Do I really spend to much on food?

Kimitatsu

cooking-mama wrote: »

Good quality food is expensive,I could save a fortune if I sent my girls to school with crisps and cheap sausage rolls in their packed lunch..but how unhealthy is that!,also how do people make a chicken go so far?I feel inadequate reading some posts on OS,there is no way i could turn a standard £5 chicken into 5 main meals (for a family),and soup,and sandwiches...we get,1main meal,some sandwiches and scraps of skin etc for the dog...

Glad you said that CM! :T I too went through a feeling of just how do they do it and why cant I? But then I look at the lumbering teenagers that walk through the door descending on the fridge and the 6ft 4 ex rugby player husband and it all becomes clear :rotfl: They would eat twice as much junk as they do good quality food and for me I live in a rural county and you definitely get what you pay for.

will be reading your replies with interest,thanks for posting..previous "feed your family for £50 a month etc",always put me off,made me feel i was doing something terribly wrong..I think at the moment i spend £500 a month for a family of 4 plus dog and guinea pig,im not sure,so the first tip im pinching is the one about keeping receipts for a month.

My budget is only for human food I am afraid, the animals have their own! However with chickens, dogs and cats (one currently with kittens) then I know I could not stretch our budget to feed them too :eek:
PS,I agree our Tesco is way more expensive than Morrisons,our butchers are far too expensive(same for independant greengrocers)..im turning my hand to £grow your own)its worth a try,we do get through a lot of fruit n veg.sadly its true that a multipack of walkers crisps is cheaper than a pack of gala apples

Until that situation is rectified then unfortunately many people will eat crisps and processed food over fruit and veg - I teach vulnerable groups and for many of them they are so used to eating processed food that fresh tastes a little strange and most of them dont know how to cook it. The amount of parents that I see that go shopping with a friend so that the friend can use the healthy start vouchers and they can get the equivelant cost in crisps/salty snacks/tinned meat etc never ceases to amaze me.

wssla00

Ok... A couple of things spring to mind....

Where are you buying your dried fruit and nuts? Because if you buy them from the snack aisle they are much more expensive than if you buy them from the cooking aisle. I always have dried fruit in but always get them from the cooking aisle as they are the same thing just cheaper.

Also I would perhaps try a brand challenge even for one shop try and go down a brand and see how much it will save.

I would also say to try and do an online shop if you can. The problem with the supermarkets is they do things to make you want their extra "bargains" which means that although your normal shop may be fine... things seem to go into the trolley unintentionally. An online shop, at least for me is the best. My butchers are rubbish around me- High fat and coloured red!!! So I use an online butcher. Much better and I get it delivered

I also found that when I was shopping weekly I was spending around the same as you. But since shopping monthly (for dry goods root veg which will last and meat which I freeze when it gets delivered) I found that my bill has dramatically reduced. And don't get me wrong food shopping was something I looked forward to! I think the reduction in bill has been because of the extras. I was also so worried about running out that I never really checked my cupboards and freezer and just bought fresh stuff the next week.

This week for example I am still seeing the effects of this in my cupboard when I found seven tins of tomato soup. I only eat is sometimes so have no idea why I thought I needed any more, 2 big bags of pasta, 2 big bags of spaghetti....well you get the idea....

I still go out and buy my fruit and veg on a weekly basis but the shop is so low now I have got used to just going in and getting what I need. If i get more than that I now seem to get annoyed with myself.

I am very happy to say I have now reduced my food bill from £400 a month to £150 a month and that includes all cleaning products and cat stuff. I also have free range organic meat and free range eggs. My meals haven't changed but the way I shop and the way I save leftovers and bulk out meals have.

NEH

I look at some of these threads and think how on earth do people get down to that much cheapness and time and time again i see butchers mentioned.

You all must have lovely cheap butchers as our "local" is very expensive and we couldn't afford his nice meat if we saved up for it. One pork chop cost me approx £3 whereas places like Asda I can get 3 lots of meat for £10...Yes i have to travel to supermarkets being a rural area but due to petrol prices and leisure prices it's our main weekly outing (sad I know but times are tough) and one big shop a week does prove a fair bit cheaper than trying to shop locally.

I'm just very surprised that other butchers are so much cheaper than supermarkets...

wssla00

I don't think they are cheaper.... it's just that the meat that you get lasts longer as the meat isn't pumped full of water salt and whatever else they want to throw at it.
My example is this...

I used to spend about £20 on meat in Tesco (their three for a tenner or whatever) a week. I would use it but really it didn't fill me up and didn't really taste all that good. I then ordered the same meats online from my butcher. It came to £30- so more expensive, but found that I was so full up on the meat and was using it differently and had more to reuse another day. For example a small portion of mince costs me £3.50 but from that yesterday I got three meals of four portions from it- a Lasagne, A chilli and a Sheppards pie. They were bulked out with lentils and veg but they still tasted "meaty" as it was me doing the bulking out and not the supermarket IYSWIM
So although I spend more in one go, I now actually spend less as it lasts so much longer. It's amazing that I can use 2 chicken thighs for two portions of curry rather than the four I would normall use as they don't shrink as the water evaporates.
Now, instead of an £80 bill of meat a month, £40 lasts me the month very well. I hope that makes sense...? I'm no good at explaining things

Trinny

Hi There

Sorry if this duplicates anything that has already been said. I spend £150 pm for two of us, and shop in Waitrose, farm shops and delis.

