Shopping-Monthly vs Weekly or daily (merged)

hollyh

Hi

I found i was spending way :eek: too much money on shopping so i made a menu planner for the whole month.

Then i did a big shop for every thing i needed for the month ( except milk fruit and veg ).

This has helped me so much and because i know exactly what i'm cooking each night there's none of the " there's nothing to eat lets get some chips" etc.

The budget you should find will come down over time.

Good luck

grannybroon

When kids were wee I used to do a huge monthly Asda shop with loads of binges and then wasted food. When got older did a weekly shop, buying crisps, chockie biscs and coke etc. Now they have left home we only shop when required and find we save so much but of course with DH retired we can afford the time. DD (with 2 young kids) tends to do a big shop weekly but finds she is still a bit wasteful with fresh veg etc - tends to overbuy. Think I will have to get her to meal plan but not always easy if you have a bad day with 2 under 4 and morning sickness, working etc!

Hope this helps.

GB

jcr16

for me i have tried so many different ways to see what is best. and the best is meal planning for 2 weeks and doing a 2 week shop. we are a family of 2 adults , 2 kids and 4 cats. and a 2 weekly shop i can do for about £60-£70. but a weekly shop used to be about £50-£55. because i was getting so tempted but other things . my prob is i love supermarkets. so the less i go the less i am tempted. a 2 week shop online is fab.

i am desperate to go and do a shop , but since we are on use up month i am not. i think i am having withdrawal symptoms.

lil_me

Yeah 2 weekly or close to it is about how mine works out, just looked through more recent orders.

Forgot meat comes from farm shop, usually go fortnightly (he's only open 2 days a week so stops me going more often) the meat will easily last a week in the fridge as it's so fresh, frozen for second week with meals made the first week and the likes of mince, sausages etc.

When the BM arrives I am going to up the milk order, I am using more but collecting when I get bread, but usually end up buyin something *extra* when I am there, this will reduce temptation

TKP_3

jcr16 wrote:

my prob is i love supermarkets. so the less i go the less i am tempted. a 2 week shop online is fab.

i am desperate to go and do a shop , but since we are on use up month i am not. i think i am having withdrawal symptoms.

I have the same thing! Everyone thinks I am mad (glad to hear I am not alone :j ), but I love shopping in supermarkets!
I try to shop online and have groceries delivered now and then (makes it even cheaper as I go through the trolley over and over and remove everything I really don't need), but it's not the same fix as going in person

amyandoli

i do a meal plan for the month ahead (gets stuck on the inside of my food cupboard so i dont lose it) and buy it all in (usually online).
then i pop to the village shop for milk (we love hot chocolates!) about 6 pints a week between 2 of us and fresh veg for the rabbits/guinea pig.
i spend about £100 a month online. we have 3 meals a day, packed lunch for oh, and i always bake cakes/biscuits. this figure will go down as i plan a veg patch this year and got that cheap tchibo dehydrator, plus im trying to cook my own bread, but its not quite working out...bricks! i also try and keep a freezer drawer free for bargains when i do pop to a supermarket (- its normally filled up with reduced bread to save buying in the village shop and veg/fruit) i make my own ready meals to save money and freeze them ahead, i buy fresh fruit/veg and slice it, freeze it myself, if the ovens on i'll bake a load of potatoes to freeze too, or pastry cases/freezable desserts. i also freeze leftovers in an ice cube tray and put them in labelled bags, you quickly get enough for a meal again. own brands are good too as long as the nutritional value isnt compromised for price. x

lil_me

Never thought of freezing baked potatoes, what a good idea, might try that, I tend to buy in just 2s as only me and little DS usually eat them but that way I can buy more & save £.

iceicebaby

I go monthly for things that will not perish, like washing powder, cleaning products, toiletries, tinnes stuff etc and weekly or every 4 or 5 days for fresh stuff liken fruit, veg bread and milk. I find going frequently for fresh stuff means u only buy what u really need according to your meal plans.

mrsmortenharket

I go monthly after pay day & get all the big stuff & anything that won't go off/I can freeze.

Will be going monday actually.

Then through the month I just buy fruit/veg/milk/bread.

I mean its not solid, I sometimes need a few extra bits but its brought my food bill down from approx £400 at least to closer to £200!

I also cook from scratch.
(apart from bread!)
Lisa

rach

i'm a little different as there's just me mostly (OH here 2 out of 3 weekends). i love supermarkets, find them relaxing!! (i go at quiet times!). i try and stick under £100 a month for food shopping, including household stuff - usually manage it, though OH coming down does up the cost as i buy more expensive stuff then, and get stuff for one meal particularly, which works out more! i try and just get the cash out each month, but adding it up on my sig cos of the grocery challenge helps and i can spend on my card then i just go when i feel the urge - usually when i'm low on fresh stuff! way i keep bills down is to do all but a 'main' shop in little sainsburys down the road - having to carry the bags back makes me more careful what i buy!!

mate was saying today she saves £20 a month (for 2) by shopping online.