We spend too much - HELP!

ladykate

Hi,

After browsing on here I have realised that our family is spending WAAAYYY too much on food, groceries and household stuff and I need some help budgeting for it please.

We currently allow £550 per month (but we AIM to spend £450 per month) for everything this includes: -

all of our food (we don't eat out or have a takeway)
nappies, wipes
baby's food (I make it all from scratch)
baby's milk powder (£8 a tub once every 10/11 days)
washing powder
packed lunches for daughter and husband
(I am currently on maternity leave so am eating all meals at home and popping to Asda/Tesco nearly every other day!)
cleaning products - household cleaners, shampoo, etc

We plan every single one of out dinners (as we always have) and we follow weight watchers so we have proper food - no processed stuff. I ususally have soup/pasta/ryvita for lunch...

We don't throw any food away but I really need some help on how to reduce this massive bill. I buy smart price tomatoes, veg (fresh and frozen), loo roll, and at most Tesco's or Asda's own brand - I won't buy cheap chicken (as I can't stand it and we drink Yorkshire Tea) but apart from that it's just SO damn expensive.

When I go back to work I will be going to the shops less and hopefully spending less but I just need to know where to start.... Thank you in advance.

Kate

pink-lint_2

that doesn't sound to bad for what you have to buy. especially with nappies and baby milk,
if you need to cut down try buying own brand foods, i found i spend around £80-£90 a week on a family of 5 , by shopping online with asda and this way i stick to more or less the same each week, it also helps with the impulse buys,

try shopping online , you can get some codes for free delivery on this site, which is also a great help.

Fire_Fox

You really want to be reading round the Old Style board, threads like weekly meal planning, rubber chicken, storecupboard challenge, grocery challenge ...

Without meaning to sound rude, it doesn't sound like you are planning very well: you shouldn't need to shop every couple of days! I have changed from once a week to once every two weeks, which concentrates the mind on meal planning, using up leftovers more effectively, making something out of nothing, stretching expensive stuff (meat) to do an extra meal or two etc. We spend far less as a result. :j

I calculated from my last fortnightly shop that I spent 40% on protein foods! I already stretch meat with extra veg, but this has really focussed me on going the extra mile. We buy more branded stuff than I admit to myself: crisps, condiments etc. all add up. Do one big shop and then sit and really analyse the bill, or do a full storecupboard/ fridge/ freezer inventory - boring but opens your eyes.

ladykate

Thanks pink-lint.... It helps to know it's not a ridiculous amount each month!

Firefox - I only go evey couple of days cos I'm free all day so going to the supermarket gives me a bit of something to do every couple of days! - When I go back to work it'll all be done on a Friday.

Cornishpixie_2

Hi, I currently shop online for a month worth of basics at Sainsbugs. Last shop came to £97 odd,(6 of us) but didn't include much meat as prefer butchers. I meal plan and always write a shopping list, of what we need. I top up on a thursday with meat, fruit and veg, milk and bread. Although sometimes have to get milk before then. Kids! Perhaps you could have a smiliar approach even when back at work, as it sounds like things will be a bit rushed then. Good luck.

Treacle1983

For a family of two adults, 1 child and 1 baby - I would be aiming for about £80-90 a week on shopping.

Take advantage of nappies and wipes when they are on offer and buy as many as you can.

What sort of meals are you cooking?

My cheap favourites are:
1: Sausage casserole - made up with cheap tinned or frozen veg, some spices/herbs and some gravy granules - can be done with any meat really... I normally do enough for two meals and freeze some for packed lunches or easy microwaveable meals etc...

2: Chicken stir fry - you can get stir fry veg packs for £1-£2 which is fab or go for courgette, pepper, onion etc... add a packet or jar of sauce and some cheap noodles....

I used to use bold and got through 1 box of the smaller £3 size every week - I have changed to surf which is really cheap at the moment and a same size box is £1.81, a huge one which lasts more than a month is about £5.

I used to think that using cheap 40p loo rolls was a bargain - but we go through them quicker - it is actually cheaper for me to get a decent brand.

I order all my main shopping online once a fortnight - making use of free deliveries, coupons, points and voucher codes from this site.

