Shopping-Monthly vs Weekly or daily (merged)

Burlesque_Babe

I've previously been a (very!) frequent user of the supermarket, but I've now been able to get it down to once a week. :T

I've set myself a very very tough budget this month and wondered about trying to do a monthly shop, have it delivered by Tesco, and use the £15 off £100 shop code. :T

I've sat and worked out everything I need for the month food/toiletries/cleaning stuff wise and other than fresh fruit after the first week, it comes in at a shade over £120, which is my monthly budget !! :beer:

I was wondering who else did a monthly shop- does it work? Or do you find yourself finding bits you've forgotten, stuff you've run out of and still end up going every week for a few bits?? :rolleyes:

tootles_2

Yes I have always done monthly shops for basics, very rarely have to go in the middle of the month. I do shop for fruit and veg om a fortnightly basis from the market.

I find a monthly menu planner is essential if you are going to do this, I print off the microsoft works Calander and plan the dishes for each day....and I have a shopping list on the computer, I print it off each month and fill in what I need having first gone through the cupboard to see if I can squeeze an extra couple of days from whats in the store cupboard and freezer.

We do not stick rigidly to the menu's but switch them round to suit.

wigginsmum

On payday we go to Costco and buy 200 tins of cat food and bulk packs of meat for the freezer which I divide up. We then do a shop at Sainsburys or Lidl to get non-fresh stuff for the month, and buy perishables weekly from the market.

Burlesque_Babe

I am very tempted.....I do a meal planner and put it on the fridge, and I've used my Tesco 'Favourites ' list to compile the shopping I've got stored in my basket at the moment.

i might be able to cut a few bits out, as I've got enough meat until next Friday I think, so that would be 24 dinners until the end of July....the meat would need to go in my OH's freezer, but that wouldn't be a problem as it's never got anything in it anyway (well, apart from about a dozen packets of beef in gravy!!!!!!:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: )

It would just be fruit and veg. We don' have a market where I live, so I'd need to use the supermarket for the fruit/veg each week......I reckon though I can still hit my budget target if i'm very very careful.......hhmm...think I might experiment this month and see how I get on!

dolly_day_dream

I always get Mr T to deliver to me once a month with all of the things that will last that long. Saves me a lot of heavy carrying (no car) I go to the market for my fruit and veg and then buy milk and cheese on a weekly basis. I know that cheese and milk will freeze but just not enough freezer space. It works well for us and I have been able to slowly reduce the amount that I buy. It used to be £100 + for 3 of us and is now £75. Try it and see what happens.

black-saturn

I do a monthly shop of about £38 for 3 people and then go to the supermarket inbetween for things like bread, milk and fruit and vegetables.

Burlesque_Babe

Well, the order is placed! Delivery is next Thursday evening and came in at £109 including delivery and with the £15 off code used. I'll update my sig when it arrives and see how the month goes!

£109 - I used to spend more than that in a week in the bad old pre MSE days!

Littlemiss-lotsofdebt

I do a "big" shop just after payday after I have planned my meals for the month and this generally costs around £60. I then allocate £10 per week until payday for "top up shopping" which usually consists of salad, potatoes, milk and bread, as we only tend to eat frozen veg and very rarely eat fruit as OH has a phobia about it :rolleyes:

I find it works for me because if I shop weekly, I will spend far more, easily £60 plus per week and TBH I just don't have the time to shop weekly anymore.

madison's_mum

Hi,

I currently do a "big shop" once a month straight after payday. Usually by the week before payday we end up with loads of bits in the freezer & cupboard & no fresh stuff (yogurts fruit etc) plus we go to the shop to get bread, milk aswell. The budget is supposed to be £200 for 2 adults a 3 year old & rabbit but we always spend more on bits & bobs so it's probably coming in nearer to £250.
I think we are spending too much on food & think we could probably spend less if i do a meal planner for a couple of weeks at a time & go shopping once a week for the stuff we actually need.
I was hoping someone would be able let me know whether this is likely to work & what a realistic budget should be.
We all have packed lunches everyday & DD eats enough for about two! & me & OH could do with losing some weight.

Any advice gratefully received.

lil_me

I find it easier to go when needed. Monthly I over bought, they over ate until was running low Fresh stuff just didn't last the month so did weekly and monthly shops really. I have set aside an amount each month since I started on here, work from meal plans and shop when I need to from that budget (usually every 10 days online if I can as helps resist temptation and can check what I have in easier instead of oh I might need that!) milk delivered, fruit and veg delivered weekly, have to get bread from shop in between until my breadmaker arrives

Meal plans will help you use up what's overstocked first, check what you have in, maybe list cupboard, fridge and freezer, work out meals which need as little as possible adding that you will have to buy.

I started this when I was spending between £600 and £800 a month on groceries for 2 adults, 2 kids (inc packed lunches for DP and kids) and a dog. Now have a puppy added to that and managed £300 in December and looking for doing £260 this month. My seem pretty high still but it's less than half what I used to spend.

Good luck

TKP_3

I need to be organised to get this to work for me - I know what is in my cupboards (been through them), and have lists of what is in my freezers.
I meal plan for 2 weeks, and whilst I am writing the plan I write what I will need on my shopping list. I go to the supermarket every 2 weeks (or have it delivered - depends on my mood )
Meat comes from the butcher and is done weekly (whatever meat I need that week), fruit and veges are done at the farm shop weekly as well.
I don't seem to need to shop in between (which stops impulse buying), as everything is planned and available when I need it. I have managed to cut our grocery bills from £260pm to £170pm so far.