How much realistically for 2 adults

Fire_Fox

ITGuy1 wrote: »

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the input.

To address a couple of things, I don't mind doing the shopping or the cooking, as long as I am left alone to do it. I do also like cooking and do cook from scratch. We don't always have time. One of the healthiest things I have enjoyed cooking is Curry Queens curry, modified to our tastes and that's pretty damn good

I do realise food isn't cheap but im sure we could modify it down a little bit. I think £50 - 60 a week should be doable. That includes washing tablets etc.

I would be happy to do a shopping list but my wife refuses

Edited to add that we don't need to cut back, just I think we are spending a little to much on it when it could be spent on other things.

I doubt you could get it that low without feeding your cats utter rubbish (which you might actually be anyway, read the ingredients and realise a feline is an obligate carnivore) AND home cooking consistently AND your wife being way less fussy.

First start purchasing pet care online in bulk - you will get far higher quality food (= higher meat content) and litter for the same price or less. If it's a higher meat content the serving size is smaller, there is less poop and potentially healthier cats - grains in cat food rot their teeth aside from the risk of diabetes and other nasties. Secondly buy a slow cooker - home cooked meal that will do several days prepped literally in five minutes. Thirdly take a really honest look at waste, consider writing down EVERY scrap you bin for a couple of weeks.

shegirl

Fire_Fox wrote: »

I doubt you could get it that low without feeding your cats utter rubbish (which you might actually be anyway, read the ingredients and realise a feline is an obligate carnivore) AND home cooking consistently AND your wife being way less fussy.

First start purchasing pet care online in bulk - you will get far higher quality food (= higher meat content) and litter for the same price or less. If it's a higher meat content the serving size is smaller, there is less poop and potentially healthier cats - grains in cat food rot their teeth aside from the risk of diabetes and other nasties. Secondly buy a slow cooker - home cooked meal that will do several days prepped literally in five minutes. Thirdly take a really honest look at waste, consider writing down EVERY scrap you bin for a couple of weeks.

Welcome back We wondering were you were a while back!

cannyscot_2

By meal planning and thinking ahead about alchol and snacks you will spend half what you would normally and eat so much better. Due to MSE we have totally changed our spending and you realise that eating well has nothing to do with going to waitrose/buying organic at wholefoods etc but all about planning to ensure that you eat a balanced diet which aims for at least 7 portions of friut and veg a day -if not more-automatically it cuts down your snacks-because you are not hungry and cuts down meat -because your focus becomes getting veg into a meal. We eat amazingly well now-I thought we did well before but for 4 of us we can eat organic meat-ok reduced organic meat/ 3 course dinners etc and still be under £200 a month- plus we have a dog who now eats v v well- probably better than most people. It takes a bit of work to start- I read all the threads -read everything and reduced all the stuff that does not matter-washing stuff, soap,toilet roll, toiletries etc and then built up to full meals from scratch with home made snacks etc . Now I do 3 hours at the beginning of the month and it saves me so much time.

e. 7kg organic turkey- 10meals / meals for the dog / fantastic soup- 4 roast dinners -all sliced and packed in the freezer -saving so much time!

Husband and children love their food , particularly expensive seafood and they say they all say how come we get better food now!

More money in the bank! less waste! so much greener! Children who eat well and happily sit round the dinner table talking and laughing! don't make excuses just do it!..... and I have still so much to learn it can only get better!

shellfaux

Omg i dont know were too turn,
12months ago i have had radiotheropy for overactive tyroids,my weight at the time was 10st 6,a few weeks after haveing this treatment the weight pilled on,12months on im on a medication called tyroxine and weigh 13st im just beside my self how can i lose it doctors dident tell me i would gain so much tried all kinds of diets and exersise but because of my condition i get very tired and not much energy any ideas ladies or gents would be gratefull as i feil trapped due to medication look forward to hearing some ideas xxxxxx:(:(:(:(

gailey_2

Ok im going to sound insane contradiction here.

our budget is £250-£300

we occasionally go over.

we family of 5 2adults, 3kids and 1hamster.

have to go pets at home for hamster stuff-costs minimal

we shop around between

large saisburys our nearest
morrsions
co-op for reductions
aldis/lids.
online order with discount codes ocado/waitrose
milkman some milk
butcher
Noticed 2012 was getting harder even value is rising.even basic/value lines.

I guess we could go 50quid a week but it be hard.
payday 25th we live like kings 1st 2weeks then week before payday can be dire we live off storecupboards.

