reducing grocery bill

newleaf

gazza975526570 wrote:

Keep the advise coming - now i just need to work out how to reduce my alcohol content now the world cup has started...............

Alcohol is very cheap at Lidl if you've got one near you. :beer: We've just drunk a bottle of very good Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon this evening, which cost £2.98 . Not that I'm saying you shouldn't 'review' your alcohol purchases and perhaps make some healthy choices, but just suggesting you don't need to deprive yourself completely. The alcohol aisles were very busy in my local Lidl tonight with people stocking up on beer for the football fest!

homersimpson_3

Ive just spent £615 on supermarket shopping in the last month...When people say they dont spend say more than £200 a month - does this include stuff other than food? ie toiletries, cleaning stuff etc??

yes the £200 includes tolietries, cleaning stuff- all household stuff including pet food. Even if you have a little one, buy the odd item of clothing and buy alcohol I still don't understand why you're spending so much. £615 is about the level of some people's income and they manage to pay all their other outgoings from it. where do you shop?
the usual rules apply-
all its about planning so you don't end up with cupboards full of the stuff. saying that have enough basics and emergency stuff- so if need to add another plate to the table you can easily do so or live if for some reason the shops were closed, you were snowed in etc. don't go mad and buy for the sake of it.

we are gonna shop weekly instead of monthly

- arguments for and against this one.

we plan to make a list every week of what meals we are gonna have every day

- can help and works for some and not for others.
if you do plan make sure diet is healthy and varied- plenty of choice and treats- don't make it boring or you'll end up spending more.
don't go shopping on an empty stomach!

How about chopping her hands off?

How about helping her instead? If both of you are working and you have a little one why is wife doing all shopping? If you went to supermarket together you would have more of an idea where money is being spent? Have a look in fridge, freezer, cupboard- this should tell you. What is in them? Finest range? Branded items etc

GreenFingers_2

gazza975526570 wrote:

apologies if posted in the wrong area! Ive just cheked internet banking and we (when i say we i mean the mrs!!!) spent £615 on supermarket shopping in the last month. We take home about £2100 so thats nearly a third!!......

Hello Gazza975526570,
Reading the threads I see that the amount includes things other than food items. I would suggest initially setting up a spreadsheet and for a month or two record everything you spend. This will give you a much clearer picture and if you find it useful you can refine the spreadsheet into greater and greater detail.

My own spreadsheets have a Food section, Non-Food section, Vehicle and Transport, Household, Garden, Personal and so on sections covering more than 300 items of expenditure. Over the last 3 or 4 years this has helped with budgeting incredibly well. This years Food section for example is now regularly below £20.00 per week for a single person.

Hope this helps.

jcr16

oh trust me i could easy spend £615 in a month when i go shopping, espesh if i wonder down the clothing, toys and homewares aisles.

i spend about £200 a month for my hubby and 2 children ( both in nappies ) and 2 cats. oh and me. and this buys everything. if i plan and go with a shopping list i can make this budget work and we all eat very well. but like last month it all went to pot. ( don't know why ) and i spend nearly £500. so very easy done. but the key is planning . it don't take long to plan either and it can be really good fun. i love planing menu's.

good luck u will be able to do . but do keep note of everything u spend thought the month to help u keep on budget.

gazza975526570

Thanks again for the posts above,

Not sure that chopping her hands off is the way forward!!! sounds a little severe to save a bit of cash!!!!

No we dont but finest range at all and indeed get value where possible. We get the childs meals on budget - meals about 90 pence which last for 2 meals when added with some veg etc.

Fruit and veg tend to get budget.

meals for me and the mrs tend to be chicken/pork with potatoes and veg.
or pasta with a sauce, chicken curry which last for 2 days so nothing extravagant. Not realy sure how to make main meals less expensive.
Never have desserts, rarely have snacks ie buscuits, crisps etc.

I quite often do the shopping with her so now im thinking "what the hell do we buy?!?!?!??!!??"

Every now and then we have a blow out but thats ok its the general everday stuff i need to keep a check on.

I will check out aldi for some alcohol - is it really ok for lagers etc as i tend to stick with brands i know for this, tho ive had vodka from there before. Also can you get it mch cheaper anyhow? ie today i got two 20 packs for £16 which sounds reasonable. now dont get me wrong this isnt an everyday occurence before someone gets giddy - this is to see me through the footie ahead!!

homersimpson_3

I quite often do the shopping with her so now im thinking "what the hell do we buy?!?!?!??!!??"

the fact you're questioning means your learning and when you go to supermarket you'll go with a more critical eye. do you shop at tescos? do you have clubcard- if so that will potentially help you show where money is going?

Every now and then we have a blow out but thats ok its the general everday stuff i need to keep a check on.

- how often?

gazza975526570

no not tesco, tend to shop at asda as its closest to where we work - see im trying to money save!!!

A blow out i reckon once or twice a month - we both get paid the same day of the month so how a good feed that day and then perhaps one other when we just really cant be bothered to eat "well"!

deanos

You can also save quite a bit if you stock up on BOGOF items that wont go off easily , like Coke or Toilet rolls, Toothpaste, Deodorant for example, instead of buying 2 packs why not buy 10 and put them in the garage until needed

lynzpower

Go through the reciepts when you get home.

I go through and work out what was neccesary, what wasnt. I found this really helpful when I first started out.

And also to really LOOK at prices. Say shower gel. If you usually buy the bogof ones they are usually 2 for £2 ish, but a tescos own shower gel not even the value one is 65p, so infinatley cheaper.

JollyNolly

Some supermarket tips:

- buy "own brands" whenever possible - they are generally as good as (and possibly the same as) the branded versions, and much cheaper
- avoid "premium" versions of own brand goods - like Sainsbury's "taste the diffference" etc - this is just an excuse for the supermarket to inflate the price horribly
- in general, buying larger quantities is cheaper than smaller ones. This rule works about 9 times out of ten, so it's a good idea to keep an eye on the price per kilo/litre/etc
- buy stuff when you don't need it - i.e. don't wait until you've run out of something before you buy it, because then you may not get the best deals. The exceptions to this are things that "go off" - meat, dairy, etc., and things that you'll consume more of if you've got it around - in my case this includes chocolate, wine, beer, etc., you get the idea! Look out for BOGOF deals on things like toothpaste, washing powder, etc., and buy them when you can get them cheap, and store them until needed
- look out for veg prices. There are some massive variations in the prices of potatoes, tomatoes, apples, etc. Most often you'll find that the cheapest ones are not "pre-packed". Look for the price per kilo, and buy the best value.
- aim for a bag of shopping to cost around £6. If you use shops like Aldi or Lidl you might even get your average below £5.