Eat for £12 a week?

squeaky

code-a-holic wrote:

Our downfall that on top of that figure, hubby buys his lunch. Which will be about £10 a week.

Maybe you could wean him onto your very own home produced packed lunches.

There are all sorts of threads with interesting ideas that might give you a good start.


Lunch:
[post=464741] - Best sandwich?[/post]
[post=601486] - Cheap and practical lo-carb[/post]
[post=578858] - Desk top sweet snacks[/post]
[post=813896] - Food on the go[/post]
[post=241293] - For work[/post]
[post=333944] - Healthy eating (packed lunch ideas?)[/post]
[post=465081] - Lunch for work(salads)[/post]
[post=381287] - Packed lunch[/post]
[post=493604] - Packed lunch - Advice On Daughter Please![/post]
[post=644877] - Ploughman's[/post]
[post=293873] - Problem with pack-up[/post]

jcr16

we generally spend £50 a week for 2 adults , 2 kiddies , ( both in nappies , 1 on formula) and 2 cats. and that is the right amount.

we always have good size meals. and don't go hungary.

but for the next 4 weeks things will be different. i have about £10 a week to spend on shopping for all of us , as tax credits has stopped until april 13th and i don't have credit cards so i can't just put it on the plastic. luckily tho , i stocked up freezer , and i bulk cooked meals. i have loads of nappies also. so the £10 is for fresh milk , bread , fruit , veg etc. which i know will be tight. but i have to do it.

thriftlady_2

Atrebor and pollys you are me!!! I've even got allergies to deal with too (nuts and eggs)

I find that if I don't compromise on free-range eggs, locally grown fruit+veg, local meat from my fab butcher and do all my own baking, I am happy about buying things like value tinned tomatoes, baked beans, flour, juice,oats. I keep costs down by only eating meat 2-3 times a week, although I like to include fish a couple of times and that isn't always cheap (family not too keen on mackerel and herrings). I am aiming to spend £50 a week for 2 adults and 3 kids this month but am not sure how realistic that is, I might stretch it to £60.

I do try and make full use of everything I buy. Free-range chicken makes 3 meals plus stock, leftover hm bread crusts get made into breadcrumbs or croutons- the usual frugal stuff. I can recommend an excellent book which demonstrates how to stretch better quality ingedients into more meals- The New English Kitchen by Rose Prince http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0007156448/qid=1141819834/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/026-6773062-4911644

I believe though, you have to make a choice between buying the cheapest you can and the cheapest your conscience will allow you to, if that makes sense. If you insist on free-range eggs and unadulterated meat you will have to pay more. Home baking, however, is always cheaper, you pay less for ingredients and you get a better product- it's a win win situation. We all have different priorities you just have to do what feels right for you.

Wendrie

Organic/Fair Trade/Food Mile concerns.... This is why my food bill is so high - but we've joined a food co-op (Suma wholefoods) at first just me, my mom and a neighbour but now we've got a couple of other people as well. The minimum order is £250 but that isn't hard with so many people and I get organic/fair traded dry goods, British trad churned organic butter/butter spread and tinned goods - all of which I store in various places around the house and we eat our way through slowly.

We also get a fruit/veg box delivered from Abel & Cole as they are based here in London and then use whatever has been supplied in the meals planned. Menu planning is definitely essential to make your food money go further.

It is a family decision and we do without some luxuries - although I did succumb to frozen pies and pizzas on BOGOF last month for the weekends I'm away and dh is here with the kids. The kids next door are always astonished that we make ice cream, chicken fingers, bread our own fish etc. etc. and this week my 13yos has decided to try bread making - the one hm stuff they don't like when I make it. But a friend's mom has given him some new recipes and he's going to have a go <G>

calleyw

code-a-holic wrote:

I would love to know if people that spend about £12 a week per person are full after each meal and are happy with the food they are eating?

I spend about £50 a week for 2 adults, 4yr old,1yr old and 4 mth old....i thought that was good! (includes formula milk, household bits). My husband though is a thin person and is desperate to put on weight, and is a very hungry person! I couldnt get away with giving him less than 3 chicken legs in a meal followed by a pudding. He's been brought up by a cooking loving mum who gives enormous portions.
Our downfall that on top of that figure, hubby buys his lunch. Which will be about £10 a week.

Oops thanked instead of quoted.

Nope we are never leave the table hungry. That is one thing I will not allow in my house. As I heard horror stories of people visiting relatives and after leaving going to get a takeaway because they are hungry.

Husband never complains about what the food is or portion sizes because the portions are always generous.

On monday we half a packet of mince bulked out with a carrot and some tvp to make a cottage pie. On top of that was about 5 spuds mashed. With large portions of peas and carrots and gravy. The plates where over filled to bursting and we had a rice pudding for dessert. That was a one ramkin of rice and 1pint of milk.

Last night was steak and ale pie (not HM sorry to say) with 5 different types of veg and medium sized jacket spuds. Followed by strudel and pint of custard shared between two. Could hardly get up from the table we where so stuffed.

Sunday lunch is the same. The plates are over flowing and there is always dessert something with custard or rice pudding.

I also have a husband who is thin and needs to gain weight and not loose. He lost 4lbs last week and I have no idea how. He eats 5 meals a day. As he has supper as well.

I always add loads of veggies to fill up the plates. Today for lunch he had 3 egg omlette with 3 pieces of bacon and a dessert dish of left over veggies from last night. As well as a free packet of crisps through the post. Followed by an apple. At work he keeps crisps and biscuits so he can have a mid morning/afternoon snack.

Tonight will be some grill packet steak things as well as another medium size jacket spud with the rest of the plate filled to the brim with veggies.

