June 2026 Grocery Challenge

Suffolk_lass

I have removed a pack of steak burgers from the freezer to have with salad this evening, when Mr Sl returns from his bike rally. He will be in need of some fresh green veg after two days eating from food trucks. Having ridden up to N Wales on Friday, he didn't join the group ride out yesterday, preferring his own company and a potter along the canal after a committee meeting of some sort, and then retuning today. It's very much his thing, but it seemed an awfully long way to go, to spend the only full day on his own.

Anyway, we can have the meat grilled on the BBQ with some fresh salad and cold potatoes tonight. I will make them into a potato salad with white onion, lemon, black pepper, mayonnaise and green chillies. No need to spend today!

carboot_karaoke

Afternoon all,

I have some spends to declare £54.66 in total across Tesco and Asda for dinner ingredients for the coming week. Also £18.20 from the bulk fund for toilet roll, fabric conditioner and toothpaste l didn't need but earned me 60 Clubcard points.

I've been so busy lately l haven't had much time to "pop into the shop" this seems to be working in my favour and no one is starving 😂

Grocery Budget £213.90 / £400

Bulk Fund £27.59 / £50

Grocery Challenge £ 241.49 / £450

Soontobeoap

£23.48 spent yesterday on bulk buy Loyd Grossman sauces from Amazon. Cheaper than the supermarkets.

Getting harder to plan just from freezer but I am going to give it a go

Monday - leftover beef stew with roast potatoes and swede.

Tuesday - chicken noodles ( never did have those 2 weeks ago.

Wednesday - fish cakes, chips and peas

Thursday - lasagna with salad

Friday - gammon new potatoes peas and sweet corn

Saturday Ham egg and chips

Sunday - beef wellington with roast veg

Monday - Ham omelette with salad.

Suffolk_lass

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82034466#Comment_82034466

Your last sentence, "I've been so busy lately l haven't had much time to "pop into the shop" this seems to be working in my favour and no one is starving 😂" - this, this was my epiphany moment - making do with what is in and cutting out the visits of temptation.

This being cut out saved me about £40 the first month - so then I tried reducing the sm shops - having a freezer/use it up week each month, then shopping once a fortnight, then every three weeks. I'm up to a big shop every 3-4 weeks now, with milk, eggs and carrots always necessitating a trip to the local shop, and summer berries driving extra spend in June and July. I hope this confession helps someone else reduce their spending by over 50%

Soontobeoap

£31.84 spent in Aldi today. Mainly veg, cereal, milk as well as shampoo for both of us. Still happy with where we are at this stage of the month. I have gravy left over from shepherds pie / lasagna base made two days ago. Will strain out mince for a couple of pasties and then use gravy for beef stew and dumplings tonight. No complaints from DH about meals yet even though a few are becoming slightly random or repetitive. Freezer is looking clean and much more organized.

K9sandFelines

£12.42 on subscribe and save at J.Besos site

2 x toothpaste, 2 x coconut milk, soap, cotton buds and agave.

I've put half the price of the soap (63p), and tooth paste (£3.22) into bulk fund as it won't be used til next month (£3.85)

I've also an Ald# &HB shop to add to signature, which was £12.01

PipneyJane

Afternoon All

I have two spends to declare: £16.60 in Sainsbugs yesterday and £16.99 in L!dl today.

The Sainsbugs spend was on sweet Peppers £2.10, 1.554kg loose baking potatoes £1.40, mushrooms £E1.85, 622g broccoli £1.36, YS watercress £1.12, ham £2.20, sweet chilli humus £1.35, onion bagels 2x£1.52, and a packet of cookies £1.40. We received 280 extra Nectar points thanks to the peppers, the watercress, the hummus and the cookies.

The L!dl spend was on a YS quiche £2.92, 1L lactose free milk 3x99p, 150ml facial cleanser £1.19, 500g coleslaw £1.09, tomato puree 59p, Bratwurst £2.99, and 200g smoked salmon £4.49.

There is also £3.24 of shrapnel received so far this month, including one £2 coin, which needs to be deducted from total, since it’s all gone into money boxes.

This brings our total spend to £139.10/£195.30 leaving £56.20 for the rest of the month.

Meal plans for the next few days are complicated by the fact that my darling husband does not want to eat any hot food. Dinner tonight was originally going to be pan-fried calves’ liver accompanied by the coleslaw. However, instead, I’ve decided to serve the quiche with the coleslaw and have the liver tomorrow night, along with some peanut rice from the freezer. Hmmm….

• Pip
  

LotsOfTea

I went to go and buy some more apples today for DS's lunchbox and whilst there picked up some chestnut mushrooms and fancy baby tomatoes as both were on the weekly special. £2.67 spent in total.

196.19/£300

Blackcats

well, it's the half way point of the month and we are over half way through the budget. Funnily enough I looked at my remaining kitty and thought I was doing very well which I think reflects how the psychology of my spending habits works 🤦‍♀️. I know if I kept all my sinking fund savings in one big pot I would think I was awash with money and be allocating the same £'s to multiple things.

Anyway, I do want to have an underspend this month so I need to focus and be resourceful for the next 15 days.

£171.80/£320 £148.20 remaining

Nelliegrace

It seems like that on paper @Blackcats, but you are buying food in advance, for the next few days at least, so you are on budget really.

I suppose he could have calves’ liver pâté and raw vegetables? @PipneyJane

My kitchen is now take it or leave it, and make yourself something if you are not here for meals. I cannot say, “Your dinner is in the dog,” anymore. I am so fed up of preparing dinner only to be told he is out to bowls and forgot to say, or he is just popping up to the bowls club, “for a few minutes.”