average bill for a family of 4......is?

lola34

Quote "I can see us eating a lot of campbells soups, shreddies and sacla sauces over the winter months!"

The Campbells - I think is the condensed soup is only 50p a tin in Asda at the minute- I've been stocking up ready for the winter as its usually about 74p;)

Clowance

We got it down to about £400 a month for 2 adults and 2 teens eating well; but this year despite best efforts gone back up to £450 or so due to increased prices. So I think OP doing pretty well, I think it depends on what you are happy to eat. I aim for an average price per portion of meat for dinner of £1, sometimes its cheaper (sausages); sometimes dearer (occasional steak). I could cut back a bit more but not feeling brilliant so too tired after work to make stock from chicken bones etc like I used to.

valk_scot

£70 per week for two adults, one prop forward sized teenage boy and a 10 year old girl that can eat more than her dad. Plus two fussy cats (Whiskas & One only) and all the cleaning materials, packed lunches etc. I do have an allotment but that only covers our veg in the summer and even then I still have to buy most fruit.

Few basic guidelines though...

I only make one meal and though I do take into account genuine dislikes like Hubby and liver, I don't do fussy. There will always be at least half of it that Fussy Person Of Day will eat though and there's always bread, cereal and fruit to fill up gaps.

I don't buy much junk. Coke, biscuits, cakes, crisp, wee "lunchbox" snack things get left in the supermarket...I'll buy maybe a bottle of coke and a six pack of crisps once a week as a treat, but they're not regular buys.

I do keep snack food like bread and peanut butter or jam, cereal, fruit and soup availible for starving hungry kids after school. Drinks are milk, Value fruit juice and soda, tap water.

I'm in charge of all the menu planning, shopping & cooking. DS is a good cook (and thrifty shopper) but he'll always consult with me first if he wants to make a meal.

I firmly belive in the 1:1:2 system of filling a plate, or across the meal. Think of it as a dinner plate...1/4 should be the meaty/protein bit, 1/4 carbs, 1/2 veg. If you have two courses it should balance across the meal ie don't have two stodgy courses. Vegetables are still a lot cheaper than most other foods so we always have two types. Even in winter frozen peas, carrots, tinned sweetcorn and leafy greens are cheap, healthy and filling.

I do the processing, not the supermarket. I can cut up a whole chicken just as well as a factory worker and I get the bones for soup and scraps for the cats, as well as the meaty bits that I would have paid twice as much for pre-portioned. Same goes for grating cheese, making soup or tomato sauce for pastas, pizza, cakes and pudding type things. Don't pay the supermarket to do things for you.

The drop a brand scheme does work well btw. It's worth experimenting. I'm fine with value tinned tomatoes, jaffa cakes (!), flour, supermarket own brand t-bags, rice and pasta, ketchup...your opinions may vary but it's not worth automatically buying branded goods.

As for lunches my kids take packed lunches (filled rolls, fruit, bit of home baking, juice) and hubby and I have freezer type ready meals...by which I mean I freeze any single left over portions of dinners in carry out containers and we heat them up for lunches. it cuts down on a lot of wastage.


Actually, you should get over to the Old Style forum here. We're a thrifty lot and do the above sorts of things all the time. Very educational!

vintagebrighton

2 adults, 2 cats and one 16 yr old boy here and spend £300 pm. Don't think thats a lot cos it includes all household cleaners, loo rolls, washing powder etc. Do a monthly shop online with whichever supermarket is cheapest for the basics although we use recycled loo rolls etc and eco products. I have eczema and asthma so we have to be careful. Also OH is a meat eater, I'm vegetarian and DS is a vegan so we generally eat veggie and cook everything from scratch. One thing we haven't given up is our wine............ we have at least 4 bottles of red a week between us. Has to be checked though cos mostly it isn't vegetarian so can't always buy the cheapest! I think there's room to cut back a bit but don't feel inclined to (yet)

Miss_Laid

There is just the 2 of us and a cat and I spend well over £100 each week not sure how I could do it for less, as I am a very fussy eater

BOBS

We spend on average £110 per week on groceries for 5 of us (me, DH, DD 12,DD 10, DS 7) but that includes all our food/meat, toiletries and cleaning bits and bobs and the odd bottle of wine - the only thing I buy during the week is milk and the odd loaf. We eat all meals at home plus everyone takes a packed lunch to work/school. I thought it was a lot until I worked out that is for two adults and 3 growing children (plus mindees lunches and snacks as i childmind). Averaged out is £110 / 7 days / 5 people is £3.14 per person per day and thats not allowing for what mindees consume!

itsallinthemind

Totally side tracking here, but I think the reaction to 'fussy' eaters is not good. Food is not just about fuel, but olfactory and sensory enjoyment. My two children have had the same things put in front of them, in the same manner. First born is not a lover of meats bar chicken, hates wet food. Second eats anything and everything in sight, with obsession, but hates cauliflower.

I will eat anything but like my food to be fairly separate on the plate and hate wet gravy over a roast dinner, I can't stomach veg and potatoes that have become soggy.

Whilst I do not create different meals for each of us, I do incorporate our preferences into one meal or offer different preferences in the way the meal is put together. I remember eating mashed potato, fake, no butter or milk, at school and being forced to eat it,with no water refills allowed. It used to stick like glue and was distressing for a young child.

I spend not one more penny on food or fuel accommodating our different preferences and the time factor is negligible.
I

itsallinthemind

Totally side tracking here, but I think the reaction to 'fussy' eaters is not good. Food is not just about fuel, but olfactory and sensory enjoyment. My two children have had the same things put in front of them, in the same manner. First born is not a lover of meats bar chicken, hates wet food. Second eats anything and everything in sight, with obsession, but hates cauliflower.

I will eat anything but like my food to be fairly separate on the plate and hate wet gravy over a roast dinner, I can't stomach veg and potatoes that have become soggy.

Whilst I do not create different meals for each of us, I do incorporate our preferences into one meal or offer different preferences in the way the meal is put together. I remember eating mashed potato, fake, no butter or milk, at school and being forced to eat it,with no water refills allowed. It used to stick like glue and was distressing for a young child.

I spend not one more penny on food or fuel accommodating our different preferences and the time factor is negligible.
I

julietiff

5 of us, hubby, me, daughter 13 and sons 21, 18 and 3 dogs.
Milk is bought at Costco 2- 4 pints is only £1.49
Butchers dog food -costco 24 tins for £10.00
Toilet rolls -costco 40 for £10.00 ish
2.2kg chicken breasts- costco- £11.29

As you can see we use Costco on a monthy basis and
it saves us a lot.

scarletx

do you have to join costco?