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Ridiculous number of supermarket visits
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michelefauk
Posts: 448 Forumite


I did a bit of research on my bank account over the weekend as I am trying to see where any savings could be made. Checked my Debit card payments to Asda and was horrified. In 12 weeks I had spent £1063 (in reality was probably slightly more than this as I sometimes pay with cash which wouldn't show obviously, but not a huge amount) BUT what really shocked me was the number of transactions....42!
In 12 weeks, an average of 3 times a week. I also would have popped to the local corner shop for bits and bobs too (milk, bread) making the total even high, this struck me as such a waste of my time, petrol and as I hate shopping, I need to get this down. I work full time so these trips would have been evenings and weekends, eating into my precious time with my family.
How do I get organised so I am not constantly shopping? And running out of things?
In 12 weeks, an average of 3 times a week. I also would have popped to the local corner shop for bits and bobs too (milk, bread) making the total even high, this struck me as such a waste of my time, petrol and as I hate shopping, I need to get this down. I work full time so these trips would have been evenings and weekends, eating into my precious time with my family.
How do I get organised so I am not constantly shopping? And running out of things?
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It seems to simple an answer but you've really got to start writing things down and making lists of what you need.Liverpool is one of the wonders of Britain,
What it may grow to in time, I know not what.
Daniel Defoe: 1725.
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maybe do anonline shop it might work better for you ,sit down write a meal plan for the whole month and just buy what you need to make the meals,dont forget milk and bread can be frozen so no nipping in for milk as this was what was adding to my total the nipping in for a pint of milk and exiting with 20 quid of unessacery stuff good luckxxxC.R.A.P.R.O.L.L.Z #7 member N.I splinter-group co-ordinater
I dont suffer from insanity....I enjoy every minute of it!!.:)
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What are you buying when you go - make sure you do one shop a week [planned] and get more of the things you run out of?
And menu plan - get a whiteboard and list the days down the side, with different meals you are going to make and a shopping list on the other side which you populate as you go.
And try and use up store cupboard stuff rather than go out any buy stuff.If you haven't got it - please don't flaunt it. TIA.0 -
Bigger shopping when you buy, lots of small shops mean more temptations to buy what you don't really need.
Fruit and vegetables will keep for at least a week (and longer), most meats, butters, yogurt etc have quite long dates and will certainly see you trough the week.
Shop on line as you are less tempted to buy extras and focus on what you do need. You could buy in bulk and long life items for the month and then maybe once a week shop locally for the bits you really need.
But its all down to learning and getting into the habit of shopping for more less often to keep your cupboards, fridge & freezer full but you spend less time and money in the shops.Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.0 -
Blimey a grand!
how much food you got in house.
Sort through what you have is it all in date then make lists of whats in cupboards, fridge and freezer.
I would meal plan and live off cupboards/freezer and try not go shopping until its gone.
Then write a shopping list trying online with money off codes might eb idea in short trem but by going lidls and aldis who dont deliver can save money so do 1 discounter then everything cant get chose one of big 4.
Try having aplay around with my supermarket as will tell you how much shopping costs in other supermarkets.
good luckpad by xmas2010 £14,636.65/£20,000::beer:
Pay off as much as I can 2011 £15008.02/£15,000:j
new grocery challenge £200/£250 feb
KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON:D,Onwards and upward2013:)0 -
I firmly believe that the more often you shop the more you spend. Mealplanning is the way to go. I shop fortnightly so I plan 14 main meals in advance and only buy the ingredients for those meals. I keep very limited stores of food as I think its wasted money.
With practice you can get used to buying enough fruit and veg to last a fortnight - it keeps in the fridge. The only think I buy in between is milk and if I run out of something else I try and manage without it.
If you work full time mealplanning makes life so much easier - and you waste less too.0 -
Join the grocery challenge stickied on this board and the using up the food cupboards on the food and groceries board. All packed full of helpful tips and ideasIf you dont know where you are going... Any road will take you there :rotfl:0
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My advice is to make one dedicated shop to the supermarket once a week. Do not call in on the way make from work, but come back from work and then after a rest go to the supermarket or go at the weekend. The act of actually making a trip dedicated to shopping could change your outlook to it drastically.0
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I was exactly the same -I cringe now when I think what I was spending!
I am following NinjaKat's January freeze challenge and it has totally chnaged the way I think. I am aiming for 20 NSD's so I cannot just drop into the supermarket I have to plan. What a difference-I did used to vaguely plan meals but its as if the proverbial light bulb really has switched on-I am amzed how little I can spend. Petrol bill is down. Every time I went I bought extra stuff. It is the first time ever in my life I have looked in my bank account and had more money than I thought I would have!
I did a months shop at sainsbury online with a code -mainly the basic range but only after I had had a really good read of the threads and meal planner type threads. I bought all basics fruit juice/noodles/rice/flour/eggs/jaffa cakes!/biscuits I got so much for £60 it was amazing.
My food shop in Dec went down from £500 to £270 and this month with bargains on NYE I think it should be about £120 for 5 of us. I am aiming for £120 but if they keep eating all the fruit -no kiwis today!-then maybe will up to £140.
My hubbie wants to know how come we are eating so well when we have started a budget=hehe.
Worked out that it is the "snacks" that cost us and they-he-eats less if they get a decent dinner. So now we have a 3 course meal-starter -anything really -mostly soup-main and a pudding-sponge cake/fruit salad-if fruit looking a bit miserable-banana bread-if bananas looking sad-or a jaffa cake/cookie. There are lots cheap crackers and melba toast/noodles so is definately cutting down on snacks and sugar. No crisps except for 1 pack for their lunch-2 youngest and DH.
PS this reduction in food shop includes the fact I have put 2 of kids and DH onto pack lunches when normally we have bought lunches.0 -
Go through your cupboards, fridge and freezer and do a full inventory of everything you have. Look at the receipts from your last few big shops and see what you are spending the most money on. Is it processed stuff, cakes and treats, veggies and meat, staples etc? Keep an eye on the waste food you are tossing away and see if you are simply buying too much of some things.
By the way, a friend of mine used to pop to the shops because she had 'run out' of crsips and sweets. Now, she tells her kids that the stash in the cupboard needs to last two weeks, and if they eat it all, it's gone for the fortnight. She saves a lot on that alone.
Once you have an inventory, go through it and meal plan for a week. Work your meals around what you have first, and just make a list of the bits you need to pad out the meals. Don't buy oven chips if you have potatoes in stock etc. As you get used to meal planning and keeping lists, like everyone else says, it will start to put you back in control, and no doubt slash that food budget.
Good luckSome days, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps....
LB moment - March 2006. DFD - 1 June 2012!!! DEBT FREE!
May grocery challenge £45.61/£1200
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