And trifle for dessert. Again I suspect will roll away from the table and not walk :rotfl:

My spend is only food. I don't include household cleaning items. As you can't eat them.


Yours

Calley

Chipps

I can't help thinking that all this is to do with our priorities.

Ideally, I would like to have all organic/free range/fair trade/local (according to the product) and when and where I can, am prepared to pay a certain amount extra for this.

However, there are times or circumstances where budget is the deciding factor. If you are in the situation where the money for such things is just not available at all, and you need to be able to feed the family healthily on an extremely small amount of money, then paying out for organic etc may just not be an option.

It is nice to be able to choose these options, but I have been in circumstances where that just wasn't possible and so we have to make the best with what is affordable. I hope that makes sense.

Also, £12 p/w per person becomes more or less feasible depending on how many people there are! £12 doesn't sound like much, but if there are 5 people, £60 per week just on food (not including other purchases) sounds like a huge amount to me!

Penny-Pincher!!

TBH, I feel my conscience is clear when it comes to our menus, although some others may not feel that way.

I buy value eggs, medium range chickens (2 for £5), supermarket fresh fruit and veg etc. We eat very well, and get in between 5-7 portions of fruit/veg daily-95% is fresh. I buy meat from either reduced section, local butcher or frozen from the supermarket. I can not eat beef so we eat mainly lamb, chicken and fish.

OH & I are at home pretty much 24/7 and I have to eat constantly due to health reasons and putting on weight. I could not afford this if I was to buy all organic and free range as this would at least double my shop!

We cook good solid meals daily: Full Roasts, Toad In Hole, Shepards Pie, Chops, Spagbol, Chili, Curries, SOmething & Chips, Stews etc. I dont normally cook puddings (maybe 1-2 times a week) but always available are yogurts, fruits, ice cream.

We bake Fork biscuits weekly, flapjacks and sometimes rock cakes. Make our own Pizza bases in the BM and occasionally bake bread etc in there too. I always make an extra portion or 2 and either freeze or pop in fridge for the next day.

Breakfasts are normally things like: toast, cereal, value OJ or apple juice, bacon or sausage sarnie, egg on toast, full cooked breakies (twice a month), boiled eggs and soldiers etc.

Lunches are things like: Soup, baked spuds with cheese/tuna/left over chilli or curry etc, dinner from the night before or a meal from the freezer, beans on toast, sandwiches etc etc.

DD is entitled to a free meal but we had problems with this and she now has a pack up. She has daily 3 pieces of fruit, sarnie/roll or chicken and rice/pasta, HM biccie, yogurt, crisps (every other day) and a weak squash.

I love my SC and for instance today, we have cooked a great chicken chauesser costing a grand total of £1.90 for 5 big portions with mashed spuds. 3 large chicken breasts cut up, carrots, mushrooms, peppers, peas, sachet mix-served with mash.....scrummy.

We dont eat all value foods either. I only buy butter, good quality bread, nescafe, tetley, Heinz soups etc etc, and buy crisps, decent ham, cheese, biscuits to fill me up in between as I need to keep on top of my weight.

On all the food above, we spend on average £35 a week which includes all washing supplies, loo rolls and cleaning products. I only use Persil washing liquid, lenor, good bogrolls, kitchen towels etc. I find vouchers from this website and do a large 2 or 4 weekly shop then OH tops up veg and fridge stuff at Lidls or Tescos using the odd voucher.

PP
xx

code-a-holic

Thanks for reply Calleyw.
Nice to hear of another womans mission to satisfy her husband.....food wise!
I cant wait to go food shopping on Friday to se how much i can slice of the food total. I have always thought i've done really well doing budget shopping yet maintaining well balanced meals - but it sems some can do beter....so im gonna try! Im one that always sits down for a meal and say to hubby ' guess how much this meal cost' with a great big proud smile!!!!!!
One thing that does up my costs at the moment is that i am trying to buy something new each time to try and interst my 4 yr old. For over a year he refuses to eat anything with colour or 'wet'. Everything has to be clean he says. Dry bread, pasta and ricxe was all he would eat...but this wek we have got butter on to the bread - wahey! Anyone struggled with such a faddy eater?

Trow

code-a-holic wrote:

I would love to know if people that spend about £12 a week per person are full after each meal and are happy with the food they are eating?

I spend about £50 a week for 2 adults, 4yr old,1yr old and 4 mth old....i thought that was good! (includes formula milk, household bits). My husband though is a thin person and is desperate to put on weight, and is a very hungry person! I couldnt get away with giving him less than 3 chicken legs in a meal followed by a pudding. He's been brought up by a cooking loving mum who gives enormous portions.
Our downfall that on top of that figure, hubby buys his lunch. Which will be about £10 a week.

I spend usually between £40 and £50 per week for 4 - and we have plenty to eat (although that doesn't include the kids school lunches).

Think about it though - you are spending about £60 for 5 people (including hubbys lunch) - which is £12 per week per person!!! - okay, the kids won't eat as much, but formula is expensive, and you say it includes household bits too....

calleyw

code-a-holic wrote:

Thanks for reply Calleyw.
Nice to hear of another womans mission to satisfy her husband.....food wise!

:rotfl:

All the best. But remember don't beat yourself up if you can't get it down to a certain amount.

Best way is to trim here and there. Chipping away at it little by little is the best way.

Buying value products where you know no-one can tell the difference is best. Say you make chilli with baked beans. Buy value or a cheaper brand as with spices and extras no one can tell the difference.

Once products are out the packet how can you tell. I mean I prefer value jaffa cakes now to McVities as I think they are way to orangey :rotfl:

Yours

Calley