Where to shop for family of 6? Help and advice needed as cant afford food anymore :(

katskorner

I am with washable nappies. I used them with all three of mine and now I am selling the last batch (one life but have used kooshies all-in-one with other kids) on as they are in fantastic condition and my son is out of them now being over 2 and a half (he is fab - love him). It is worth considering because it saves a fortune as long as you keep a plan on the washes! I didnt even bother soaking last time round as I washed every two days and soap powders now are brilliant. (I used Fairy with the nappies as well as Lidl's Formil which is excellent - nonbio of course!)

sweet_baby_cakes

[QUOTE=

We are a family of 4 and I try to budget £20 a week for my weekly shop and £10 a week for extras like bread and milk. I manage it every week without fail, infact the last couple of weeks I've only been spending the £20 and about £5 on essentials during the week [/QUOTE]


can you please give me an exsample of what you get for dinners ect ect for £20 a week

thanks

sugarcube84

ASDA little angels nappies are great and ive just swapped to smart price wipes, there doesnt seem to be a smell to them but they do the job!!

Im another who thinks you should go to the doctors about the milk, a friend of mine had premature twins and got special milk on perscription, you might be able to do that too if your baby has been tested as intolerant.

Make sure you are getting everything you are entitled to, others can probably help more.

Get a slow cooker, great for stews, soups etc which are cheap/easier and nutritious and can be blended for the babies.

Steer clear of jars of baby food its much cheaper to make your own and freeze in a batch.

Add lentils and veg to meals such as bolognaise/chilli/stews and it makes the meat go further. Frozen may seem like its easier and cheaper but if you cook in bulk and freeze then frozen works out more expensive. I always make sure i have some 'easy' teas in, just in case, oven chips frozen veg etc

I spend more than others ive avergaed at £41 a week but i could cut it down further but that seems a comfortable (compromise) level to me.

Teas include

-toad in the hole
-spag bol
- chicken casserole
- beef stew
-homemade leek and potato soup
- mince beef pie
- roast chicken dinner
-gammon & chips
- homemade burgers

Lunhes are leftovers (as i have a microwave in work) or sandwiches ham/beef/chicken (from roast) tuna/corned beef plus choc bar/fruit

breakfast varies porridge/weetabix(not branded) fruit, toast, bacon butties at weekends.

I also used to shop at asda but now i go to aldi and lidl to stock up on certain items and then buy the remainder of my shop from asda. It works out cheaper and i get better quality items, tinned tomatoes and passat for example.
Not bad variety and like i said it could be cheaper i could use more lentils/veg drop down a brand on some items but im happy where it is for the moment

lizziegrace

Hi!Just wanted to add to the other replies about your lo's milk and cheese for allergies - I'd really advise you to go to your GP and see if they'll prescribe for you. If your HV is sympathetic she may also argue your case, as I've got 2 with special food needs and it's expensive!! From a child's health point of view it's really essential if they're missing out on certain important food groups... Echo pp on pullups - they're so expensive, and I'm sure you'd save by getting value nappies instead (even if you use more because they're harder for lo to take off). I'm guessing you have a computer (as you've posted here!) so it could be worth while doing a "fake" shop on Asda or Tesco online after you've planned your meals - then you get an idea of what it's all going to cost and you can stick to your list (or even know there's some spare for a treat). Lastly I'd say it's worth finding out of anyone nearby runs a CAP course - Christians Against Poverty are a fantastic resource for anyone (don't have to be religious!!) and will not only offer great advice but will also provide hands on help and support in a very non-judgemental way...
HTH?
Lizzie

Lugh_Chronain

Re the "fake" shop on Asda or Tesco online, Martin has what he calls a downshift challenge.

The supermarket comparison site mySupermarket now includes a downshift challenge section based exactly on this theory. So when you enter your shopping trolley, as well as comparing the price across online supermarkets, it gives you the downshifted option (don't think you need to sign in to mySupermarket to be able to view your trolley though if you need to go back to it at a later date you might).

This is a quick system and a great way to see the scale of the savings, even if you don't shop online.

And with regards to lizziegrace's final point, the CAB will also have a list of orginisations that can also help, many bureaus have specialist caseworkers to deal with most situations as well.

wendyak

And don't forget coupons, places like supersavvyme give loads for toiletries and washing items and if u use them on offer items they can sometimes be free.......

Lugh_Chronain

You can also find vouchers for shopping on places like HotUKDeals, you'll see a search box on right hand side, just look for where it says Find Voucher Codes. And of course there's also the Discount Codes 'n Vouchers board as well.

emmamed

sorry if this sounds nasty, but i finding it strange the OP hasnt been bk to comment on these posts which could help her

Lugh_Chronain

Do bear in mind emmamed, the OP has four children to look after and a disabled husband. May be why she hasn't returned to this thread.

It's also worth pointing out that other people in the same or similar situation may also be reading this thread, something we tend to forget from time to time, 2560 people have viewed this at time of writing.

emmamed

i am sure if i was the OP and wanting help with the topic i would have checked bk to see what ppl have said/advised, and the OP has been online since posdting this. i have 5 children, husband, 2 cats, 1 dog, tank full of fish and myself to look after, and still could manage 5mins ,to check for help if i was needing it.