Bulk buying for the month advice

deefadog

Hi all, it's time to cut down on the food shopping, we have worked out that we shop just for the week ahead, and with extra trips in the week for milk etc the trips are adding up to around15 times per month and with each vist extras are bought, so wasting money.

What we have done is worked out the meals we usually have each week and times this by 4, thus minimising the trips to the supermarket thus not spending extra on the dazzle items!

Also for things like milk and bread we will go to our local lidls.

Does anyone else do this? any tips on where the best bulk buys are?

Thanks

Snugglebunny8

I sympathise. My children and hubby eat like horses - fruit and bread disappear daily and I was finding I was ending up nipping into supermarket almost daily, and therefore spending on extra stuff as you mentioned. ("If you are nipping to Sainsburys, could you grab some ...")

I told them Im going twice a week now and thats IT! and if its gone, its gone! Ive bulk bought on body wash, shampoo, loo rolls, toothpase, cat food etc all on offer before the VAT increase etc, and I go to Asda once a week to get 3 loaves of Hovis for £2 (is it still on? not been yet this week!) and then buy a extra loaf on my 2nd Sainsburys shop, I buy enough fruit each time for 3 days and tell them if they pig out then they wont have any on the third day ...they didnt think I meant it ... but they do now!

I found to keep them off the endless loaf guzzling, Ive been buying Sainsburys basics part baked baguettes and we have them hot with pasta etc, they are 39p for 2 baguettes so work out cheaper for me than them mopping up sauce with half a loaf of Hovis!!

I stocked up on tinned tomatoes on offer and bought some dried herbs and spices as well as fresh (though you could buy the potted ones and grow your own, my cats would just use them as a new toy and nudge them off the shelves!) as coriander etc go off so fast you end up throwing the fresh stuff away before you get to use it all.

Planning meals is a great idea and a bit of preplanning saves a lot - my next project is possibly a bread maker, but time wise and the cost of the machine and the raw ingredients is still whirling in my head! Do you have a slow cooker? love mine, so quick easy and economical to use, can buy a beef joint for example which maybe is a cheaper cut than one you would normally get - but will be just as tender is slow cooked on low all day!

noin004

I am also trying to cut down on the amount of trips we do to the supermarket. I try to do 1 big shop a week and beforehand I plan a list of meals etc and write a list of what I need and I stick to it apart from any bargains that can be stored away and I know I will use. I try to go shopping later on in the day when they put the big reductions on things going off that day. I stock up on reduced meat that I can freeze, buy a loaf to make kids sandwiches for the week and freeze them (thus saving me time each morning too!). When I have to go out in the week for milk or bread I take cash and leave the cards at home so I can't buy any junk!

Raksha

I do a monthly 'big shop' based on my 5 week menu (OH works shifts over a 5 week pattern). I bulk buy mince, sugar, kitchen & toilet rolls from Costco, and coffee (we enjoy filter coffee) and tea bags from Approved Foods or similar. I buy a sack of pots, carrots and onions from a local farm shop (even throwing away the small amount which goes beyond human consumption it's cheaper than buying from the supermarket) and other 'fillers' - grains, pasta, rice, cous cous etc and curry/bol sauces from AF. I make my own bread at the moment, because i've got a lot of out of date white bread mix to which I just add a little fresh easy blend yeast. I also make scones and dumplings or yorkshire puddings/batter for Toad in the hole from scratch.
I shop weekly for milk and salad stuff.

SnowBelle_2

Hi,
I do my shopping in stages!
Lidl for veg offers
Farmfoods for Heinz beans, Toilet rolls,Cereals and frozen fish( battered and plain)
And thanks to MSE my recently discovered ...Costco ( card due to husband's self employment)Their milk,Bread and laundry items stand out a mile for value,In fact their are so many good bargains to choose from.
B&M Homestore for tins and other food goodies at reduced prices i:e Batter mix,tinned fruit,tuna and soups.
Costco do offer membership to a varied group of employed people, not just tradesmen and if there is one near you they are well worth it,
I am not employed by them just extolling their virtues!!LOL
Local farm shop/garage for bags of Potatoes... £4.50 a huge bag
I appreciate not everyone has access to bargain or lo-cost stores,I am just giving my examples as I am fortunate these stores are within a two mile radius of my house.
Snow x

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

I have got into a routine now with food.

