've got more than enough food in the list above to see me through the week so might roll that over to next week.

I will need to buy milk and dog food, but that's about it.

£1/£150 spent so far.

Soontobeoap

I agree. Food is increasing in price rapidly now. I shopped all meat and a lot of veg and bread from the freezer and used up a lot of store cupboard ingredients last month and came in at £200. I was able to do that regularly last year when it was only the 2 of us!

Still trying to shop from stores for as long as possible. I have one leg of lamb that I want to keep for the winter and other than that would like to use as much as possible and be inventive where I can.

So today on Monday I had skimmed a small pot of shepherds pie base off before adding potatoes
 I used this today with some chopped pots, Sweden,onions and carrots to make 2 pasties
 With the left over pastry I made 2 cherry lattices from atin of cherries in the larder. DH will eat the other half along with tinned custard that I bought Justin case some time ago. DH did not like Aldi's version of Bisto when I purchased it but we still had some in cupboard so today I mixed with Bisto ( half and half) and he didn't notice so I will use the rest up like that.

Lots of DIY being done here so DH is fancying sweet treats. I have so much baking stuff in stores that when I get a minute this week I will bake a few cakes.

We have decided that in this heat beans on toast will do for tomorrow's dinner.

Hope everyone is coping with this heat.

LotsOfTea

Can I be put down for £300 for the month please? It's for 2 adults and a nearly-teen with hollow legs. 

I had a delivery today which came to £86.06 and we're all stocked up on fresh stuff now. I had a sort through one of the cupboards this morning to tidy it up and found lots of bits and bobs I'd forgotten I had including 3 open packets of pearl barley! I consolidated them into one big container and am off to plan using it up (and the other odds and ends I found). 

£86.06/£300

GSDMum

Although I went to Aldi on the 1st, I'd forgotten quite a few things, so I decide rather than risk going to the shop I'd get a Tesco delivery where I can reduce temptation.

In this hot weather we like a glass of gin and tonic and we were getting low. We pour it via an optic on the wall, it really does stretch the contents. Not that we drink a lot, it's probably a drink 4 or 5 times a week during the summer. I can't remember when the last time I bought a bottle, it must have been just after Christmas. A litre bottle of Gordons on special for £19.75 was added to the list – it's the only drink we have, we don't go out these days. More water and cupboard replacements such as curry paste and other bits and bobs were added to the list. Total being - £80.82.

I've made a menu until the end of the month, most things I've got in the fridge and freezer, but I will need another XL chicken towards the end of the month, as well as milk, bread rolls, crumpets and fruit/veg.

So far I've spent £157.51, with £117.49 for the rest of the month. Think I can do this...

Working_Mum

Changeyourlife25 said:

£373.54 /£450 

😩 

Only £76.46 left for the month….. and we are 2 days in.

maybe the budget needs to go up? 

Anyone feeding 5 adults? (1 adult and 4 big children 17,12,11,9) what would your budget be? 

Hello CYL25
Do you know what you've spent in previous months on food?? If you can do a bit of number crunching you could maybe see if your budget of £450 is realistic??

Any time we change behaviours we can feel a bit of discomfort - so maybe you can sit with it for a little while and see how you get on using your stores and what you've recently purchased. You may find that what you've bought is enough but equally you may find you have to adjust your spending a little. This is the first time you have put this focus on your food shopping and you'll learn loads.

I have learned to live with seeing a half empty fridge - it has taken me years to get to this place. I had always equated an empty fridge with having no food in (despite my cupboards groaning under the weight of food!!).

Getting your food budget on track is as much of an emotional journey as it is a fiscal one.

Good luck,

((WM))

carboot_karaoke

Changeyourlife25 said:

£373.54 /£450 

Anyone feeding 5 adults? (1 adult and 4 big children 17,12,11,9) what would your budget be? 

Hi @Changeyourlife25 mine is a family of 6. Four adults and two very hungry children 10,12

Our budget for food, cleaning, and toiletries is approx £450 a month although, as you can see in my signature our actual spend varies quite a bit.

When l joined the grocery challenge my monthly spend was closer to the £600 mark (food was cheaper then as well). I think the start point is working out where your money is going, then you know were to concentrate your efforts. Also depends on what you can afford.

I did try beginning the month with a "big shop" in the hope it would even out over the month, rarely works. In a big family you always need something from the shop and while your there you see other things... 

I do a monthly food plan, but my shopping list is focused on the immediate week, unless there is a great offer on l try and stick to the list. If l find a good offer on snacks l never put them all in the cupboard. My kids would see it as an invitation to eat more. I've been known to drive around with multipacks of crisps and chocs in my car boot to stop them and Mr CK eating them all.😂  

You have lots of food atm so if you haven't already l would make a food plan. Even if your missing the odd ingredient it will make the next few shops easier.

LiveSimply

“I have learned to live with seeing a half empty fridge - it has taken me years to get to this place. I had always equated an empty fridge with having no food in (despite my cupboards groaning under the weight of food!!).“

@Working_Mum

This is good, I hadn’t really realised that this is how I feel. I fill my fridge to the point where I cannot fit leftovers in, and end up eating them instead of leaving them for tomorrow.