For example I just placed a £90 order with tesco - got free delivery for using my tesco credit card and used 2 voucher codes to get £15 off!! Thats as well as the points I will get and all the bogof's etc....

freeoffers

I shop once a week and I always write a list. Supermarkets hate people like me, who stick to a list. The trick is to save money on the pricest things. I do this two ways.

1) I look for meat that has been reduced. i only buy stuff I actually would eat, can't buy food just cos it's cheap. As an example I bought meat and fish with a list price of £40 for just over a £10. i do this buy knowing when the prices are being reduced drastically, usually about 6pm-7pm. But what i do is put items in my basket that are already reduced and wait for the man to come round and reduce them again, i just hand him the meat from my basket and he puts another ticket on it with a lower price.

The meat goes in the freezer. I eat like a king.

The other thing I do is shop at other supermarkets. Every supermarket had soem bargains so i'll pop into Morrisons and see what they've got. Sometimes its bogof other times they'll also have reduced price food. Think about how to spend less money on the pricest food. BTW I cook most nights too and I find it cheaper and tastier than processed trash.

One other thing, i always take advantage of these offers, they come up often in supermarkets.

1) wahsing tabs (2 for £4 asda - surf tabs)
2)orange juice (75p in Morrisons)

And I always get diluted drink (high juice) I never buy the small cartons for my son when he comes round because they are not cost effective.

Hope this helps and hope i didnt ramble on too much!

shopndrop

I agree with shopping at different supermarkets. I buy what is on offer in each supermarket and then get the other things I need from wherever is cheapest. I am not working at the moment so would go to each of the supermarkets once per week and see what is on offer (I only do this as I currently have the time and we are very lucky in that we have one of each of the supermarkets locally and I am not going out of my way to look in them all).

I also shop at the local butcher, fishmonger and greengrocer as I think they work out cheaper than supermarkets unless of course they are for items for example like the Aldi 6 where they sell 6 fruit/veg items each month for 49p - 69p.

Their offers change on Sunday 29th March so I will top up with what is on offer on Friday or Saturday so that I don't need to buy these items for at least another week at full price.

Do yo have an Aldi or Lidl nearby as they are cheaper for a lot of stuff and the quality is excellent.

Also, if you don't have a Boots Advantage Card then I suggest you get one as people seem to get some really good offers here for baby stuff. Think you can sign up to a "baby club" at Boots where you will be sent extra points for spending. You might want to have a read of the Boots thread. You might be able to use these points either for buying other baby stuff or even use them for presents.

hanatan

I recommend you go to local vegetable shops, butchers. Actually I found it cheaper unless supermarkets do 'the offers' for the items. I bought three big eggplants for a pound at local vegetable shop though most of supermarket sells 1 for a pound. Also you can browse a few other supermarkets to find out which items you should buy at. Also browsing supermarket is good exercise unless you go there by car. You need to know where to go to find the items you want and what price shoud be reasonable for the quality.

Fire_Fox

ladykate wrote: »

Firefox - I only go evey couple of days cos I'm free all day so going to the supermarket gives me a bit of something to do every couple of days! - When I go back to work it'll all be done on a Friday.

If you were asking for help spending less on, say, shoes I'd suggest you try not going into shoe shops in your lunch hour! I can totally understand you'd want to get out of the house and speak to adults during the day, but you are effectively using the supermarket as a hobby or social occasion.

You are putting temptation in your path, and guaranteeing not to make a meal up from your storecupboard as you will always have fresh food in stock. The only reason to go to the supermarket so often is to intentionally go when you know there will be cut-price meat, and be really strict with yourself on just buying reductions and things you need urgently such as milk.

Do a storecupboard inventory, save two weeks of receipts and then be really honest with yourself about where money is going and what you could use from stock.

clairehi

Dont be so hard on yourselves - if you dont eat out, have takeaways, and take packed lunches to school/work, then you are saving lots of money even if your grocery bill may be a bit higher as a result. also we all need to have the odd treat here and there!

If you can be bothered, save ALL your receipts for a month and then go through them to find out how much you are really spending on food, and how much is going on the other bits like nappies, cleaning products etc, you may be surprised by where the money is really going.