Is this do able?

liana_y2kuk

I would say meal planning is the way to go as someone else has allready said.

We now spend £50 a week for 2 adults 2 1/2 children (step son at weekends) a dog and a ton of fish who seem to die if they dont get posh food???

I have found that shopping online is better for me to as we don't fill the trolley with things that we don't really need.

chalkysoil

Kezzabelle wrote: »

Forgive me if im on the wrong board...
Im trying to work out a weekly budget in order to pay off our credit card debt.

Is £50 a week, enough for food shopping for 2 adults and 3 cats??


What are your food shopping budgets?

Many thanks

I think it will be enough most weeks, but have you allowed for shampoo, soap, toothpaste, washing powder, toilet rolls, washing up liquid etc?

good luck - it'll be worth the effort

justpeyton4now

tightandproud wrote: »

There is a trade off though because you will be sacrificing fresh ingredients and nutritients by doing what I do, so it's all down to what's more important, your savings or your health?

I used to think that buying frozen veg etc was less healthy. I read several articles that said the opposite was true. Actually you may end up with better nutrients buying frozen veg and fruit. By the time veg is picked, packed and sent to the supermarkets, it loses a lot of nutrients. Many frozen veg and fruit are picked and flash frozen within that day or the next so more of the vitamins and minerals are kept.

That being said, there are some veg that I do not like frozen especially carrots and potatoes and some other root veg. Those I do buy fresh. Root veg tends to keep it's nutrients much longer than above ground crops.

HTH

KimYeovil

kalaika wrote: »

Alternatively do what I do and read then online[]

Please name a single newspaper that has a free, readable, useable, extensive, varied, online site!

kalaika

KimYeovil wrote: »

Please name a single newspaper that has a free, readable, useable, extensive, varied, online site!

Well, it's all a matter of opinion and depends on exactly what you want out of it but I would say most newspaper websites would cover most of those. However, surely the beauty of the internet is that eveything is at your fingertips? If there is something you want that's not on the site you've got, a little clicky clicky gives you your answer. A newspaper can't do that (unless you pay for another paper/magazine.)

Ultimately, if money was that tight, I don't think spending £30 a month on newspapers can really be justified (if you've got web access and the inclination to use it). I'm sure everybody would be able to find a news website, or a combination of sites, that would give you your daily fix for free!

gemma86

i spend £50-£60 a week to feed two adults, and 2 boys, one of which is still in nappys. I dont buy any value products, but do buy loads of fresh veg and fruit, but not much meat, normally just a packet of mince, some fish( whatevers on offer) and then some skinless boneless chicken thighs (cheaper and tastier that breasts) and maybe a pizza for the weekend. I then normally make 2 meals out of each meat, and use things like butter beans etc to bulk out casserolles. I also dont serve meat every single night, but do baked pot with salad, omlettes with salad or new pots etc. I do think it would be worth while stocking up your cupboards and freezer first so then u only have to replace wot u use each week.

KimYeovil

kalaika wrote: »

Well, it's all a matter of opinion and depends on exactly what you want out of it but I would say most newspaper websites would cover most of those. However, surely the beauty of the internet is that eveything is at your fingertips? If there is something you want that's not on the site you've got, a little clicky clicky gives you your answer. A newspaper can't do that (unless you pay for another paper/magazine.)

Ultimately, if money was that tight, I don't think spending £30 a month on newspapers can really be justified (if you've got web access and the inclination to use it). I'm sure everybody would be able to find a news website, or a combination of sites, that would give you your daily fix for free!

Or, in other words, no, you can't name one!

VanyaHargreeves

But I personally don't see the point in spending so much on newspapers when you can just watch the news or go online to find it.
If money is tight £30 is a hell of a lot to spend on papers.

kalaika

KimYeovil wrote: »

Or, in other words, no, you can't name one!

Well, I was trying to avoid writing a long answer as I feel we’re getting off topic a bit here, but if that’s what you want…

Media reporting is obviously a very personal issue, with everyone having a different view as to what they see as ‘good’ reporting in a format that they enjoy and informs them at a level suitable for them. Personally, I use The Times website for most of my news as I like the style, content and manner of reporting. Using your criteria:

Free: Cha-ching! Completely free to use.
Readable: Well, for me if is written at a suitable level that informs me, is understandable and sometimes challenges me but isn’t pretentious or treat me like a five year old.
Useable: It’s well organised, has sensible categories and sub-categories and the layout means it’s easy to find stuff. Yes, it contains adverts, which is why it’s free, but I don’t think they are any more intrusive than a printed newspaper containing adverts.
Extensive: It has 10 categories on the homepage (news, sport, money, business, arts, etc) and each has 8-12 sub-categories covering UK and international events. Also, the website is always going to be more up to date than a newspaper that was printed last night, isn’t it? Breaking news stories seem to lose their effect if you find out about them 24 hours after everyone else...
Varied: News articles, challenging articles, factual articles, fun articles, stock market data, ‘real life’ stories, discussion area, editorial comments, blogs, cartoons, obituaries, new/used car reviews, puzzles, TV reviews...
Online: Well, yes. But if you prefer to read the articles on a daily basis as they appear in the daily papers then you can do that too: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/newspapers/

So, yes, I think I can name one. Whilst you or anyone else might not agree with my choice, my point is that any newspaper’s website will be more comprehensive and more up to date than a printed newspaper. Whilst I made the point earlier that it might not be convenient or suitable for everyone, I personally cannot see the point in spending between 20p and £2-£3 a day (depending on the day of the week and your choice of paper) for something that can be accessed free online. I’d rather spend that £30 a month on treating my wife.

slummymummyof3

So, op how is your budget shaping up? Have you tried packed lunches, reducing your pocket money, writing a shopping list etc?