What's in your trolley?

Sweetie83

Hi, I'm a newbie and there is every chance this has been asked before but I have been reading the grocery challenges with great interest and was amazed to read that some people only intend to spend £100 for a whole months shop! At the moment I spend around £240 to £300 per month but really want to spend less.

I know everyones situations are different but I wondered if we could share a typical trolley? I do my weekly shop at Tesco for nothing other than convenience and mine would be....

Milk £3,
Bread £2.25,
Crackers 50p,
Soup £1.70,
Cream cheese 60p,
Veg £2,
Fruit £2.20,
Eggs £1.25,
cheese/tea bags (one every other week) £3.50,
Household £2.50 (excluding nappies),
loo roll £2.00,
Pudding for kids £1.30 (angle delight/jelly/custard etc)
Baking products £2.00 (Stork/icing sugar/sugar/flour etc/cocoa etc
Butter £2.00,
Breakfast £1.75,
Potatoes £1.60,
Treats each total £3.50 e.g. pack of biscuits/choc bars etc
squash/chips £2.00 (one every other week),
baby wipes 61p
.....and then I spend £18.00 on ingredients spefically for meals so for example most of my meals are about £3.50 to make.

TOTAL = approx £55 a week :eek:

SailorSam

The first thing i notice is you're not spending much on fruit & veg, i'm on my own but must spend that. And then why are you buying soup and bread, You can save money making your own and it'll be much nicer.

Rowan9

I know it's a tricky one as costs are rising. I'm sure others will come and help you.
Looking at the list, think it's fair enough. How many do you have in the household?
Butter seems pricy but maybe that's just me.
Squash does us about one month but there are only 2 adults!
We don't buy chips.
Spend more on fruit and veg and no puds as don't have young ones.
I'm sure others will come up with suggestions for less costly meals than £3.50 so that should help.
We tend to have something like chicken on Sun and that lasts 2 more meals \(but, again, there are only 2 here), tonight was pasta with HM tomato sauce and also stir fried greens on the side (odd but 25p reduced and yum), other night grilled salmon and then cheaper nights - pasta, mushroom omelettes, baked potatoes and fillings, HM soup. rarely buy soup as you can make a massive pot much more cheaply.
Really hope you get some tips on here.
Also, have a look at the grocery challenge thread, the £7 a week thread any other 'cheap meals' threads you can find. Often they are healthy!
W

Sweetie83

Thank you both for your responses. I think you could be right Sailor Sam about the fruit and veg now you say about it and I will def look into making my own bread. Soup may be hard as I can't afford a blender!!Thank you wmf for your reply. There is myself and husband both 30 this year and then eldest daughter is 4 and youngest is 10 months. Been living off statutory maternity pay so really broke at the moment so I will check out those threads. Really appreciate your time. xx

joedenise

Try the "cheap family meals" website. Was done by Weezl who used to post on the forum. A really healthy plan for around £100 a month for a family of 4.

Denise

lisakay_2

just jumping in quickly before i take myself off up to bed. the hand/stick blenders can be bought from the supermarket for less than £10, sometimes as low as £5. If that is still too much to spend then a potato masher works well, it doesn't give as smooth a soup obviously but it wont be quite as lumpy.

The bulk of my shopping seems to be fruit and veg. my girls are 7 and 5 and can empty the fruit bowl in 5 minutes flat before moving on the the salad drawer to clear me out of carrots, peppers and cucumber.
at one point i was managing on £50-60 per week to feed the four of us and all the pets (rabbits a cat and a dog), but it's crept up recently, due just as much to me not paying attention as the price rises.
look at joining the grocery challenge thread for help and inspiration xx

SailorSam

I only use a stick blender from Argos cost £5.
When i make soup i use dried soup mix and lentils to start; mixed frozen Tesco veg 75p and cheap onions. Instead of buying potatoes in bags check out the tins of new potatoes in Tesco, only 15p at the moment.

nuatha

Sweetie83 wrote: »

Thank you both for your responses. I think you could be right Sailor Sam about the fruit and veg now you say about it and I will def look into making my own bread. Soup may be hard as I can't afford a blender!!Thank you wmf for your reply. There is myself and husband both 30 this year and then eldest daughter is 4 and youngest is 10 months. Been living off statutory maternity pay so really broke at the moment so I will check out those threads. Really appreciate your time. xx

Keep your eyes open for a stick blender, far cheaper than a jug blender (I've seen them for around £5 or £6 in supermarkets) they're ideal for making soup and have the advantage of being easier to clean than a jug blender.

Twinks hobnobs are my favourite biscuit, very simple and cheap to make.

Good luck

Sweetie83

I never knew they were that cheap! I will get a stick blender this weekend I think! Yeah I think I will try the tin of new potatoes. The trouble I have found is undoing bad habits. We do a lot better as before we ate only processed food and no fruit or veg especially when we were both students and I'm starting to realise that the best way to cut costs on your food bill is to eat fresh.

Again really appreciate your help everyone, think you are all lovely!x

SailorSam

The other thing that is well worth buying at about £10 is a slowcooker

Lilyplonk

Please, if you do get a 'stick blender' remember to submerge the blades completely in your soup/liquid BEFORE switching the darn thing 'on' - unless you're really planning to pebbledash your kitchen walls sometime in the very near future.

I know, - I know that sounds such stupid, basic advice - BUT it's a mistake easily made - honest :doh:!