July 2026 Grocery Challenge

Blackcats

I have set a 5 week budget this month but I'm going to do my best to generate a nice surplus as I really enjoyed sweeping June's underspend into my target savings pots.

I've noticed that we tend to buy things "just in case we are running out" and more often than not we aren't running short at all. I think a check of cupboards before we go to the shop and a mantra of "we'll be back in the shop in 7 days so even if we run out it's not a tragedy" might help.

I also want to minimise food waste as we can be a bit slack with this.

£360.00 for July please

K9sandFelines

It seems I've bust the budget for June. So sorry to mess you about @JingsMyBucket, but I've decided instead to do a dummy run for July and then I'll know where I'm at in August. Need to have a better idea of what I spend when it's just me here. You can just put retrial or something next to my name for now.

Thanks

RedRose61

Did my first shop for July today. I’d run out of DH’s favourite chips towards the end of June but I substituted with air fried mini potatoes rather then going into the shops and being tempted. He seemed to like the change and so that was a success.

I bought all of our regular grocery items, fruit and veggies etc. I checked my receipts from last month and I’m buying a lot of snacks which we both need to cut down on. Let’s see how it goes. Managed to get Y/S carrots, jerk chicken thighs, mushrooms and hot chocolate. £ 29.59.
Aldi next for cleaning materials, squash, shower gel, various tinned fish, a gammon joint and some condiments that we had run out of. £19.60 spent.
Have a lovely evening everyone.

£49.19/£290. £240.81 remaining.

C_J

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82055453#Comment_82055453

That’s an excellent basket (for £4.50?). I did try a Community Pantry with the monthly subscription for a while a year or so back, but found it wasn’t really for me as it was mostly ultra processed tinned food (even the one meat item per week tended to be one of those Fray Bentos tinned pies!) and the fresh fruit and veg was dreadful quality. I do get that it’s YS food that is nearing the end of its usefulness, but so much was mouldy it was almost an insult that they were charging money for it! I’m really lucky to have found instead four (fairly) local Community Fridges which only ask for a £1 donation per visit, and which are amazing. I’m so used to them now (and love them so much) that I really don’t know what I would do if they stopped!

Nelliegrace

Grocery Budget for July for 2 Pensioners at £5 a day, £155.

I bought new potatoes, nectarines 1kg, a honeydew melon and oranges at Aldi in town when I had dropped DH off for his cataract op. It was so early the store looked sparklingly clean and someone was wiping all of the grocery baskets with spray.

I bought milk at Tesco later in the week as we had free parking there to go to the art gallery.

£8.13 spent.

We shopped at Aldi today, milk £1.65, butter rapeseed spread £2.18, peanuts 59p, almonds £1.69, fruit and nuts £1.35, super 6 offer; celery 49p, lettuce 49p and red pepper 49p x 2, 7 bananas 88p, wonky blueberries £1.19, and grapes £1.37, strawberries 25% extra £1.99, cherries 79p.

£15.64 spent

Total spent £23.77

JingsMyBucket

Budgets updated to here.

Welcome @burtha; I’ve added you in. @Sallyp2 I’ve adjusted your budget for you. @K9sandFelines don’t worry about it, you’re not messing me about. 🙂 I’ll leave your budget as it is until you properly join the thread or have a better handle on your amount x.

K9sandFelines

Thanks @JingsMyBucket you're a ⭐

mandco

Previous shop came in at £5.66 £5.06 in sains express yesterday for some salmon filets, more bread & 6 eggs & £36.86 on rabbit supplies - tried a new supplier and got 20% off 1st order plus free delivery. £52.64/£800.
Need to work out a meal plan/shopping list - I usually to do a big shop on the weekend but with the warmer weather no one’s really wanted hot meals and we’re eating more f&v/salad picnic type foods ect but nothing seems to be keeping very well and use by date are very short so debating if smaller but more frequent shops might be better for the next couple of weeks?

dollypeeps

Well……July started with a big OUCH!!!!!

total spent £124.28/£90 😱

That was from yesterday ‘quick visit’ to Tesco, Aldi and Lidl and today’s ‘big shop’…..

Ok I won’t bore everyone with the details other than week 1 is a major fail for me…..however, I can see that ‘quick shops’ are very dangerous…could I have avoided going yesterday? …. Well no as I needed white rice for our evening meal and even though I stock a lot ( yes I’m guilty of storing for the supermarkets 😂) ….I had actually run out totally….another lesson, take closer look at what I do keep. I also needed part baked bread and another loaf …but that was all so a large overspend yesterday.

On to today’s shop, included in my spend was sun tan lotion (usually purchased elsewhere) and hair lacquer, I also discovered I was very low on coffee so purchased that as well, because I don’t think it would’ve lasted me until next week. I also bought a large tray of chicken breast, which tbh I didn’t need this grocery shop as I some already in my freezer and also have ‘ready made’ meals so I won’t need them to cook fresh this week.

Dear me!!!! Epic Fail!!!! Lots to keep in mind for next week…..

It should average out over the month…..expect next weeks to be 50p 😂

Ttfn GCers…..hoping for better over the month x

Soontobeoap

Starting the month with a small restock.

Ist stop was Aldi where we stocked up on tinned food, tuna, potatoes and tomatoes as well as some basics. Total cost £21.35

Next stop Asda as we needed petrol too.

Stocked up on sugar ( DH can't live without it), bulk tea bags oat milk, 2 cans deodorant on offer and ham for sandwiches. Also got some hot dog sausages for a change. Total cost £28.42

And finally Sainsburys for 2 pks of lactose free cheese. £7.50. ( each pack was £2.85 last year, it has gone up soo much) I usually only buy cheese when it's on offer but it's been a while since I have seen the cathedral city one I like so I treated myself.

Total spent today = £57.27

Updated - have just made fish cakes for dinner. One tin of tuna made enough for 4 large ones so I will freeze 2 for another day