Groceries! Where am i going wrong???

bank_of_slate

Also with 3 kids at those ages just wolf everything in site!
I've even considered rationing the breakfast cereals with the speed mine go through them!
...Linda xx

Toni_Broke

Thanks tyllwyd,

I think thats a fair comment, plus i've tried to make my monthly budget for everything as realistic as poss as we're gonna be here for the nxt 3 years!

Thanks everyone i dont feel quite as bad now!

Tonixx

OberonSH

We manage on about £50 a week, crept up from £40 cos we now get an organic veg box for £10. Thats for 2 adults, 1 small child and a year old baby. I like to think we have a nice varied diet, I don't get ready meals or stuff, and everything's smart price, but if I cut down more we'd be a bit more miserable. We don't gamble, smoke or drink (much) so why not have some nice fresh fish every now and again, the odd steak etc.

Some people might say they only spend £xx a month, but they probably forget about the top-up shops in between, or nipping to the corner shop for milk. If you can't easily cut anything down without impairing your family's enjoyment of their meals then don't worry about it.

bank_of_slate

I caught my daughter trying to sneak 3 cheese strings from the fridge yesterday... even though she'd already had one in her lunch box!
gotta watch em like a hawk!
...Linda xx

OberonSH

woo woo It's the Food Police!

I caught hubby pinching the chocolate out of the kids selection boxes recently....his excuse was they had more than enough given at Xmas...

Toni_Broke

I've got her twin here then Linda, my 6 yr old would eat them til the cows come home!

I watched that dispatches programme last wk about going down brands and it was quite interesting. I dont really want to compromise our health for the sake of a few pounds.

bank_of_slate

OberonSH wrote: »

woo woo It's the Food Police!

I caught hubby pinching the chocolate out of the kids selection boxes recently....his excuse was they had more than enough given at Xmas...

Hmmmm, *strokes chin*
an easy excuse
...Linda xx

lxpeanut

I don't think £100 each is a great deal to be spending on groceries each month although one of the DMC's I'm dealing with thinks £27 each is enough :eek: (but I don't think they have every tried to live on that). All you can do is look out for hints and tips try your best. Some people seem to have lots of time to spend saving money others of us don't and so have to do what we can.

Take it that you will spend £500 and whenever you manage to spend less in the month make sure it goes into a savings account ect and then put towards your debt.

xnatalie81x

I live in a household with 2 adults and 3 YOUNG children (4.5,2.5 and 1) and i budget 240 but can usually survive on under 200. I find the kids get very hungry so i have got a selection of low-cost snacks they have (find eldest is staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarving when he gets home from schl)

- homemade bread and value butter (value butter is 36p)
- fairy cakes i make myself (2p each)
- Jelly - value 7p a sachet and makes 4 small portions
- egg cutard (egg, sugar and baked)
- banana (value about 99p for 6)
- baked bean on hm bread (29p tin beans and 4p for slice bread)
- value yog 29p for 4!!!
- pack value noodles 10p each
- Value tinned fruit )pineapple/peaches etc.
- Fruit (when on special and split into portions so about 15-20p each)

I also make very cheap school lunches such as hm bread sandwiches with egg/tuna/sardines etc or pasta with sauce and a yog, fairy cake or jelly and tinned fruit (value pineapple is 41p tin)

Dinners are harder as it is a struggle to make 5 portions so i sometimes end up with a baked potato with value cheese/beans etc if not enough. I use the old school tips such as bulk meat out with pulses/vegetables etc.

Old school board will really help you reduce your spend. I have a seperate toiletries spend of about £2 mth. I also am a soapnut/vinegar convert which has saved me a ton on washing!!!!!!!! And i have some mucky kids

For meal planning i have a weekly cycle so every wk is the same ingredient made differently so one day is sausage day. One week saus casserole, next week saus toad or bangers n mash etc. Same with chicken - chicken cass/chicken pie (potato topped) chicken and mushroom pasta bake (made with tesco soup 58p and splash milk.

My weekly shop is pretty much the same then and i always scour the tesco voucher codes and rarely have to pay for delivery

I do have to buy nappies and 12pints milk a week but i water down ff milk 1/2 and 1/2 for the family (baby omitted of course) making about 12 pints for us and the rest for baby (6pints ish)

Hope that helps

bank_of_slate

Toni_Broke wrote: »

I've got her twin here then Linda, my 6 yr old would eat them til the cows come home! -My daughter would hold the cows to ransom until they handed over their stash!

I watched that dispatches programme last wk about going down brands and it was quite interesting. I dont really want to compromise our health for the sake of a few pounds.

I know what you mean, I was watching the Iceland advert last night that was showing the really cheap frozen mince...I was wondering what the hell is actually in it!

I like to buy a good quality of meat and use other things such as grated carrots (ha, kids can't detect it!) and pulses, beans etc to fill out the meals.
...Linda xx