Grocery Shopping budget thread

debtmuncher

uh uh...porridge is dead easy to cook in the microwave! i have a wee kiddies cup that i use as a measurement then its into the microwave for 1 min 40 secs!! during that time i can make my cuppa!!:p

katie1270

I am new to the site, and would really appreicate your advice on how much a family of four should be spending. 2 children (age 10 & 12) 2 adults. I spend probably around 500-600 per month. I am fussy about where my meat comes from, and buy some organic. I would like to cut down a bit and set myself a challenge, but dont know what I should be spending. :rotfl:

debtmuncher

hi and welcome to a fab forum!

we spend 120 per week so thats twenty pounds per person. so for yourself 80 but seeing how you were spending 400/500 monthly i would suggest adding another twenty to thirty pounds on top of that, getting used to that then try reducing once you have got into the way of meal planning and stocking up a good stock cupboard.

katie1270

that sounds like a good start. thanks. I want to be realistic, but i do LOVE waitrose!

debtmuncher

you can still shop at waitrose!:p

post up a rough guide to what a normal weeks shopping would be for you and we can all see where you can get the best value for money.

zippychick

Just a quicky from me

OH lunches - if you get reduced veg, you can sometimes make filling soup at 2-p a portion! Bag of carrots reduced to 20p - cook with stock, throw in a few hands of lentils and bottom of the fridge veg and theres a filling soup! freezes well

Smoothies - a better use for the milk he is taking - add some value oats, some fruit and you have a smoothie. Throw in some ice cubes and stays cold for hours. Oats are filling too, as is the fruit. I use frozen fruit - berries etc. You could try this yourself for brekkie/lunch - i find one can sometimes do me two meals. Very filling, nutritious and getting fruit in too. I get frozen fruit from tesco but assume iceland do it too. You can also use up yoghurt and nuts and seeds etc - i usually use berries and banana so doesnt have to be exotic fruit

Snacks - have you tried making flapjacks? Pink wingeds recipe - soooo easy . Click here.
Filling, adaptable and easy peasy to make in 5 minutes.

Twinks hobknobs - can someone find the recipe? I can never find that darn link! :rotfl:

These would be more filling for OH and you , than "cheap chocolate biscuits". Oats have filling power. Try to think of food in terms of how much it will also fill - out of OHS lunch, only the sandwich will at the moment. The rest are false calories IYKWIM

Value oats and dried fruit - mix and you have muesli. Saves on buying cereals.

Use what you have - get us a list of what you have in your freezer and fridge. I can almost guarantee someone here will have a suggestion for you!

Dried milk - just a thought, have you ever tried it? Obviously not for DD.

Drinking milk - maybe i'm abnormal but i would never have a glass of milk as a drink. Try and substitute this - make up a large jug of thirst quenching squash for the fridge. Then you don't always have to make it up each time. Also you could send OH with a bottle of juice on some days ,and maybe alternate with milk?

You mentioned not being able to afford fruit and veg - have you tried frozen? Cheaper, and more convenient sometimes and still as nutritional. Iceland do bags of chopped onion/mixed peppers/sweetcorn for £1 a go. Good for lifting out handfuls when making spag bol etc and takes out a lot of chopping prep etc. I need to check if these can be bought cheaper elsewhere actually.

Trinny and Pink had some particularly good advice there too.

Re throwing in the oven - is it possible for you to spend a couple of days batch cooking? For the freezer etc. Then you could have pre hm pizzas, spag bol, chilli , pies, what ever , ready to throw in the oven. Takes a lot of effort over those days - but the results are worth it . I batch cook for myself and it's great lifting out of the freezer in the morning.

Do you write shopping lists? I would write a list of some basics for your store cupboard - ones you know you will use up so have specific recipes in mind. Build it up over time .

Can you introduce an "on toast" dinner? Eggs, sausages, bacon, cheese, the list is endless. Saves money too.

Veggie meals - can you have a veggie meal one dinner a week? Pulses - lentils etc are very filling.

Try to avoud going to the shops - at all costs. I do this now, it is like a game with myself. See if you have a substitute, or again, come on here , list what you have and someone will have a meal idea for you to use what you have, not what you think you need.

Sorry, guess i had more to say than i thought

Finally, don't despair. You just need to pull the reins in. Shop with cash, keep all receipts and make like a military operation. If its not on the list, its not getting bought!

good luck.

katie1270

will do, be great to get some inspiration. I think that reading lots of messages, has made me understand that meal planning is something i need to get into the habit of.

greenbee

There's no right or wrong answer to how much you should be spending, as everyone has priorities. Yours is obviously the quality of your meat.

If you want to cut down, the first thing to do is work out accurately what you are spending, what you are eating and whether anything is being wasted.

If you eliminate waste first (e.g. by better meal planning to use up leftovers), you should see a drop in your outgoings.

Then have a look and see what luxuries you might be buying and decide whether they are worth it. This might be shop-bought cakes & biscuits, wine, out of season fruit, brand-name cereals, fashion magazines or any other type of indulgence. You can look at the alternatives (make your own cakes & biscuits, drink less, eat seasonal fruit, eat own-brand cereals etc), and give them a try.

You might decide that the meat is non-negotiable, but that you have an additional vegetarian day each week to allow you to fund the meat (and it'll make it more special too!)

What works for some people doesn't always work for others, so try to work out what will and won't work for your family, and over time you'll be able to get your bills down.

LeeSouthEast

To give you a rough idea, the general consensus seems to be to allow between £50 and £100 per person, per month. If you've a family of four (although I see 2 are children), then £300 seems a reasonable aim for the time being until you find your feet on the whole OS thing and you can then trim it further.

katie1270

What is OS? DH? DD? etc?