Eat for £12 a week?

thriftlady_2

catowen wrote:

My tip is, once you have your store cupboard set up and running, keep 2 of everthing in it, one open, and a spare, then buy another as you open the spare!!!

I do that,it's an excellent system.

tootles_2

My budget for food and household etc is £25.00 a week and we eat very well, lots of fresh fruit and veg. HM bread etc, have been doing this for ages, I do not buy processed foods, we eat chicken fish and meat, cheese and beans are good sources of protein and beans can be used to bulk out a casserole to make it last for 2 meals.

Menu planning and shopping lists are the key. I look to see whats on offer on the 'cheapie' shelf that can go in the fridge, have had some excellent buys, the best was a piece of beef I cut into 3 which cost me £6.00 it was less than half proce and each piece did us for 3 meals.

frosty

My food budget is £50.00 a week,this is for 5 adults,2 dogs and the cat.My cupboards are full and so is the freezer,we all eat very healthy food.

summerday

calleyw wrote:

I suspect the reason that certain people will not reveal how them manage on such little money for food. Is that they are afraid that people will either sneer, laugh or ridcule or make them feel strange or weird for what they see as being perfectly normally for them.

But then are lots of things that I do that I don't tell other people because they will think I am strange. Like changing the bedsheets/duvet covers once a fortnight. But before someone thinks I really dirty if they get dirty for what ever reasons they are changed straight away. And I air the bed for nearly all day everyday which is better than most people do so it is not as bad as it sounds.

Calley

I agree. By coming out with lots of detail about how you choose to live certain parts of your life holds you open to ridicule and criticism. If some people revealed everything they buy for food for instance some people might criticise by saying the diet doesn't look healthy enough/ not enough fruit and veg/ fresh foods or who knows what, and why would people want to put themselves up to such criticism when they are plodding along just fine doing what is right for them?

Sarah

rubytuesday

Since January I've been averaging about £35 a week for myself, son nearly 20, daughter 13 and four cats.Mind you son spends all his time working so not often here for meals!

MATH

jcr16 wrote:

i didn't watch that prog, but by the sounds of it that lady is a snob. if she feels she is slumming it , in her luxury apartment thats then why is she there.

I did watch the programme and she wasn't in any way a snob. The "I am slumming it" comment was said very much tongue in cheek. She admitted at the top of the programme that she liked the finer things in life and even though she raised two daughters on her own she had a very good job as an acountant and had NEVER had to economise. I don't have a problem with someone spending £75 a month on champagne if that's what floats their boat and they can afford it and if you happen to be a single mum and have bought that champers with your own salary then good on ya. She isn't a state only pensioner or on low income, struggling to make ends meet so why would anyone expect her to live like she is. We would think it absolutely potty if someone on benefit lived like Posh and Becks.

I feed a family of five for £35 a week but 15 years ago when it was just me and Mrs MATH I spent £80 a week on food. We chose to live that way then and could easily afford to now we have other priorites and have chosen to live differently.

Bogof_Babe

frosty wrote:

My food budget is £50.00 a week,this is for 5 adults,2 dogs and the cat.My cupboards are full and so is the freezer,we all eat very healthy food.

I love that - "the cat", not "a cat" or "one cat". I have a cat like that (or to be correct, a cat like that deigns to live and dine with me).

Got to go, he has his paws on the back of my chair and is looking over my shoulder in a disapproving way :rolleyes: :eek: .

thriftlady_2

I've only watched the first programme of this series.Surely if you are considering trying to pay your mortgage off in 2 years you don't have other debts.This is something for people who are financially secure already I would have thought.So,as MATH says the lady in question has a good salary and a nice lifestyle.It's only to her benefit if she pays off her mortgage by giving up the Champagne,she isn't taking money out of anyone else's pocket.

thriftlady_2

Bogof_Babe wrote:

I love that - "the cat", not "a cat" or "one cat". I have a cat like that (or to be correct, a cat like that deigns to live and dine with me).

Someone's(sorry can't remember who) signature is 'dogs have owners,cats have staff'.

Chipps

I haven't seen all of these programmes, but they are quite interesting. Not as interesting as being on here!
I'm not sure if any of the people on the programmes I saw will actually achieve the target.
I try and spend not more than £200 a month on food and all other household spending. That is for 3 people (DS is 15 so counts as an adult food-wise!) So in a 4 week month that is £50pw, divided by 3 is .... well, just a bit over £15, so as that includes everything else as well we must be around or below the £12 per person. And we eat pretty well - certainly none of us looks underfed!!!