**This month I am challenging myself to shop primarily at Aldi, in order to see if it can help reign in my ever-expanding monthly grocery budget. The rules are that I can only spend $300 at Aldi for the month of July and $50 at other stores (Aldi does not carry everything I need, so allowances have to be made!)
Low carb bars $4.99
Popcorn $1.69
Broccoli $1.19
Sugar $1.39
Cheese $1.69
Cherries $1.49/lb
Celery $1.29
Bananas $.30
3lb of sweet potatoes $1.69
Carrots $.99
Mushrooms $1.29
Ice cream $1.95
Pasta sauce $.99
Grape juice $2.39
Spinach $1.19
Romaine lettuce $1.99
Peaches $2.58
Bread $1.79
String Cheese $2.49
Mozzarella $2.49
Ham $2.39
Cooking spray $1.49
Avocado $.69
Totals this week: $62 at Aldi and $45 at Kroger/Publix/Walmart (not pictured above)
Totals for the month: $359 ($141 less than I normally spend)
Weekly average for July: $89
Aldi Challenge Recap:
While I did spend $9 more than I challenged myself to this month, I still averaged only $89 spent per week on groceries, which is $36 less per week than I usually spend. Taking all of this into consideration, I feel that shopping at Aldi did help to reign in my monthly grocery budget substantially.
That being said, it was a little challenging to limit my shopping at other stores to $50 for the month. I have decided that next month, I will lift this limit and simply shop Aldi first before I go to any other stores. Hopefully this will keep my spending low and relieve the headache of balancing what items I can buy from other stores.
The Thrifty Educator 
It sounds like a great plan to just shop at Aldi first, then go to other stores, as needed.
My month goes from mid-month to the next mid-month, based on how I’m paid. So, I’m only half-way through my grocery month, but am very pleased with how low I’ve been able to keep the budget so far. Because the garden is producing so heavily right now, I was able to buy around 20 lbs of 79c/pound bone-in chicken breast and can it, along with a lot of broth I made from the bones. I also spent quite a bit of time canning and preserving other foods. For me, it’s stock-up time for my pantry as things are ripe, ready and free right now.
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