September 2025 Grocery Challenge

JingsMyBucket

Budgets updated to here. 

carboot_karaoke

Hi Everyone thank you so much @JingsMyBucket for setting up the thread you've done a great job☺️

Also sending love and support to @elsiepac hope your ok xx 

So... this month, I'm trying an ambitious target of £10 a day for 6 people.

Grocery Challenge = £300 in total plus £50 for bulk items. 

I did an inventory and food plan and already had a weeks worth of meat in the freezer so it's not as crazy as it sounds. Also, our older children buy their own lunch items so  l just need to focus on dinners. With leftovers or sandwiches as lunches for the rest of us.

It's a straightforward 4 weeks so if l aim for £75 a week l should be fine.  If l manage it I'll add the savings towards a family treat.

I have done a couple of shops already so i'll tot them up and post an update later. 

Also can someone please remind me how l can make the font bigger. I've never managed to do it. 

Naturelover22

Hi all,

Aiming for 

£300 for this month, 2 adults and 2 senior cats. Food, household and essential toiletries.

• Need to work on actually cooking the meals which are planned and not just planning them this month.
• Bulk buy cat food and litter.
• Allow 2 takeaways.
• make a basic simple meal plan and shopping list to use as emergency when too tired to plan. (I have been thinking of this for ages)

Really wanting another freezer was hoping to get one in a few months when we get work done on the house, however that won't be happening until Spring now, tempted to get one now as I think it will really help with being prepared for the low energy days (I have a chronic illness) and keeping costs down.

Pennypincin

£40 per week or £160 per month please.
For 1 vegetarian adult.
Just for food and cleaning supplies.

Sponge_pudding

Hello, I would like to join this month please.
I have set a budget and with Olio and Too Good To Go I am hoping to be under, thank you
Monthly budget plus what is in my purse for 2 adults and 2 dogs plus lots of lunchtime visitors and grandchildren's treats.

£238.35

mandco

Naturelover22 said:

Hi all,

Aiming for 

£300 for this month, 2 adults and 2 senior cats. Food, household and essential toiletries.

• Need to work on actually cooking the meals which are planned and not just planning them this month.
• Bulk buy cat food and litter.
• Allow 2 takeaways.
• make a basic simple meal plan and shopping list to use as emergency when too tired to plan. (I have been thinking of this for ages)

Really wanting another freezer was hoping to get one in a few months when we get work done on the house, however that won't be happening until Spring now, tempted to get one now as I think it will really help with being prepared for the low energy days (I have a chronic illness) and keeping costs down.

It’s definitely worth it - I brought a chest freezer for this purpose which I used as my bulk buy/overflow freezer which meant I can bulk cook when I’m feeling well and rotate out items into the regular fridge freezer as needed - haven’t done much of that recently due to the summer weather and eating more salads/lighter meals ect but will be getting back ready for the colder months when my symptoms tend to flare up to as soon as I replace the freezer. 

A tasty homemade soup & a crusty roll from the freezer makes lovely warming nutritious quick & easy meal when you’re not feeling great. I also makes Stews & prep chicken/veg for stir fries/curries ect
You might prefer a freezer with drawers but I find the chest one really handy at Xmas for the bigger joints /desserts which don’t tend to fit in the drawers  of my regular fridge/freezer.

mandco

Despite last months freezer disaster I’ve decided going to stick with my £800 budget - the aim is to run down the main fridge freezer and use up a lot of the odds & ends in there and we do have a few days away this month for ds birthday which are a separate budget. 

Not off to a good start as I’ve already spent about £185 ( I’ll update once I sort receipts- updated)
Iceland £50.70
sains £31.66
m&s £5.96 this included some clearance baking stuff to put away for Xmas baking white marzipan £1 & luxury caramel chocolate 49p all bbe 2026
boots £10.05 ( £5 points back)
aldi £29.65
asda £54.37 this includes extra store cupboard items not on the list as they have some decent offers on due to the back to school/uni deals
total £182.38 

realistically with what is in shouldn’t need anything apart from lactose free milk as they didn’t have any own brand in stock & maybe some fresh greens for the rabbits till the weekend.

JingsMyBucket

Hey folks!

Budgets updated to here. 

I’m still trying to figure out what my number should be this month. I’ve already spent a lot but we’ll be gone on vacation halfway through the month. It’s also my birthday this week so I’ve bought some treats as well. ☺️

wishus

@carboot_karaoke    to make the font bigger, there's a little symbol in the comment box, looks like a solid backward P with a solid vertical line and a black downwards triangle next to it. That's the format button. To select the text you want to make bigger, click your mouse next to the first word then keeping the mouse button held down while you drag the cursor across the whole text, then click the format button, you can then choose "Heading 2" and that will make the text in that paragraph - 

bigger

Hope that helps! Just popped to the Eco shop and got myself a haul. All this for £12! I am so glad this shop exists. Yes, everything is yellow sticker/needs to be frozen or used quickly/after it's sell by date, but 1) that helps me help against food waste 2) gives me the chance to try new things 3) my income is much less than it was and variable, so this helps me a lot 4) it's a long way away, so that's good exercise. Done nearly 12K steps today! Had the broccoli and stilton soup for my lunch with the end of the last shop's sourdough from a couple of weeks ago. 
Brings my totals to: Budget £150, spent £54.71, £95.29 remaining.
bigger
No, I don't live in a void, I just background-removed my sofa





TheCheerleader

Wow Wishus what a fantastic haul! 🔥 you’re really lucky, I would love an eco shop or olio but sadly nothing around here.