With all that said, your menu has me drooling, it looks like top quality restaurant food. Would it help if you joined the grocery challenge and slowly dropped your monthly spend?

I used to spend £200+ for the two of us (and one hungry cat) per month.

THis is what i do:

1. Buy what is in season
2. Do the usual Sunday roast and then use the leftover meat for curry,
chilli etc the next day
3. Have one day per week where the evening meal is homemade soup
with crusty bread
4. Grow our own veg and fruit

It all depends on whether you are happy with your spend. Its for you to decide what you would like to be spending and then to adjust your meals accordingly

Also - did you make a storecupboard or freezer inventory? if you know what you already have in the cupboards, its easier to meal plan

The costs come down when you cook with cheaper cuts, buy whats in season, get creative with your leftovers and think about utilising special offers etc.

BEst Wishes

Trin

zippychick

crux wrote: »

In the end I will have to decide what I sacrifice.

But boy have we been over spending, about a grand a month for the past 6! It's got to stop and fast. Wifey wants to go to South Africa on hols next year and I would love to as well, but at this rate there's no chance..... :rotfl:

Exactly spot on correct. It is entirely up to you

For the people who feel inadequate looking at others budgets and spends - please don't. OS is about what works for you within your budget and lifestyle and circumstances. It is certainly not a competition.:A

South Africa trip - would the potential savings be attractive to your OH positioned as a way of getting closer to SA? As i said earlier, £150 mth = £1800 a year. You seem happy with her spends of £50 on carp, but that would really bother me to be honest! 2 spends of £50 a month = £1200 a year! :eek:

cooking-mama

wssla00 wrote: »

I don't think they are cheaper.... it's just that the meat that you get lasts longer as the meat isn't pumped full of water salt and whatever else they want to throw at it.
Personaly I think its a myth that all supermarket meat is pumped full of water,ive never bought any fresh meat or chicken with water or anything added,processed ,prepacked,"value" stuff possibly,but not all fresh.all the butchers in my area are very very expensive,I like Morrisons supermarket ,they have their own instore butcher,but I mainly buy from Costco,again instore butcher and a lot better prices than independant butchers.
My example is this...

For example a small portion of mince costs me £3.50 but from that yesterday I got three meals of four portions from it- a Lasagne, A chilli and a Sheppards pie. They were bulked out with lentils and veg but they still tasted "meaty" as it was me doing the bulking out and not the supermarket IYSWIM
Have i interpreted this properly?,did you get 12 meals in total from £3.50 worth of mince?,can i ask what type of mince and what weight please.
So although I spend more in one go, I now actually spend less as it lasts so much longer. It's amazing that I can use 2 chicken thighs for two portions of curry rather than the four I would normall use as they don't shrink as the water evaporates.
2 chicken thighs for 2 curries truly is amazing...how many would that feed?..
Now, instead of an £80 bill of meat a month, £40 lasts me the month very well. I hope that makes sense...? I'm no good at explaining things

is this £10 a week for an individual,or for a family?

Aytoun27

I've only had time to skim this thread, but I would agree with those who say don't worry about it if you can afford it. Our budget for 3 adults, one large dog, elderly fussy cat who costs more to feed than the dog does, is £475.00 a month. (I've never dared post the amount before because so many people do so well on so much less).

A couple of years ago it was £550, but a finanical crisis meant it got cut back to £350 until the family rebelled. To be honest I don't think that our diet was as healthy then as it is now. Also I will own up and say that there is a limit on the amount of time I want to spend chasing around different shops and menu planning.

My Mum, who had very little money, always saw good quality food as an essential term of expenditure, even if she had to cut back on clothes, holidays etc to provide it. The older I get the more I feel that she was right about this, your health and well being is the most important thing.

misscousinitt

Re Aldi - I don't use Aldi for my main shop, just a few things that I get better quality/cheaper from there esp cooked meat, cheese and frozen fish (and the odd packet of fig rolls!) - its not good for everything

A

emilyka

Wow! £500 is quite a bit but you've cut back an epic percentage to get there from £750 per month- well done!:A

Firstly I would agree with others about breaking down your shopping spend into catergories, I would also suggest shopping at tesco online and owning a big freezer! At Tesco online (or other delivery store) you can see a running total when you shop and can remove things from the basket even after checkout. I would advise creating a meal plan for every meal you cater for in the month- this is a guide and doesnt have to be strictly followed (ie days can be swapped etc) but will give you a good idea of what you need and in what quantities.

Once you have a food plan go about ordering the food for the food plan, starting with meats (finding multipacks/ BOGOFs if you intend to eat them more than once in a month) and then onto your basic carbs (potatoes, beans, pasta, bread etc) and veggies that you need for a basic meal. Try buying in multiples with everything if you are able to use it.

Once the order arrives, freeze what you wont be able to eat within a few days and make your meal plan meals day by day. Once/ twice a week take £15 out to buy bread, milk and fruit and veg. This will make you look for bargains (ie caserole vegs packs, apples on 50% extra free). I spend £100 on the monthly shop for 2 adults with healthy appetites, and £40 over the month in fresh food shops. We are both very healthy and eat well (and the odd bag of frozen brocoli never did anyone any harm!)

Good luck with your challenge, let us know how you get on:o

Em