Singles - How much do you really spend on groceries?

lilac_lady

"If I am doing a top up shop then I ony ever use a basket, cos that way I can't just chuck stuff in the trolley that catches my eye! "

Good tip. My £35 per week also includes all toiletries and cleaning stuff as well as birdfood, window cleaning money (£5 per fortnight) and a magazine which I pass on in return for one my neighbour buys.


"I shamefully spend around £35 a week "

It's not if you can afford it.

SueC_2

lilac_lady wrote: »

"I shamefully spend around £35 a week "

It's not if you can afford it.

Definitely! This is not about beating ourselves up about what we spend. If we can afford it, then hell, it's our money, why shouldn't we spend whatever we want to spend?!

toxic1990

Too much. Im a quashi student so I should be on 10p noodles 3 times 7 days a week.

I actually have no Idea what I actually spend, I would imagine its up around £100, if not more with alcohol. Im going to keep a record for Feb, I want to get it down as low as possible, mainly because I have no choice. I have about a £100 shortfall in income per month, which I can manage but I really don't want to be loosing £100 a month of food that makes me fat :P never been a fan of shooting myself in the foot.

Fire_Fox

I have been spending £100 a month on groceries, cat food and litter, toiletries and cleaning products BUT my cupboards and freezer are absolutely rammed. I could honestly not shop for several months! I don't eat any white carbs and only a limited amount of meat, I am a fitness instructor and work to low glycaemic index principles.

It isn't that difficult to eat healthily and cheaply providing you have a little freezer space! I tracked my grocery spending for months when I was part of a couple and the expensive stuff was meat and processed food. Everything mentioned below is Value or Smartprice if available.

For fruit and veg I eat a fair bit of frozen vegetables (brocolli, cauli, spinach, fine beans, sweetcorn, garlic), a lot of tinned stuff (tomatoes, baked beans, chick peas, kidney beans) plus a little fresh (onions, carrots, mushrooms, peppers, bananas, grapes) and some dried fruit (raisins, apricots, golden sultanas, cherries).

For protein I have tinned pilchards in tomato sauce, tinned beans, dried red and yellow lentils, cottage cheese, low fat soft cheese, plain yoghurt, free range eggs, LesKol brand cheese, chicken livers (pate). If I have meat it is always padded out with vegetables and pulses - turkey or pork mince are good for this.

For carbs I choose brown basmati rice, pearl barley, broth mix, brown rice noodles, wholewheat egg noodles, wholemeal pasta, granary bread, oatcakes and Ryvita, organic jumbo oats, fruit and fibre, very occasionally new potatoes or jackets.

The only processed/ lazy food I regularly buy is jar sauces (Chinese, Thai, Indian paste), but only when super cheap in Home Bargains or B&M! :money: There are loads of tasty costed out recipes on Weezl4's thread 'Eat Healthily on 50p per Day' on the Old Style board. HTH.