How much should we be spending ?

kippers

Gingermillie wrote: »

Yeah, my comment was £60 per adult per month. I wish I could do £60 for all of us but I'm not that good!

LOL:TI thought you were doing amazing and wanted to know your secret..(it was too early for me this am i think)

interested_81

troll35 wrote: »

Interested 81 where do you normally do your shopping and what sort of foods do you provide for your family? (do you cook from scratch or do you buy ready made things?). Do you have to make lunchboxes for the children?

Hi there i normally shop in tesco's but buy there most of the tesco brand products also shop in Iceland and lidi yes i have five lunchboxes too make up !

interested_81

So just an update went too tesco on sat with a view too cutting down the shopping till what i needed and spent £59 which was mostly food i bought washing up liquid which was on offer two for a pound which will last 3 wks but i know today i will need too go today and stock up the freezer too see us through till the end off the wk plus i think we are going through too much milk we are using 4litres a day ? So i really think i should start too plan out my meals but with 3 kids who won't eat onions , mushrooms ,peas they do eat carrots and broccoli though ! Im really not a big meat person and the kids arent all that found off mince meat they do eat chicken and fish alot !
But thanks everyone for ur help and kind replys !

interested_81

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

Its a bit difficult to give an exact figure as once yu are up and running it becomes a running total, so one week I might need to buy olive oil, but may not buy it again for months. Or one week may need nappies, then none the next as I got a big pack.

I also look for stuff marked down and freeze to include in meal plans for another week, or some weeks kids eat more or even less than expected.

However this week i spent £50 ish in Aldi and £12 in Morrisons for all 6 of us, we do have chickens and cats but tend to bulk buy their food once of month or even longer. Also during summer I try to grow alot in the garden so we spend less on veggies/salads.

I find its actually easier to feed a bigger family as you can bulk cook and in stews/sauces/soups meat can stretch a long way or not be missed and we forage stuff when we can. Then again i am full time at home so it is much easier, so i live in casual clothes and wellies alot of the time. Never put makeup on-had to borrow some lipgloss from my 9 yr old last time we went out rofl.

I would say most weeks the spend is under £60 for all of us, sometimes less sometimes a bit more so under £250 a month for all 6 of us plus chooks/cats/hamstser.

I could trim that a little bit and go to i reckon say £40 a week at at push.

i reckon £120 a week is a bit high even for a big family. Best bet is to cut a bit each week, by better planning, avoiding waste, doing more cooking from scratch, changing brands and finally looking at what are REALLY essential items, and what are WANTED items. One you need to buy ie milk, bread (or ingredients to make), basic food ingredients the others you can live without ie.hairspray, hair dye, makeup,branded products, ready meals or baked goods-so easy to make lovely tasty treats for very little.

At the end of the da your budget will dictate how far you need to go. EG. I was a veggie when younger so I cut down my meat in meals and sometimes give mine to the kids/oh, or do a veggie dish for all of us, I don't wear makeup and my hair just gets washed and brushed into a ponytail.

Ali x

My goodness £250 a month? I really need too start looking at where im going wrong !

paulmapp8306

Me too

It doesnt help im in NI where costs are roughyl 15-20% higher than the mainland - or that the kids eat early and me and the wife later (I get home 5 ish, and the kids are already having T, as there in bed for 6.23 to 7).

But - we still spend between £130 and £170 per week for 2 adults and 2 kids. That includes all household stuff mind, but still.

No Aldi/Liddl within reach so its Tescos. We do meal plan, do cook most things from scratch (less so for kids) - we do bulk buy and freeze, and also make bigger means and freeze half for another day. Still

paulmapp8306

interested_81 wrote: »

So just an update went too tesco on sat with a view too cutting down the shopping till what i needed and spent £59 which was mostly food i bought washing up liquid which was on offer two for a pound which will last 3 wks but i know today i will need too go today and stock up the freezer too see us through till the end off the wk plus i think we are going through too much milk we are using 4litres a day ? So i really think i should start too plan out my meals but with 3 kids who won't eat onions , mushrooms ,peas they do eat carrots and broccoli though ! Im really not a big meat person and the kids arent all that found off mince meat they do eat chicken and fish alot !
But thanks everyone for ur help and kind replys !

mine wouldnt eat those things too - until they got hungry enough

interested_81

paulmapp8306 wrote: »

Me too

It doesnt help im in NI where costs are roughyl 15-20% higher than the mainland - or that the kids eat early and me and the wife later (I get home 5 ish, and the kids are already having T, as there in bed for 6.23 to 7).

But - we still spend between £130 and £170 per week for 2 adults and 2 kids. That includes all household stuff mind, but still.

No Aldi/Liddl within reach so its Tescos. We do meal plan, do cook most things from scratch (less so for kids) - we do bulk buy and freeze, and also make bigger means and freeze half for another day. Still

Snap im in northern Ireland too have too say there's seven off us we do manage on £135 weekly but still think we could save on this well that's what im trying too do

interested_81

paulmapp8306 wrote: »

mine wouldnt eat those things too - until they got hungry enough

Mmm might try and cut them up finely and hide them in the food whats the chances off them noticing ? lol

paulmapp8306

Purey them and add them to chilli/bolognaise sauces and the like

paulmapp8306

interested_81 wrote: »

Snap im in northern Ireland too have too say there's seven off us we do manage on £135 weekly but still think we could save on this well that's what im trying too do

Yeh. well we did well this week. Only cost £122 but included some household things, ingrediants for baking and some replacement items like oil and stuff.

i recon we should be able to get under £100 most weeks.

TBH if we could all eat together (we do at weekends) it wouldbe easier - and cheaper on elec to cook the stuff as well, but with kids bedtimes and my work times it doesnt seem possible. There not young, 8 and 6 but were not letting their bedtimes slip in schooltime (6yr goes at 6.30 and can have 1/2 hour music, 8yr at 7 with the same deal). As i said weekends are better as they go to bed at 8.