How frugal can you be with food shopping?

rach83 · 19 October 2005 at 2:23PM

My circumstances are about to change insofar as I will soon be living on my own and on one salary. I don't mean to be nosy but I would love to know how much other single people spend on shopping a month. My budget is set at £60 per month. Is this realistic?

rchddap1 · 19 October 2005 at 2:27PM

With anything it all depends on how you plan it, organise it and budget for it. Whilst I do live with my partner, on average we spend £100 a month for 2 people, so £60 for 1 should be manageable. Just remember to split things up in the freezer into portions and only buy what you need. If you start throwing things out you need to look again.

squeaky · 19 October 2005 at 2:31PM

Hiya,

We have all sorts of threads on household budgeting... so your homework for today is to browse this little lot and pick the best bits...

Budget:
[post=516019] - being organised[/post]
[post=586580] - Budget - starting up[/post]
[post=345615] - Cooking for one[/post]
[post=415566] - Day to Day budgeting - your tips please![/post]
[post=45666] - For Xmas[/post]
[post=557691] - Help a single saver[/post]
[post=53634] - How did older people manage without credit cards?[/post]
[post=522845] - How Do You Keep a Record?[/post]
[post=608295] - How much shopping budget for...[/post]
[post=449898] - I stumbled, then there was an avalanche![/post]
[post=445547] - Ideas/tips young people on limited budget[/post]
[post=509671] - Living within your means[/post]
[post=370121] - MoneySavingExpert Budget Spreadsheet[/post]
[post=356477] - New to budgeting[/post]
[post=357876] - Save to spend[/post]
[post=10903] - Save up the easy way[/post]
[post=381751] - The three purse system[/post]
[post=531637] - Tiny budget, meal plans?[/post]
[post=431634] - Want to start money saving but where to start?[/post]

Bogof_Babe · 19 October 2005 at 2:35PM

If the £60 a month is literally just for food, then you should be able to manage. However once you start including washing powder, bath products, loo rolls, cleaning stuff, beauty stuff etc., then it puts a different light on things.

I find when I am cutting back on spending, the biggest expense turns out to be cat food, as that is unavoidable and unsubstitutable (:p). If you can give us a bit of clarification as to exactly what your £60 has to cover, we can probably help with a few more suggestions.

Edit: Or just read all those threads that Squeaky has listed - blimey what an inspired lot we are!

Gingham_Ribbon · 19 October 2005 at 2:51PM

Squeaky, you are utterly amazing. Just thought I'd tell you.

rach83 · 19 October 2005 at 2:57PM

Yep the £60 is to cover food and household bits and pieces. Maybe I should make the budget £70. £60 for food £10 for washing powder, loo roll, shampoo etc. Obviously these items would be brought when on BOGOFF. You can also get go deals on shampoo, some cleaning products in pound shops.

squeaky · 19 October 2005 at 2:58PM

GR - It's not quite the magic trick it seems to be, honest

The MEGA Index has been put together in such a way that it's easy now to pick up a set of links wholesale - and with fifteen hundred items in there to choose from I can usually manage to find something helpful.

After that it's a pure memory job to pick out more recent threads that haven't been indexed yet.

Gingham_Ribbon · 19 October 2005 at 3:03PM

In my experience, it's better to seperate the food and other household budgets as you can see more clearly how you're spending your money. Also, since you'll probably be cheaper getting your food and cleaning stuff etc in various shops rather that all in the same place, your budget will seem more natural split than together.

(Just because supermarkets sell so many different things now.)

I was wondering how I was spending so much on grocery shopping until I realised that I was counting food for my 3 cats in the budget.

Good luck with living on your own. I hope it all works out for you.

foreverskint · 19 October 2005 at 3:03PM

TO SQUEAKYdon't sell yourself short o wise one.

Without you we'd never find anything on here:D

Badgergal · 19 October 2005 at 3:13PM

I live on my own but with the boyf eating all my food at weekends

I try and spend about £80 a month on food (inc the odd eating out), I think £60 would be reasonable if I didn't have him over 2/3 days a week (he eats a lot!).

surfpam111 · 19 October 2005 at 4:16PM

I budgeted £20.00 a week but I find that too much - I end up throwing fresh stuff out.

I do not have a freezer so what I cook for dinner gets taken in to work the next day for lunch.

My big tip is to go food shopping on Sunday to ensure that I have food for work on the monday, if i don't take food in I end up going to the shops and buying everything i see!

My other tip is Crumpets and Turkey mince, sainsburys has strange price thing going on with crumpets;
Sainsburys Value crumpets 0.24p
Sainsburys normal crumpets (6 or 8) 0.69
Sainsburys normal crumpets 12 pack 0.37 - keeps me going all week for breakfast.

and Morrisons does Turkey Mince for £1.09, i find that half a pack of mince is more than enough for a 2 person size meal so two different meals for both lunch and dinner for only £1.09

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

How frugal can you be with food shopping?

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