Shopping-Monthly vs Weekly or daily (merged)

FelinePrincess

I tend to get little bits when we need them. There are only 2 of us and I get some stuff in bulk from a wholefood catalougue, I have local pork and beef in the freezer and get veg from my parents farm so just call in tescos or morrisons when I need something particular.

Mice_Elf

I was just shopping as & when, but this worked out really expensive, plus I'd end up with more food than we could eat. I'm now meal-planning & haven't done a big food shop yet this year. Hoo-rah! Instead, I'm using up what's been in the freezer all along.
As we are trying to cut costs, when I need to buy anything I will go to Iceland / Aldi & then top up from Morrisons for anything I can't get in Iceland / Aldi (OH's razor blades, Pampers Nappies for Nappy Cakes etc). Occasionally I'll go to St Neots market to top up on fruit & veg. If you go just before or just as they are packing up, they pretty much chuck the stuff at you & I usually end up with double what I needed for the same price.
A small tip that doesn't work every time, but I tend to book grocery deliveries for the last time slot. I've done this 5 times so far & on 3 of those occasions, because I was the last delivery I got everything left in the van. Have ended up with all sorts of bits & pieces this way.

mummyroysof3

i have been trying a new system this month and so far its working well

A tesco delivery roughly every 10 days then bread, milk and maybe a few other bits i get from farmfoods/netto on the school run, its only working though as i am meal planning and thinking ahead. if im not sure if we will run out of something in the 10 days then i will order it anyway as it will get used and will save me getting it if we do run out, its saved me both in money and effort. DH can sometimes cause a problem when he doesnt want what ive planned but mostly i ask him what he wants by giving him a cople of choices which i fancy/can be bothered to cook lol

uolypool

I have been online shopping fortnightly and then have a "fresh and whoopsies budget " weekly, however my online shop is lasting us anything upto 3 weeks now .We have a huge tesco, coop waitrose and lidls near us oh and a rainbow which i believe is connected to coop. By doing online shopping and a small weekly amount I have managed to get my shopping down to just over 300 pound (for 4 weeks) for 6 of us where it use to be anything from £400 to £450 for the same period of time , thanks to this fab website:T

zippychick

this thread discusses peoples shopping habits. I shop as required (every couple of weeks) and only with lists! Else you get distracted. I do incorporate whoopsies where practical/possible. I go shopping on my pushbike and wheel it all home (or cycle it home)

Ill merge this later

Zip

lambanana

I get a weekly organic veg box delivery then during the week go to the supermarket in my lunchbreak or after work for bread/milk/cheese/meat as I need it which is good, I can't overspend or buy too much because I have to carry it. I do go to HB/Costco/B&M and similar every so often to stock up on things that are cheaper there and toilet roll/washing powder etc. I do my best not to overspend but prices have gone up so much I've still had to adjust my shopping budget accordingly. I'm now trying to go with my veg box cost plus £20 to cover everything else per week which seems to be working.

viv0147

I have built up quite a large stock in the cupboards and the freezer, if I see a bargain and its something I use I will buy quite a few. I recently started meal planning it's my 3rd week this week and its been brilliant, I make a menu to cover two weeks and then shop to suit the menu! So basically I have only had to buy my fresh fruit and vegetables and milk. I make my own bread so at the moment I am eating like a king and spending about £15 a week plus the cost of any really good bargains. I check online before going shopping and if necessary I will visit Lidl, Morrisons,Sainsburys, Tesco,Aldi, I have them all within 3 miles of me, I have the time now since retirement so it's no hardship to go to each store just to pick up an offer. I travel by bus using my bus pass so no cost there! So it may be sad to say but I treat it as an adventure I do my planning online and then its away to go for bargains galore. I am a happy shopper

minerva_windsong

When I was a student I ordered a big weekly shop delivered every couple of weeks from Asda, and then topped up about once or twice a week with bread, milk etc from the Co-op round the corner. I'd have rather gone to the shop myself as then I could have picked things with longer dates and stuff, but the Asda was 45 minutes' bus ride away (and still the nearest big supermarket) and it would amount to a whole day just to shop so wasn't worth it.

Once I move to London I'll be 10 minutes away from a big Tesco so will probably shop for the week there and then do top-ups as and when necessary. Not sure how well that'll go down with my 'buy when things are needed' boyfriend, but we'll see...

merlin68

I have milk and eggs from the milkman 3 times a week, a monthly meat box from well hung meat, then i get a weekly order from goodness direct which includes a fruit and veg box and anything else from the farm shop down the road.

mrsb83_2

I go to Tesco every Tuesday night. On my way there now!

I also do a shop at Lidl every month or so to stock up on certain things.

I meal plan so I need to go every week. Because I have a list it only takes me 30 minutes.