how to reduce my food bill [merged]

GSshop

Have you often bought something unnecessory?
remember to do a budget and shopping list.
need to know where or what you spend the money

paulwf

natasha86 wrote: »

lol, im not too sure i have been looking at some of the other thread and some people spend aroun 180 a month for 4 people lol i think we need a challange lol

If we allow £10 for cleaning materials then £110 for 2 people a month works out at 61p per meal per person. That assumes 3 meals a day and no snacks or drinks...ever.

Unless you absolutely have nowhere else to cut your budget - in which case fine - food is the last place I would compromise just for a "challenge".

Eating good quality natural food is one of the key things to staying fit and healthy and feeling full of energy. Good food is also fun, the little things in life like getting through the afternoon at work because you know you have got a good meal to look forward to are important.

Of course you can make a main meal from something like pasta, tinned tomatoes and lentils. But think how much better it would be if you added peppers, mushrooms, herbs and garlic. You'll also have a more varied and probably a more balanced diet that will improve your long term health.

katskorner

I buy bread reduced from our local Co-op as with three kids we eat a fair bit - I never pay full price for it - and we make our own too. I also get milk from our local cash and carry and that saves me money. I am trying to buy less food and do fill my freezer with reductions quite a lot. We just have to think a bit to eat it all!

Catfood I get from tesco at the moment as it seems cheapest but I am always alert to offers. Cleaning stuff I buy on offers from Wilkos and places like that and store in the shed till needed.

oh yep and I have an allotment where I grow my own fruit and veg. Just had some lovely batches of asparagus!

claire0710

Farmfoods are good for basics such as frozen veg and they do 2x Hovis loafs for £1 and 2x 4pint milk bottles fo £1.50, great value for families and you can freeze one of the loafs.

clozza_90

katskorner wrote: »

I buy bread reduced from our local Co-op as with three kids we eat a fair bit - I never pay full price for it - and we make our own too. I also get milk from our local cash and carry and that saves me money. I am trying to buy less food and do fill my freezer with reductions quite a lot. We just have to think a bit to eat it all!

Worth going to tesco in the evening for reduced bread - we were in there at about 8.30pm and all of their bakery products were reduced down to about 4p! Cheaper than making it at home, too.

pelirocco

paulwf wrote: »

If we allow £10 for cleaning materials then £110 for 2 people a month works out at 61p per meal per person. That assumes 3 meals a day and no snacks or drinks...ever.

Unless you absolutely have nowhere else to cut your budget - in which case fine - food is the last place I would compromise just for a "challenge".

Eating good quality natural food is one of the key things to staying fit and healthy and feeling full of energy. Good food is also fun, the little things in life like getting through the afternoon at work because you know you have got a good meal to look forward to are important.

Of course you can make a main meal from something like pasta, tinned tomatoes and lentils. But think how much better it would be if you added peppers, mushrooms, herbs and garlic. You'll also have a more varied and probably a more balanced diet that will improve your long term health.

I was begining to think I was the only person to think this , so many times you see threads dedicated to feeding a family on the lowest amount .I have never understood why food ( and nutrition ) is put so low on peoples priorities ..........(unless they are really struggling for money )

calleyw

pelirocco wrote: »

I was begining to think I was the only person to think this , so many times you see threads dedicated to feeding a family on the lowest amount .I have never understood why food ( and nutrition ) is put so low on peoples priorities ..........(unless they are really struggling for money )

Have you read the thread here by weezl and friends.

They have managed to get a menu planner for a month for 4 people for a £100 and it includes the 5 pieces of fruit and veg a day, omega 3 and has an appropriate percentage/ratio of fats/carbs and protein as well as calcium and dietary fibre. Does you diet include all that?

Not everyone who has a low budget eats rubbish all day. Not everyone can afford organic or free range.

Yours

Calley

FrugalFriend

NJW69 wrote: »

Go on the grocery challenge thread.

Meal plan.

Batch cook.

Get a slow cooker.

Buy your bread and milk and potatoes at Farmfoods (saves me about a fiver a week).

Make soup using stuff up thats going a bit dry.

I'd agree with the above. If you already buy supermarket own brands, and you aren't saving enough, then the next step is to switch supermarket. Changing where you shop to the discounters Lidl and Aldi, is the easiest and quickest way, to save on groceries.

The mistake many people make when considering the discounters is to think that because they're cheaper, the quality is poor. Thats not true. In fact Lidl and Aldi's standard brands are as good as, and frequently better, than the supermarket own brand. Plus you're paying between 30-50% less.

I recommend trying your local discount store. Also don't be loyal to any particular store, shop in both discounters and select the best that each one has to offer. Combine with using the main supermarkets, Tesco, etc... for super cheap non-food value items, BOGOFs and meal deals, etc....

Mk14:37

What are you throwing away too often? That could indicate what you need to cut back on.

chelms38

Get together with family/friends to take advantage of bogof deals and always have a peek at the reduced goods section.If you are finding you chuck away a lot of fresh food then maybe think about buying frozen.