Shop for 5 on £50 per week, is it possible?

Lillys_mum

I need to really tighten things and have a budget of £50 per week for all food/toiletries etc.
me, hubby 8 yr old 5 yr old and 11 mth old.

Any ideas???

QueenB.

Well this is our weekily shopping budget and we are a family of five, me and OH, a 13 yr old and a 7 and 5 yr old. Plus three cats and the 7 yr old has a number of special diet requirements and has lots of food sensitivities.

Its hard especially when you need to buy the big things like washing powder etc and some weeks we find ourselves over budget. But it can be done with careful and creative menu planning and cooking.

Forgot to add we are all veggies as well (apart from OH but he tend sto eat what we do) and this can actually work out more expensive sometimes.

Sarahsaver

I do it on £30, 2 adults 3 children, it can be done, and think of all the debt/mortgage hwich can pe paid off, or extra holidays which can be had with the money, instead of lining mr tescos pocket;)
From a personal point of view, I feel I am being wasteful if I go over £30. In fact I have alternate weeks, one £20 the next £30.

Addiscomber

There are too many factors that can affect your chances of success at this to be confident of giving you a realistic answer.

1. Is this going to be a drastic reduction in your food spending?

2. Does your other half, let alone the older children, understand the need for this and are they going to support you? Especially the OH.

3. How well equipped is your kitchen? Old style cooking needs a certain amount of equipment - doesn't need to be fancy but it no good us suggesting recipes if you just don't have the means to cook them.

4. Are you working or do you have time to shop, prepare food from scratch and cook it?

5. Whereabouts do you live? Prices do vary from area to area of the country. No need to go into too much detail, just name of town or nearest big centre if in an urban area. Then people might be able to point you in the direction of cheaper sources of supply that you are currently unaware of.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

good luck... i have just signed up to the sept.. shopping challenge.. £50.oo a week for 2 adults 2 children....... and thats for school lunches etc included in that...

i buy big sacks of potatoes..... and will be trying to cook from scratch etc.. why dont you follow the sticky at the top of the page... to see how other people are doing.. i know i will be taking some tips from there..

god luck.....

pink_fairy_7

Hi
It can be done if you are really strict. I do it for me, OH, 2 older teenage children and 12 year old. I menu plan, use coupons at Asda or tesco and buy bogofs from every supermarket:D I try to fit the menu plan around the things on offer.
Some months I overspend (especially in the school hols) however in general the food bill is much reduced than pre MSE.

Good luck

pink fairy xx

John7619

Yep, it can be done, with dessert for afters as well.

Though, this means relying on home cooked food, rather than packaged stuff.
http://www.recipesource.com/soups/chili/01/rec0167.html
This meal cost £5 for 6 people.

stellagypsy

I've just done a shop for 4 adults at £57, which included fruit and also I got some reduced items in there, but I think that is pretty good esp as it was at Tesco. I might need to get another couple of loaves (if I don't have time to make my own) but other than that, I'm well pleased.

I think a lot depends on where you shop. I could have done this for less if I had gone to Aldi / Farm Foods.

Regards, Stella xx

seraphina

Check out the tesco misprices thread. This is a good way of getting "bonus" meat and fish that you hadn't planned/budgeted for - we had 4 free salmon fillets, which would have normally cost £8. something.

With a teriyaki marinade made from stuff we had in the house, this is a very cheap and nutritious part of a meal.

Do a storecupboard challenge - eat everything in the house before buying new stuff!

Good luck - it is possible!