Grocery Shopping budget thread

Allegra

Check out the Grocery Shopping Budgets thread, this month's Grocery Challenge, and Cheap Family Recipes website that offers menu plans, shopping lists and recipes on a budget of £25 per person per month.

Aarons_mummy

I spend maybe £20/£30 per week on me and LO. I could cut it down even more if I tried but this level suits me, we have plenty treats, good food, lots of variety and a freezer/fridge/cupboards packed to bursting.

I don't think there's any 'right' level just what is right for your family and if you can afford it. I couldn't really afford to go too much higher than I am atm although that includes nappies and wipes. There will always be someone who can manage cheaper than you.

I think if you want to cut it down start slowly. Downgrade a brand on some things, maybe stretch a chicken out to an extra meal, try and save a little each week, say £5/£10 on the bill.

Do you write a list/meal plan that could save you some money, do you find you throw a lot away? There are so many threads on here I spent about a week when I first found this board reading lots and lots of threads and how to cut down my spending and I now have it at a level I am happy with.

Baby steps and you'll get there

jamsandwhich

I posted on a similar thread about weekly food shopping (more people to feed though so wouldn't apply!) 2 adults and 2 kids (and a large dog!) between £40 and £80 per week but this is for everything (including laundry, toilet roll etc).

I am a bit careful by buying things when on offer and stocking up etc but we all love our food so don't scrimp too much - the thing that shocks me is the amount of cereal we get through, the girls have it for brekkie and supper and OH sometimes has some twice a day too.

Apart from that shop in Home Bargains, BM and bulk buy storecupboard to save money.

Sublime_2

Um. I haven't a set amount. I do a big shop once monthly, but still end up spending approx £100 a week at my local shops. Must pull my socks up!

woozyfloozy

Aarons_mummy wrote: »

I spend maybe £20/£30 per week on me and LO. I could cut it down even more if I tried but this level suits me, we have plenty treats, good food, lots of variety and a freezer/fridge/cupboards packed to bursting.

I don't think there's any 'right' level just what is right for your family and if you can afford it. I couldn't really afford to go too much higher than I am atm although that includes nappies and wipes. There will always be someone who can manage cheaper than you.

I think if you want to cut it down start slowly. Downgrade a brand on some things, maybe stretch a chicken out to an extra meal, try and save a little each week, say £5/£10 on the bill.

Do you write a list/meal plan that could save you some money, do you find you throw a lot away? There are so many threads on here I spent about a week when I first found this board reading lots and lots of threads and how to cut down my spending and I now have it at a level I am happy with.

Baby steps and you'll get there

Thanks for your suggestions, im making meals stretch with any left overs sent in the next days pack up and usually buy smart price where i know its the same as the branded stuff. I always write a list and often bake the bits and pieces my husband needs gluten free, where his flour behaves well enough to do so. have started calling to netto on my way to the other supermarket to get the things i know are cheaper there. Every time we have to tighten our belts, i review the shopping and find a new way to save, at one point i was even sopping at 10 pm in store to get all the reduced goodies but found this unsustainable with a special diet, by that time of night the general stock for those foods was low and ended up coming away without most of the things i needed. saved cash but hubby went hungry:)

im just all out of ideas and hope someone can suggest some new ones for me

woozyfloozy

jamsandwhich wrote: »

I posted on a similar thread about weekly food shopping (more people to feed though so wouldn't apply!) 2 adults and 2 kids (and a large dog!) between £40 and £80 per week but this is for everything (including laundry, toilet roll etc).

I am a bit careful by buying things when on offer and stocking up etc but we all love our food so don't scrimp too much - the thing that shocks me is the amount of cereal we get through, the girls have it for brekkie and supper and OH sometimes has some twice a day too.

Apart from that shop in Home Bargains, BM and bulk buy storecupboard to save money.

we are two adults. two kids and two cats so nearly the same:) at the moment i budget between 60 and 70 a week and could really do with reducing this to 40 to 50 somehow. WHen it was just me and the kids i coul feed us all on 20 quid a week, including nappies etc and now i dont have to buy nappies and have one extra person to feed i struggle to control te spend.

One of my problems is i like to 'treat' my husband. Ill often come home with something for him like a jar of olives for working so hard, i need to knock this on the head its not necessary

Sweet_Pea_2

For 2 adults and 2 kids (15 and 12) I spend £80 per week on shopping - this includes cleaning products and washing powder etc, and bathroom stuff - shampoo, conditioner (we all use different brands) soap, loo rolls, hair dye for me, hairspray and styling products - the lot. (Except pet food) I am finding that it is getting harder to stick to the £80 and it was creeping up to £85 but with a bit of work I can keep it down. This includes all meals as we all take packed lunched to school/work.

woozyfloozy

Hi all

I am trying to see where i can cut back on spend and wondered what people consider to be an average food bill for 2 children and 2 adults, one with coeliacs disease so follows a gluten free diet (diagnosed in zambia as a child so not on a prescription here). Oh and two cats, one is a kitten still

Typically in a week alongside the usual things we all eat i buy the following for my husband on the special diet:

4 bread rolls 1.93
500g pasta 1.53
wafer biscuits/custard creams for packed lunch 1.84
specialist flour for sauces/cooking 1.84
gluten free fish fingers 1.98
gluten free yorkshire puddings 1.94
gluten free sausages 1.93

these are things i buy specifically for him, buying the cheap none gluten free version for the rest of the family costing around 5 quid.

The budget at the mo is 300 per month, and i sometime struggle to stick to that. i would like to get it down to around 200-250. This is for everything we need for the household.

What do most people budget for food a week? Both of us work so take lunch to work and both kids take packed lunch to school.

i posted this elsewhere an was advised to post here

Any advice?

[Deleted User]

As a person who lives on their own I budget for about £30.00 per week but can usually manage to spend a bit less but staying away from the shops Its fatal if you just 'pop in' for something as its guaranteed you will come out with more than you wanted to.I keep a list by the kettle and make sure I stick to it as closely as possible I came home from my holiday last Saturday and as yet have not been to a supermarket for a shop yet I am shopping from my cupboards and freezer instead.milk I have is long-life stuff that I want to use up before I buy fresh.bread I got from freezer and the rest is just what I managed to salvage from stores.After all I did buy it to eat and storing it just means it money sitting on the shelf.

anniemf2508

I have a coeliac husband too, just thought i'd throw a couple of tips your way.... Marks and Spencer do a really good gluten free sausage and are alot cheaper than all the rest, think they are about £1.19 for a pack of 8, i usually buy 5 packs and freeze them, that does us all for a month at a time.
Also instead of buying the gluten free biscuits for packed lunches, how about making a batch of chocolate muffins, in an airtight container they will last the week (i#ve got an excellent recipe for them).
I'm still trying to perfect a homemade gf yorkshire pudding tho