Please help me save!

Lilypie_2

Hello savvy shoppers and savers,

I've had a look at your grocery challenges and read some threads. I don't know how you guys do it!
In my household we have me, my partner and a 9 months old baby that eats what we eat. On average, we spend £110 on food, drinks, cleaning and household items and nappies a week.
we're moving to a house that needs a lot of updating and want to get married next year. Also ashamed to say that we're using all our savings to get this house (buying without mortgage but need to borrow money to do it up) and so have no saved ANYTHING in little one's account. Infact, we haven't even opened one yet!

Our total bills are £600/month. We earn about £1700 (so £1100 left for shopping, food etc).

For example, this is not a full list of all what we need for this weeks shoppings and its already a whopping £76.85 (without delivery costs).

Could you have a look and see where we can cut? I don't think we're very indulgant in our shopping..feel free to disagree though!

1 Tesco Sugarsnaps 180G £1.50
2 Quorn Sausages 336G £3.36
2 Tesco Value Crunchy Peanut Butter 340G £1.04
1 Tesco 2 Organic Salmon Fillets £4.14
2 Tesco Value Chopped Tomatoes 400G £0.66
1 Tesco Organic Unwaxed Lemons £1.40
1 Tesco Organic Apple Bag Ft £2.00
2 Pink Grapefruit Each £1.00
1 Tesco Organic Whole Milk 568Ml. £0.58
1 Tesco Organic Ripe And Ready Pear 4Pk £2.00
2 Tesco Sieved Tomatoes Passata 500G £0.58
1 Amoy Udon Noodles 300G £1.38
1 Rowse Easy Squeezy Pure Natural Honey 340G £2.00
1 Laughing Cow Extra Light Cheese 8 Portions 140G£0.80
1 Wholefoods Walnuts 200G £1.79
1 Tesco Half Fat White Mature Cheese 250G £1.82
1 Tesco Finest* Free Range Corn Fed Whole Chicken 1-2.95Kg £6.87
1 Tesco Wholefood Mung Beans 500G £1.25
1 Tesco Cous Cous 500G £0.59
1 Tesco Chick Peas 500G £0.78
1 Braeburn Apple Pack £1.75
1 Tesco Organic Kiwi Fruit Pack £1.20
1 Tesco Organic Cauliflower Class 2 £1.65
2 Batchelors Super Noodles 98% Fat Free Sweet Thai Chilli 85G £1.38
1 Tesco Italian Original Breadsticks 125G £0.55
1 Maris Piper Potatoes 2.5Kg Pack £1.74
2 Tesco Light Choices Baked Beans 420G £0.74
1 Tesco Organic Fresh Beetroot £1.00
1 Wheatfield Baker Multiseed Farmhouse Soft Batch 800G £0.99
1 Spring Force Toilet Tissue 9 Roll £1.99
1 T.Organic Prawns 200G £3.00
2 Farm Pride Free Range Eggs Box Of 6 £1.78
1 Tesco Vegetable Stir Fry 400G £1.00
1 Hovis Nimble Wholemeal Sliced Loaf 400G £0.66
1 Tesco Organic Oranges Pack £1.90
1 Light Choices Vegetarian Fat Free Natural Bio Yogurt 500G £0.90
3 Muller Light Vanilla And Chocolate Yogurt 165G £1.83
1 Tesco Rice Noodles 375G £1.00
1 Alpen Light Summer Fruits Bars 5Pk 105G £1.79
1 Brioche Pasquier 6 Pains Au Chocolat £1.69
1 Tesco Sliced Spring Greens 200G £1.00
1 Tesco Organic Cherry Tomatoes 250G £1.40
1 Red Onions Pack £1.20
1 Aubergine Each £0.67 £
1 Tesco Farmhouse Extra Mature Cheddar 240G £2.35
1 Tesco Organic Celery £1.20
1 Tesco Light Choices Cottage Cheese Natural 600G £1.47
1 Tesco Organic Chestnut Mushrooms 200G £0.88
1 Highland Spring Still Water 6 X 1.5 Ltrs £3.09
1 Parioli Penne 500G £1.19
1 Parioli Fusilli 500G £1.19
2 Tesco Organic Fair Trade Bananas £3.10
2 Muller Light Cherry Yogurt 175G £1.22
3 Muller Light Limited Edition Yogurt 165G £1.83
2 Muller Light Toffee Yogurt 175G £1.22


Thank you! PS: have tried comparing supermarkets but it wouldn't compare on stores own brands so felt it wasn't much use for me.

santer_2

This will let you compare the quality of own brands, so maybe you could find cheaper but similar quality items

http://www.supermarketownbrandguide.co.uk/search.php?table=all

If you tick the shops you have near enough, tick the tasting notes and any dietary requirements, then set the score to at least 8+ then enter the search item

Gillyx

For a start the Muller Lights are so expensive. That's £6 for 10 yoghurts. Why not try and bulk buy these when on offer, they are nearly always on offer somewhere £10 for £3 or sometimes even £2. They normally have great use by dates too so you can bulk buy.

Veg too, is there anyway of buying frozen? Could save you a bit, or even going to the local greengrocers, for veg and fruit, I think you'd save a packet.

dlusman

I have never understood why anyone would pay good money for bottled water.

Birdy12

Lilypie wrote: »

2 Tesco Organic Fair Trade Bananas £3.10

Without trying to sound like I'm on the attack, did you really pay £3.10 for 2 bananas?

Edit - I admire your stance on buying organic, however, I think you know that the amount you spend would decrease by quite a bit if you went for non-organic produce instead. Do you buy organic because of your child or because you prefer it?

Lilypie_2

santer wrote: »

This will let you compare the quality of own brands, so maybe you could find cheaper but similar quality items


If you tick the shops you have near enough, tick the tasting notes and any dietary requirements, then set the score to at least 8+ then enter the search item

Thanks thats a fab website!!

Lilypie_2

Gillyx wrote: »

For a start the Muller Lights are so expensive. That's £6 for 10 yoghurts. Why not try and bulk buy these when on offer, they are nearly always on offer somewhere £10 for £3 or sometimes even £2. They normally have great use by dates too so you can bulk buy.

Veg too, is there anyway of buying frozen? Could save you a bit, or even going to the local greengrocers, for veg and fruit, I think you'd save a packet.

They're 10 for £3 I don't why the silly list isn't showing that!!
My green grocers charges the same or more for fruits and vegs :eek:

Lilypie_2

dlusman wrote: »

I have never understood why anyone would pay good money for bottled water.

I live in london and water is so disgusting.. it tastes awful! lots of limescale on the tap as well..yuck!

Lilypie_2

Birdy12 wrote: »

Without trying to sound like I'm on the attack, did you really pay £3.10 for 2 bananas?

They're 2 bunches of bananas, not literally just 2 bananas hahaha im not that much of a mug

richardw

Why organic fruit and veg?

There's Tesco Value honey instead of Rowse.

There's Tesco Muesli bars instead of Alpen.

Other places have egg noodles 6 portions for 99p instead of Amoy.

Birdy12

Thank God for that!