- stock up on tins and packets when on special offer

- buy 'whoopsies' at loacal co-op (just nip in there every daay or thereabouts as within easy walking distance)

- weekly shop at lidl for fresh stuff

The trick here is storage space, I have an old wardrobe in the garage I got for a couple of quid from a jumble sale and it is full of tins, cchest freezer in garage full of whoopsies too and fill empty spaces around the house with non perishables such as sanitary towels under the bed.

Have you tried hiding things to stop them from eating it all? I bulk buy but 'dribble' it out over time so it lasts and they dont get fed up with eating the same thing all the time.

As for fruit, when the fresh stuff has gone then dont forget tins, sainsburys basics pineapple is very nice as a snack and dirt cheap.

Find some storage space and hidey holes!

Snugglebunny8

Desperate_Housewife wrote: »

I have got into a routine now with food.

- stock up on tins and packets when on special offer

- buy 'whoopsies' at loacal co-op (just nip in there every daay or thereabouts as within easy walking distance)

- weekly shop at lidl for fresh stuff

The trick here is storage space, I have an old wardrobe in the garage I got for a couple of quid from a jumble sale and it is full of tins, cchest freezer in garage full of whoopsies too and fill empty spaces around the house with non perishables such as sanitary towels under the bed.

Have you tried hiding things to stop them from eating it all? I bulk buy but 'dribble' it out over time so it lasts and they dont get fed up with eating the same thing all the time.

As for fruit, when the fresh stuff has gone then dont forget tins, sainsburys basics pineapple is very nice as a snack and dirt cheap.

Find some storage space and hidey holes!

My hubby laughed too when I read that out about having to hide stuff! now the kids are a bit older, with them and hubby always noseying around, I suddenly find my 'hidey hole' full of empty packets! they don't even throw them away! :mad:

Ive been stocking up on the mini McVitie cookie packs and muffins while they are half price, for treats and lunchbox desserts, I have to keep hiding in different places and they still find the damn things!!

understairs cupboard behind the Christmas Tree!!!

YORKSHIRELASS

I dont have enough cupboard or freezer space to shop monthly but I am a firm believer that the more often you go to the supermarket the more you spend. I do my shop fortnightly and it has taken a bit of practice but I have now got it worked out. I also find that when you run out of something you can often manage without if you are determined enough.

suzybloo

I do one full shop every month from Tesco. I have a 'staples' list that has every item that I use every month listed in it. eg 2 jars dolmio, 2 bottles shampoo, pk tissues etc. - all worked out from what we use in the month. The list is broken down into catergories : store cupboard, freezer, fresh, cleaning, and toiletries, This never changes from month to month, then I have a 'for a change' part on my list eg something different for teas one night a week - be it curries, sweet and sour, ready made meals etc. This usually comes in at about £100. (or that is my aiming figure).
I do an order at the butchers for the month and then we get a 10% discount, I buy fish in 7lb boxes direct from the fishmonger, this works out at £3.60 per pound for haddock - normal price when bought as a pound is around £5.60. I got to the local chicken factory once a month and pick up 3.5lb chickens for £2, chicken breasts for 60-70p each,
The key part is listing what you need, and after a month or two you dont have too much to do as everything falls into place. Just remember to check your lists so you are not buying unnecessary items.

I would definately recommend this - I must save about £100-£125 per month now compared to before

deefadog

That's awesome! How many people are you buying for?

FatVonD

Snugglebunny8 wrote: »

I suddenly find my 'hidey hole' full of empty packets! they don't even throw them away! :mad:

The problem is worse than you think, they've been coming to my house too :eek:;)