I keep store cupboards well stocked with essential staples
we dont eat much processed foods i cook from scratch.
we buy free range poultry and eggs.
we shop sundays, bank holidays and eveninigs for reductions.
I batch cook and freeze have large chest freezer also eat lots frozen veg.

£250-300 includes 11packed lunches per week
household/toilitries
nappies.

But really wish we had £400 budegt as could eat better,

week before last spent £85 ocado got £20 off so lots free meat

so typical meals were

organic chciken legs roasted with chips
fish fingers/chips-kids ditto
organic mince for lasagane dident realise picked pork really should wear glasses but was nice.
free range thighs-chicken casserole and rice
jacket potatoes cheese and ham.

free range chicken to make roast.

but yesterday were out of lot of stuff so spent £72 and felt guilty and brought kids some fruit normally buy apples/oranges and bananas as they cheapest.

but brought berries blueberries, grapes and rasberries as were reasonable but cost leats fiver combined.kids love them.
brought big 5k bag potatoes.
only meat was 1 chicken and ham
no booze or nappies

so even lids cost do have 10cartons passata, 12pints milk and yogurts,sugar/cofffee.

My point is people cut their cloth to fit.
most outgoings fixed and only foods variable.
cars failed mot and eldest birthday so being more frugal on food and might have to be for next few months until we on even keel again:(.
food expenditure can easily get out of control.
I hate being wasteful but do wish we had bigger budget and that dident stress every time at till wondering how much it was as aimed to spend 50 in lidls and went over.

we do average £70 a week over course of month
tried monthly shops doesnt work for us.

so no trying to do weekly or stretch out week and half.

somethings got to give and usually food.

aeb_2

Edwardia wrote: »

I read this and despair. Is a new handbag really more important than eating good food not rubbish ?

I have diabetes so I would never say I'm lucky, but it certainly taught me that the old adage 'You are what you eat' is true, when I watched my cholesterol, blood pressure, liver enzymes, blood glucose etc normalise just by cutting down on carbs and going organic.

We were pretty broke 1994-1999 and although we cooked from scratch and had an allotment, we ate soya mince 5 nights a week and bulked out meals with pasta, rice and potatoes. I stacked weight on, going from size 14 to eventually size 22. I was diagosed with diabetes in 2007, went low carb in 2010 and organic last year. I'm now down to size 12 without doing any actual dieting.

So when I see people boasting about how little they spend on food and deluding themselves that a diet full of processed food and stuff from animals reared on GM food is healthy, I do wonder what they will be like after 20 years on that kind of diet.

Are handbags worth getting diabetes ?

Well done for the weight loss.

I was size 12, I cook from scratch and have an allotment including chickens and two goats. During the much of the year I don't buy much apart from carbs (rice, pasta, flour) I'm 5' 7" and have gone down to size 6, size 8 on a good day, and I'm desperately trying to put a bit on. I suffer from low blood pressure. I suppose it shows we are all different.

OP - The only advice I can offer is that I rarely shop at a supermarket. I find the local shops work out cheaper for me. I shop everyday when doing the school run so no petrol cost. When the car needs filling up I combine journeys and included a visit to the £ shop for non-edibles. (I refuse to buy cling film, kitchen roll, tissues, nappies, etc for health and environmental reason but that's another story)

jpsartre

We're two adults (and two cats) as well and we're well above £400 for most months so I wouldn't say £400 is crazy. I'm in charge of shopping (with input from the wife of course) and we buy pretty much what we want though I do go out of my way to think ahead and pick up things on offer for the cupboard or the freezer.

blueybug

Well I'm on my 3rd month of meal planning and discount food shopping.

Again January 1st to 31st cost a total of 230.00 (sad I saved the recipts)
Includes
breakfast
lunch/pick up
dinner
drinks - water/tea bags etc
cleaning products/washing products/loo rolls etc etc

Cat food
other bits that I need like I brought a new towel! Wooo Hoo!

this is for 2 adults and 2 cats.

I buy good food, mostly home make it but I buy a lot of deals and freeze them.
It can live on that amount easy inc treats.

Take away are nice but making it makes it cost less and sometimes tastes better.

mm123

We are a family of 2 adults and 2 children and spend on average 300-350 a month. As many have already voiced on this site it depends on what you want to eat. I would love to save more but it too hard, ill put in prespective an average meal spend on a prisoner in jail is 2.10 thats about £60 odd a month so spending about £75 per person in my house seems ok..