how to reduce my food bill [merged]

sharloid

We usually have plain, boring meals, but that's just because i'm pretty fussy!
Things like veggie burger/sausage/chicken etc with mash/carrots/peas. A combination of this is usually eaten 4 or so times a week. We also have pasta, rice, stews etc.

A weekly shopping list might look something like this:
2 bags pasta
4 cartons passata
1 bag onions
1 bag potatoes
1 bag carrots
few tins of peas
flour (1 of plain, 1 of self raising)
eggs
milk
1 bag rice

I assume you have things like garlic/herbs/stock cubes in.

lizimuffin

we generally spend about £80-100 pm and we don't have that many veggie days. We probably do on average 2 days a week that are veggie. Here is a list of a typical shop for us (and a cat) obviously there are weeks where you might spend a few pounds more (bulk buying loo rolls etc)
For toiletries I tend to get shampoo/toothpaste etc when it is on offer and buy 5/6 of them so they last me a few months, or if I run out (which isn't that often I get it in from the £1 shop (which isn't always cheaper for some things ie tinned veg etc).
I get paid every two weeks so we do our our when I get paid and we spend between £40 - £50 every two weeks. The only thing we have buy through the two period is milk.
Here is a 'typical' list:

Eggs: (which ever free range are on offer)

Marg: 1kg pack

mixed fruit: (basics range)

ceral: whatever is on offer

tinned toms: 3 tins

tinned veg: 3 tins peas, 2 tins sweetcorn (not the basics range, but own range)

flour: 1 self raising 1 plain (to make biscuits, pastry etc)

fish: usually buy a pack of battered fish, and then have look on the reduced aisle for whoopsied fresh fish)

meat: usually the 3 for £10 in Morrisons, always buy a big pack of mince - this is then split into 4 for spag bol, chilli, meatballs, burgers etc. Usually buy a chicken which will do for 4 meals (roast dinner, curry, sandwiches, chicken and veg stew. Pork chops/steak what ever else is there.

Cheese: a block of hard cheese usually basics mature and a large pack of soft cheese (I Philly when it is on offer)

cold meat: we are lucky that we have a 'cheap shop' and they sell locally sourced cold meat offcuts for a £1 a pack, usually 1/2 lb.

3 loaves of bread: whichever is on offer ie last time we went shopping they had the big tiger loaves for 65p so we bought 3 and put them in the freezer.

lots of fresh fruit & veg from green grocer: good basics - potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage, peppers, mushrooms, apples, bananas, lemons, and whatever else they have on offer.

Hope this helps x

Penelope_Penguin

Janiceatkins wrote: »

I wonder if anyone would be willing to share their 'shopping lists'.

I think the trick to keeping costs down is to cook from scratch - bread, pasta sauces, casseroles, home baking, etc, etc.

Take a look at special offers and bulk buy staples such as cereal, pasta, baking ingredients, but only things that you will use

Eat seasonally

I'll move this to the food shopping board as it fits better there.

Cultivate your butcher, green grocer, fish monger - you'll get better quality, so need to use less.

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]!!!!!![/EMAIL].

geordie_joe

You made a mistake, you mentioned this

Janiceatkins wrote: »

I wonder if anyone would be willing to share their 'shopping lists'.

before mentioning this

Janiceatkins wrote: »

Sammy-Kaye's list was interesting in 2008. The recipes listed on old style are great and invaluable but I would love people to share their secrets.

The board guides only skim down a post until they find a reason to move it, or leave it alone, then they move it or leave it, depending on what they find first.

Mentioning 'shopping lists' is enough to get the post moved to the shopping board, and that is what was found first.

If you'd written the second quote first, a reason to leave it on the old style board would have been found first, and it would have been left on there.

geordie_joe

Janiceatkins wrote: »

I know their are threads going on £80/£100 a month but they have specific recipes many of which are veggie which I can only do 1/2 days a week.
Sammy-Kaye's list was interesting in 2008. The recipes listed on old style are great and invaluable but I would love people to share their secrets.
Many thanks. Jan.

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

I'll move this to the food shopping board as it fits better there.

In what way does the post fit better here? The threads and recipes mentioned are all on the old style board.

Janiceatkins

Apologies for any mistakes I made in my original message.
I am quite new to these threads and don't know the 'ins and outs' of board guides etc.
I thought I was in the right place.
Jan.

geordie_joe

Janiceatkins wrote: »

Apologies for any mistakes I made in my original message.
I am quite new to these threads and don't know the 'ins and outs' of board guides etc.
I thought I was in the right place.
Jan.

No need to apologise, you did nothing wrong. Your post was in the right place, but it contained the words "shopping list" and the board guide skimmed through it and found those words, so moved it to the shopping board. Completely oblivious to the fact that every sentence in your post, but one, suggests it should be on the old style board.

Janiceatkins

Thanks lizimuffin for your 'list'
Looking at it the fruit and veg alone around here would cost approx £12 if you only bought one bag of each item. That would leave approx £28/£38 for all the rest.
I only have access to Mr T,S and AS as I need a delivery service due to mobility problems.
I am sure this does not help as you don't see the whole range together and how it looks.
I know some supermarkets have mob scooters but they are often in use or not charged so it is hit and miss.
I always cook from scratch and apart from bread bake all cakes, hobnobs etc.
Looking at the GC I think I will try extending my budget period maybe from 1 month to 2 and see if stocking up more on BOGOFS etc helps.

Many thanks everyone.
Jan.

Allegra

Janiceatkins wrote: »

Hi again
Thanks HB81
I have checked these sights but much of this food would go down as a lead balloon with OH, as I said very plain food here.
Jan.

I'm afraid that if you are aiming to reduce your grocery bill, the only way to do it to any significant extent is to change the way you are eating - the reason people can feed their families on next to nothing or thereabouts is because they eat different sort of food to the people who spend loads.

There are a few things that can be done, but that's not much help if you are doing them already - cook everything from scratch, freeze and reuse the leftovers, waste nothing. Take advantage of offers and reductions, but only if it's stuff that you'd use anyway. Buy seasonal fruit and veg. Try growing your own and foraging if your location and circumstances allow.

If you do all those already but you are still spending more than you can afford, then you will have to try and change your eating habits. The reason why most of the budget threads feature vegetarian food heavily is because veggie dishes, generally speaking, are cheaper than meat-based ones.

I guess if I was you I would try looking at the websites and threads mentioned above, and rather than discounting the whole thing because much of the food is unsuitable, I'd find things that are suitable, or can be adapted to be so, and start introducing them into the weekly mealplan. Furthermore, I'd write down what we normally eat week in and week out and cost all the dishes - then kick out the most expensive ones and plan around the cheaper ones. Look for ways to make them even cheaper - e.g. go for value pasta and rice rather than fresh pasta and basmati rice (just examples of a principle that can be applied to anything).

patchwork_cat

This is pure old style why on earth has it been moved?