How Much for Groceries?

savingmummy

We have 2 adults and 2 children aged 2 and 4 (and a cat lol!)
We spend £150-200 a month on food as that is all we have spare!

I stick to a strict weekly shopping list of what we need, no extras or treats as this just goes well over our budget then we can`t have essentials.
I meal plan each week so i know what we NEED and what we are having!
I have soup before main meals to feel us up which means smaller main meals/portions! Pudding is often included which again i either make jelly or do a fruit salad.
I make my own yoghurts, bread, cakes/biscuits and pizzas. Grow my own tomatoes, salad etc in pots - get the kids to help which they love doing!

I`m not a good cook at all!! Just had to start making from scratch as i can no longer afford to buy.

We have dropped a few brands and noticed no differences so it can work, some brands are better then some others though!
Iceland do a 3l bottle of coca cola and lemonade for £1.56 - DH buys this on a friday as a weekend treat!
Lidl are currently doing 2L pepsi for 56p!

I no longer buy branded nappies or wipes as the non brand do the job just fine.

My DD loved a mcdonalds on a friday but this has had to stop so we now make our own burgers and do oven chips, she no longer begs for a take away.

OrkneyStar

Just to say Tesco sell corner yoghurts which are better than Muller- shame the small Tesco on our island only has 2 of the varieties!

elsie52

Play it sneaky when you drop a brand........We eat with our eyes.!! and if my OH sees a cheaper brand compared to our usual one, he automatically doesn't like it and can tell th difference. !! Yeah right.........he doesn't know that I keep the original Robinson's juice bottle and pour the cheaper brand in it.!! same with tea bags, coffee and anything else I can get away with.! :D:D

reehsetin

Ex-Spendaholic wrote: »

Yes to the fizzy drinks. We buy 2 x 12 packs of coke each week costing £6 (ie £3 each).

I'm the same with coke, everyday with no alternatives, I tend to bulk buy, at sainsburys at the weekend I got 18 pack for £2.80 so stocked up

gonzo127

elsie52 wrote: »

Play it sneaky when you drop a brand........We eat with our eyes.!! and if my OH sees a cheaper brand compared to our usual one, he automatically doesn't like it and can tell th difference. !! Yeah right.........he doesn't know that I keep the original Robinson's juice bottle and pour the cheaper brand in it.!! same with tea bags, coffee and anything else I can get away with.! :D:D

i do that with some things as well like cheese, and i have noticed some of the value brands have started realising this and have started to minimise the big value signs everywhere, Tescos value chocalate chip cake bars are each indevidually wrapped in clear packets so all you have to do is take them out of hte main box

i also did it with tescos value squash for a few months, once no one had said anything i stopped pouring it into the branded bottle and told them what i had been doing, usualy to a chorus of 'i thought it was different' to which i say maybe so but you still had it and have not complained about it so we will still be getting it

moneysavingmonkey85

loads of great ideas already, i agree with the brand dropping - teabags are too important to me! But other things are equally good/better - I love asda smartprice jaffa cakes, and 'vitality' cereal (special k-esque). our budget for 2 adults (who like steak etc), one of whom is lactose-intolerant is £100/month and normally includes cleaning products etc. afternoon/evening trips for reduced 'whoospies' can help too - got an organic ribeye steak for £2.60 yesterday - yum!

If you get asda delivered try to use a code for free del, and remember if they run out of your value item they substitute a more expensive version - and you don't pay the difference. Good luck

cannyClaire

Poundland sell 2 litre bottles of milk, 1.5 kg bags of sugar, branded biscuits, cereals, crisps, pop, tea and coffee. 99p Stores are similar and tend to be more food orientated, with tins and packets of foodstuffs etc and Poundstretcher stores sell groceries too, like Ovaltine for just 99p. As long as you know the supermarket prices these shops can be worth including on a weekly or monthly shopping trip.

Pinky15

Hi there my family is same size and age as yours and they too drink loads of milk. I spend no more than £200 per month.
I meal plan from what I have in freezer first. I plan packed lunches. Do a weekly shop calling in at Iceland where I but 3x4pts milk at £3 total. I keep £10 cash in the house which I use for fresh fruit throughout the week as needed. Butchers at start of month for meat. I also grow my own pots and veg at the allotment which saves a fortune!! Hope this helps

miss_missy

hi
there seems to be a lot of good advice above so cant add too much to it but just a few things ive found
my OH is terrible about brand items however we have found sainsburys basic pretty good the teabags from them have gone down a treat also things like tomarto ketchup bought for the children they really dont notice a diff so i dont buy heinz any more
i find i budget 300 per month for our food and share it by how many weeks that month then i challenge myself to spend less and pay whats left off my credit cards

i also buy meats that are reduced and freeze them

i do also bulk buy so odd weeks i go over budget slightly
i only ever buy certain things when on a good offer for example heinz baked beans i love these but only buy it i can get cheap or on offer and will bulk buy if offers good tinned tuna is another that has to be on offer

ive also found i save loads since i start buying my milk from farm foods instead of the super market they do 2x2L bottles of milk for 1.50 i was paying that for 1 bottle at the supermarket although theres are just slightly over the 2L but not much they also do hovis bread for 75p each or 2 for £1

oh and also when i say good bargain i mean you really have to look at whether its worth it do you really save and will you use it

good luck on trying to spend less it sometimes takes work but its worth it

gonzo127

tesco's do a great discount brands milk at 0.75% fat it costs £1 for 3L or about 66p for 2L so it is cheaper than normal semi skimmed, is better for you as less fat content and also best of all, no one i have ever given it to has noticed a difference between that and normal semi skimmed (and i have converted 2 different work places to the new milk) just look out for it as it has a PURPLE lid and lable!