Can someone help with my shopping bill?

JennyW_2

can someone please look at my food shopping bill (this is pretty usual for the week). My bill is still £37.41 for the week and that's just for me! :eek: Can anyone please advise how I can cut this down, if at all. I don't feel there is anything extravagant on there (it was Sainsburys, don't have Morrisons/asdas/lidls)

Branflakes : 84p
Orange juice x 2 : 98p
Horlicks: £2.24
Bag of Peppers: 97p (value range)
Quorn Mince: 1.99
Quorn Pieces: 1.99
Half swede :20p (reduced)
2 x onions: 14p
Toilet tissue: 89p
Natural yogurt: 43p
Bread: 88p
bananas: 94p (value range)
Bagels: 1.19
Dwarf beans: 91p
Satsumas: 1.38 (ran out of value range)
Cucumber: 68p
Courgette: 47p
Corriander: 72p
Mixed herbs: 46p
Cumin: 45p
Olives: 99p
Plus tomatoes: 13p
2 x melons: 2.50
Strawberries: 1.69
Parships: 73p
Deodorant: 99p
Flora Pro-Active: 2.85
LF chocolate drink: 20p
2 x bread rolls: 60p
2 x bags of salad: 99p (BOGOF)
Carrots: 29p
Pears: 96p (value range)
Butternut squash: 1.21
Grapes: 89p (reduced)
Garlic: 18p
Sweetcorn: 54p
Apples: 1.19
soya milk: 63p (value range)

bluekp

You could try shopping at Tescos - their value range is good - ie. sweetcorn at 19p per can.

Also their deoderant is 87p.

Will think more and return soon...

Just remembered Tescos often have a BOGOF on bread (two weeks worth for the price of one)

Saving so far £1.35

JennyW_2

thank you. I did think of Tescos but I would have to drive further and wonder if that would defeat the object We only have Sainsburys and Waitrose supermarkets nearby.

Just to add, the bananas and pears and from the basic range so I do try to pick them if I can.

stumpjumper

Try growing your own herbs on your windowsill, the initial outlay soon pays for itself. Maybe try substituting the brand name stuff (flora, horlicks etc..) for the shops own brand. Do you have a market nearby or a grocers? If so they could cut your F&V costs down a lot.

bluekp

How about ordering a home delivery from Tesco once a month. That way you'll reach £75 and can use a £5-10 money off code which will cover the cost of the delivery (depending on when you want it delivered) and give you a bit of a saving off your overall shopping?

JennyW_2

stumpjumper wrote:

Try growing your own herbs on your windowsill, the initial outlay soon pays for itself. Maybe try substituting the brand name stuff (flora, horlicks etc..) for the shops own brand. Do you have a market nearby or a grocers? If so they could cut your F&V costs down a lot.

I have bought a corriander plant and have already tried to source a green grocer but to no avail. They just don't seem to exist around here anymore. It's the price of F&V which does it isn't it?

Regarding shopbrand stuff, I usually do 99% of the time, however cant get a cheaper "pro-active" spread and the Horlicks drink has lower fat than the shop brand. I'm very aware of my fat intake and cholesterol levels.

bluekp wrote:

How about ordering a home delivery from Tesco once a month. That way you'll reach £75 and can use a £5-10 money off code which will cover the cost of the delivery (depending on when you want it delivered) and give you a bit of a saving off your overall shopping?

have thought of this too, however my fruit and veg wouldn't last this long - it only really lasts a week.


I wish I could shop on £20 a week as some of you do so I'm going wrong somewhere

halloweenqueen_2

The sainsbury's dried milk is good and so are quite a few of their value range, I would give their own brand malt drink a try if they do one. If you are going near a tesco they are doing a 5 for 4 on their fruit and veg, buy 5 get the cheapest free.
I would give the bags of salad a miss, they look lovely but there was a discussion on here a while a go about how they wash them, they go off quickly as well, i haven't touched them since! Try romaine lettuce, hey are really nice. Are there own brand bagels? Although the NY ones are nice!!!
I would consider getting a bread maker, I use it to make bagels and bread rolls, obviously if you have time. Brilliant for pizza bases as well! although I dont think you bought cheese!
if you have a julian graves, health food shop or similar try to get spices from there.
It looked like a careful shop really though, you're not doing so bad!

Rachie_B

a lot of the thingd you listed last over a week though? toilet roll / herbs & spices / horlicks etc??

i agree try cheaper shops own products eg the horlicks and flora

very often they taste the same / just as good

the melons and strawbs would prob be cheaper at a market if you have one nearby ??

quorn is cheaper at farmfoods if you have one?

alternatively why not try making more meals with lentils / beans etc as these are bought dried you get huge bags for not very much ££

halloweenqueen_2

Right posted after

... the above!! so can see why you don't buy cheese. Regarding the fat intake would it make a considerable difference with the horlicks. If you have a £land they often do things like that in there or cheapy shops, every one i go in seems to have horlicks!

bluekp

I've read on a thread somewhere on here that its REALLY easy to grow garlic. How about buying two and planting one? Think you just need to bung it in a pot with the pointy end sticking up and hey presto - home grown garlic!

Heth_2

That doesn't look too bad to me, but then I'm definitely not one of those people spending 20 pounds a week on food (more like 50 for the two of us).
You could stop buying spread and save money there! We never have spead on sandwiches, saves money and far more healthy.