July 2026 Grocery Challenge

Greying_Pilgrim · 3 July at 2:30PM

Small shops for me today. Went to a different market town across the way.

I have updated my siggie figgies, but I bought sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and brazil nuts and jarred ginger from hB. Because our hB is often out of pumpkin seeds and jarred ginger, I got extras of those for the store cupboard, so I have split todays spends between groceries that will be consumed in July, and the bulk fund. In addition, I went to their m0rr1s0ns and checked the WF aisle. It's much smaller than our local offering (which is small), and they didn't have much of anything - for example, they only had the la1la red lentils in the pulses offering. But they did have the lemon juice in stock, so I got a couple of bottles and that spend came out of 'bulk' purchases, as I already have a bottle of lemon juice for use in July.

There was a waste food share table event on today, but given being around for meal times is going to be a bit difficult in the next day or two, and I'm not sure what we'll have and when, I didn't take anything today.

Greying X

wishus · 3 July at 6:30PM

First shop of the month for me - spent £34.78, leaving me with £115.22 out of £150.

I've just cooked the chickpeas for this:

Cauliflower, Kale And Chickpea Cheese | Cauliflower Recipes | Tesco Real Food

I'd run out of kale though, so will top that up with some savoy I just bought (50% reduced). Also needed a bit more cheese for the sauce.

I've got some ciders for a social thing tomorrow, and we already have lots of ginger beer to make piratical cocktails, so no need to spend much at all on that frivolity. Pistachio ice cream in the freezer because of the heatwave next week.

I also bought salad for next week, plus plums and flat peaches for OH's lunches. Bought extra cherry toms as as there's no cucumber left in the shop, even back to full price as they were on special last week. Wish I had time to go to the Zero shop, but alas I do not.

Yellow sticker salmon and pork loin roasting joint purchased, the latter halved and put in the freezer. Fancy doing some pulled pork bao buns next week!

Biggest expense - oil. Did it come via the Strait of Hormuz? Sheesh! I know I bought the glass bottle stuff, but still!

mandco · 3 July at 7:00PM

nipped into m&s as needed to pick up a prescription nearby £10.35 spent on gf bread, carrots, ham & disinfectant £62.99/£800 - those little tops up shops soon add up

Suffolk_lass · 4 July at 9:35AM

Who knew lettuce soup could be so nice! I used the middle of a sad celery head with leaves, 2 carrots, 2 onions, all fried off in veg oil, then added two bolting lettuces from the garden, chopped into shreds. I added a good pinch of herbs, a veg stock jelly, and a teaspoon of honey with chopped ginger and turmeric, water and a pinch of salt. 30 minutes simmer, blitzed and delicious with a drizzle of cream and a slice of buttered toast for lunch!

No more shopping here.

t14cy_t · 4 July at 12:18PM

£20.00 spent in aldi this morning! in my defence i did buy a reduced leg of lamb joint, just had to play freezer jenga to get it in!! so, £38/£100 for this months budget.

PipneyJane · 4 July at 4:02PM

Thank you everyone for your suggestions about what to do with the 6 mangoes. No freezer space or I would make sorbet. Mango smoothie is winning. (They’re still sitting on the counter right now…)

@Nelliegrace hope your DH’s cataract surgery went well.

Welcome @burtha

@RedRose61 well done re the fried potatoes. Often small victories and small changes make a huge difference to managing the budget.

@thriftwizard - they’ve done something to the editor twice in the last month or so. For a while, it was almost impossible to select a different heading type, when using the iPad. You had to tap it twice to get the menu; now the menu comes straight up with one tap.

I did the main L!dl shop today, followed up by a trip to Sainsbugs for things that L!dl don’t stock. We shouldn’t need to go shopping again until next weekend:

£32.88 spent in L!dl on 500g Greek yoghurt £139, coconut milk 2x75p, 1kg Granola £1.99, effervescent vitamin C 2x£1.99, 500ml white wine vinegar £1.65, 750ml EV Olive Oil £4.59, 1L lactose free milk 2x99p, cream cheese 89p, mayonnaise 75p, 300ml crème fraiche 75p, eco cotton buds 89p, 200g smoked salmon £4.49, maple bacon quiche £3.65
£13.00 in Sainsbugs on 5 bananas 78p, Strawberry & Cream Tim Tams £1.85, 250g pak choi £1.17, 1L milk 96p (for DH to take work), 5-pack onion bagels 2x£1.35, 9-pack recycled toilet paper 2x£2.77
£2.69 in shrapnel has gone to the money boxes, including a £2 coin.

This brings out total spend to £85.30/£180, leaving £94.70 for the rest of the month.

Meal Plans

All breakfasts are cereal and all lunches are leftovers, unless otherwise specified. For snacks during the week, I’ve just made banana bread.

Tonight. I’m out at a choir thing. DH will have HM potato salad with a tin of fish.
Sunday. Breakfast: HM bacon McMuffins, Lunch: smoked salmon & cream cheese bagels; Dinner: cold quiche with potato salad. (We’re off to the Women’s Cricket T20 World Cup Final at Lords. We’ll take the bagels with us. We’ll have the quiche when we get home.)
Monday Chicken Hot & Sour Soup
Tuesday Broccoli pasta
Wednesday Not sure yet. Probably Bread-and-Cheese Pudding, which I’ll prep at lunchtime for DH to cook when he gets home (INB ’m joining friends at a local beer festival, so may eat out. Not sure if DH will join us.)
Thursday Carrot & Cashew Nut Roast accompanied roast potatoes
Friday HM Quiche Lorraine

Pip

Suffolk_lass · 5 July at 9:51AM

It's a good job I increased my portion of the annual budget this month. I have used the free delivery pass from Morries and ordered the football bundle of BBQ meats (Sausages, ketchup, tomatoes, from memory) as well as stockpiling 3 more bags of cat litter (while I don't have to lift it!) and restocking all the biscuits and cereals that Mr Sl consumes. That is in addition to plenty of treats and salad. All good.

Spend is at £215.42 and it is only 5th but we are away for two trips in the camper, some veg is coming in the garden, and the milk delivery is paused. All of these will help with residual spending in this budget. The food for the campervan is separately budgeted where we buy it specifically, or just absorbed out of what we have already got in stock. I am moderately confident we will stay under the £300 I allowed

Greying_Pilgrim · 5 July at 12:36PM

£2.99 spent on a tub of peanut butter. Siggie updated.

Greying X

MrsFrugalLiving · 5 July at 2:10PM

Hello All 😊

First week shop at Lidl & Home Bargins. Stocked up on a few bits at HB. Although I am supposed to be trying this month to reduce food in freezer and cupboards as part of my decluttering summer mission 🙄

Spend £29.15 Lidl & HB £12.75

Total spend £41.90/£175

Budget left £133.10

Lidl - donut (free coupon), nectarines, apples, tomatoes, cucumber, almond butter, garam masala, oat milk, soya drink, crackers, oranges, grapefruits, ginger, grapes, cottsge cheese, yogurt x 2, blueberries, kiwi, avocado x2, bananas, romaine hearts,

HB - muslie x3, shreddies and soap