How to make 1 big shop last a month? Or just spend less on food shopping?

DaddyWhitts

I am a 22 year old with a girlfriend and a 9 month old baby.

We dont live together as we cant afford to because our money just seems to disappear.

I work full time on minimum wage and after reading posts on this site i can see that i seriously need to stop spending but im still not completely sure how.

i think our main out goings are food shopping and taxi fairs.

We are exchanging taxi's for busses which will help alot but as for food shopping i think it comes down to knowing how to make 1 big shop last a month.

does anyone have any tips or advice on this or anything else that might help us please?

thanks very much in advance.

System

i do a big shop once a month for tinned/packetfrozen items and the get fresh as and when i need it . your poll refers to branded goods try dropping down a level it really does save a fortune ,a lot of my shopping is asda smart price and its just a case finding out what you like. try it for a month then compare your spend.

gillian62

I use the great tips on this site to find good quality basic/value products and use them. I still buy a few branded products but look to get them when they are on offer - most offers I find on here too. So really, I would spend some time looking through here each day, as offers in some shops change very quickly.

You also need to be prepared to shop at a number of different places to get the bargains - otherwise you lose what you save if you only shop in one supermarket.

jammy_dodger

pop over to the moneysavingolldtyle forum theres loads of threads on shopping savy and making food last i'll try and post some links for you all the best
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2691783

DanielFullard

I did similar and decided to try "cheaper" brands than my usual standards. I moved out of home and was used to my parents nice cooking and using the more expensive products but I found that about 7 times out of 10 the Asda smart price range is just as good as the more expensive brands

jenniewb

My advice on making your monthly shop last longer is to preplan everything. Buy only what you have preplanned for. In advance write a list of meals your going to cook, lunches your going to prepare, how much breakfast cereal you will eat per day and work out how long a box will last (involves weighing cereal in the morning which can be an eye opener!). Prepare a different and huge meal every night for about 4-5 days. Freeze the leftovers in portions and label. This is what you can eat each day for the rest of the month.

Takes preparation but if your willing to do this you can make savings. Also don't shop without a list, its very easy to buy things that wont save you money or wont get used. Only buy what you know your going to cook and prepare as part of your plan.

I would say though, buy fresh fruit every few days, some fresh food makes all the difference!

System

my biggest advice on saving money is shop alone it costs me twice as much if OH comes along and more again if DD comes !!! i can write a list and stick to it but they see a list as a starting point !

Allegra

Consider downshifting from branded items (you are paying for the brand name and packaging as much as you are paying for the ingredients); cook more from scratch; menu plan. As an example on how to make meal planning, buying cheapest ingredients possible, and cooking from scratch work in the best possible way, check out Cheap Family Recipes website - two monthly planners to feed a family of four for £100pm; lots of tips on how to make the principles work for you; and Christmas Menu Planner coming up (this is still being tested though). The site was built by a fellow MSEer and is a great hit over on Old Style, which is the best place to go for further help and advice on how to make your food money work for you in the best way possible.

SHEILA54

Hi

It also pays to find out when your local supermarket reduces items as I often buy items dating out and freeze them for later.

Also browse through
http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/

You will find prices for Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys and Ocado and can look at their bargains. It also shows the comparible price in each supermarket and advises how to cut cost.

gizmo111

I'm not sure who you are shopping for if you live apart. Is it just for you, for gf and baby or all 3 of you?

maman

DaddyWhitts wrote: »

I am a 22 year old with a girlfriend and a 9 month old baby.

We dont live together as we cant afford to because our money just seems to disappear.

I work full time on minimum wage and after reading posts on this site i can see that i seriously need to stop spending but im still not completely sure how.

i think our main out goings are food shopping and taxi fairs.

We are exchanging taxi's for busses which will help alot but as for food shopping i think it comes down to knowing how to make 1 big shop last a month.

does anyone have any tips or advice on this or anything else that might help us please?

thanks very much in advance.

Some useful ideas already but not sure why it's cheaper to live apart? We can help with cheaper food shopping but surely you'd save on other living expenses (rent etc) to live together?