How much should 1 weeks groceries for a family of five cost?

nickj_2

we can spend £50 on a cheap week and 90- 100 on a bad week for a family of four ,

SeptemberBaby_2

MortgageMamma wrote: »

My Hubby says to tell you he's not being funny but he would eat that in a day let alone a week LOL

Lol, I think there lies your problem AND answer :rotfl:

PS: don't be tempted by poor old WhiteFace if the going gets too tough :eek: :rotfl:

MortgageMamma

Tam_Lin wrote: »

- Cauliflower and chickpea curry, with rice, cucumber and mint raita, and mango chutney (for 3)
-

I like the sound of this curry. Do you have a receipt or instructions how to make it?

thanks

MM

Tam_Lin

No - I'm just going to make it up as I go along. Fry a chopped onion and a few cloves of garlic in oil and put in the crockpot, chop a head of cauliflower into small florets, add a tin of drained and rinsed chickpeas and a tin of chopped tomatoes, add my mystery vegetable (see Unusual Vegetables and Fruit thread in this folder), and spices in the crockpot, and let it simmer away for a couple of hours. Might bung in some frozen chopped spinach. Will taste it as it goes and adjust accordingly. Towards the end, I'll chop a cucumber into chunks, mix a couple of teaspoons of mint sauce into some Greek yoghurt, and combine the two. Cook up some basmati rice, and serve. My impro meals usually turn out okay.

MortgageMamma

Well that sounds really good, I'd leave out the tomatos and go with the spinach and try and make it a creamier curry, more korma/passanda like if you know what I mean...

I always wondered how they make that lovely mint raita as well I'll have a go at that

Mmmmm my tummys rumbling now!

Thanks again

MM

Tam_Lin

You're welcome. I often put coconut milk or creamed coconut in curries, but won't with this one because of the raita. Might add some ground almonds though.

Penny-Pincher!!

superjaggybunnet wrote: »

If you are buying organic and free range you are kidding yourself if you are feeding three for £35 a week I reckon.

Either that or you are permanently hungry!

You reckon wrong then:p:D

PP
xx

mr218

hi mm

it is very easy to make raita. it is just diluted yoghurt (diluted to your taste). i prefer non diluted yoghurt. add finely chopped cucumber, tomatoes, red onions (or spring if you can take the taste) along with finely chopped mint. mix them all together. add a bit of salt to taste. if you fancy it add a pinch of chilli powder for extra heat and taste.

also, i second all the stuff that is said about cooking from scratch. if you feel that you are not a very good cook and need guidance, i would suggest going for the student cookbook series. it basically comes in vegetarian and regular editions. it has simple, easy to cook, fast everyday recipes and instructions on how to rustle up something quickly and cheaply. the recipes include soups, starters, curries, pies , desserts etc

maybe it is a good starting point for you. also if your husband has a big appetite, get more filling veggies (apart from potatoes) in the mix. that will make it very filling and healthy.


good luck

lynzpower

hi MM

When getting out of debt, I realised I had to stop these constant popping in and out of supermarkets ( particularly M&S :eek:) and took our food spend for 2 adults from 75-85 a week to 25 a week, including cleaning & toiletries. Even though im out of debt now, I still stick to this as I KNOW we eat well on this. We now have a dog with us, who costs us only a few pound a week, so I guess our food shopping itself has dropped

I tend to use tescos the most, its the nearest &* im a clubcard collector. However, I never bother with online as a) i do live 5 mins walk away b) you never get to see whats in the reduced cabinet if you order online.

The only things we buy that I dont make "from scratch" is packets of buiscuits & crisps, boxes of cereal and the odd veggie burger which we have on those "in a hurry" type meals. I wont eat any processed meat like frozen burgers, pizzas, premade sauces or Ready meals, 1) oH has high cholestrol and cant have them 2) they are a rip off 3) they are generally quite horrible. the only sauces I buy are chinese sauces, lthough im going to think about making these myself too. eg black bean. sweet & sour are easy from what Ive read. We have a breadmaker too.

I am a competent cook but I tihnk the key too good cooking first & foremost is confidence.

Lots of the things we have are similar to you
Fajitas/ enchiladas ( i use turkey not chicken its cheaper, and make my opwn sauce for these)
bangers & mash
chicken pies
roasts
steamed fish on spinach with mustard sauce ( easy just creme fraiche with mustard in heated up)
roasted veg
home made burgers, wedges etc
stews, spag bol chilli pastas
"easy teas" like bacon, sausages waffles beans type affiair, fish fingers & chips, veggie burgers etc, club sandwich & jacket pots etc

I dont eat value meat ( aside from the stewing steak as this is the fattiest & best for slow cooking) we eat 5 portions of F&V a day and we always have plenty of snacks we tend to buy our toiletries in poundshops, although supermarkets own shower gels are cheaper eg i bought one fom tescos today for 65p.

Id estimate that you could do a weekly shop for you and your family for around 65 a week - which is equivalent to spending 40 quid on the nippers food- I bet they dont eat that much- more than the adults

One tip is to look at your recipts from tescos. Anything that has a star next to it is a luxury item and vatted as such. Some things inevitably will creep in, but most of the stuff I buy now doesnt have that star ( aprt from the biscuits! )

HAng out over on OS more - youll pick up the tips my osmosis

MortgageMamma

Thanks Lynz I shop in tescos too so will look out for those stars

Will def be in OS quite a bit - I'm bored with the mortgage board now, too much sniping going on. I cleaned my house with vinegar this morning and was SO IMPRESSED with the results

I plan on saving as much as possible starting now - hopefully it will help me lose a little weight as well

I've just my last ever chicken kebab so it all starts Monday when I do my next shop!

MM x