What do you cut out/down on when reducing grocery spending

luminated

First of all sorry if this has been asked but searching is proving difficult especially with me being in very very poor health.

So I am intrigued as to those who have managed to reduce their grocery bill and what exactly you have to do to get the amount down.

Is it dropping to supermarket own labels?

Is it cutting out meat.

Is it cutting down on the amount of food you eat.

Or what as we eat little meat, no sweets, cakes, biscuits & we don't drink alcohol ?

Any help would be really good as me and my wife really need to get out grocery spending down once and for all.

quintwins

We eat mostly value now, we always did acually but now we can afford branded we don't buy it.

I cut down on meat and make it go further but we'd feel deprived if i cut it out.

Cut out fizzy drinks, crisps and chocolate.

Cut down n buns and cakes unless they are reduced.

Also if i'm really trying to cut down i shop online, it means i only buy what i need and can go back and edit it, there is usally a code, then i only take enough money to the shop with me to buy milk, bread and fruit every week.

luminated

quintwins wrote: »

We eat mostly value now, we always did acually but now we can afford branded we don't buy it.

I cut down on meat and make it go further but we'd feel deprived if i cut it out.

Cut out fizzy drinks, crisps and chocolate.

Cut down n buns and cakes unless they are reduced.

Wow what a fast reply - thanks:T

HappyMJ

luminated wrote: »

First of all sorry if this has been asked but searching is proving difficult especially with me being in very very poor health.

So I am intrigued as to those who have managed to reduce their grocery bill and what exactly you have to do to get the amount down.

Is it dropping to supermarket own labels?

Is it cutting out meat.

Is it cutting down on the amount of food you eat.

Or what as we eat little meat, no sweets, cakes, biscuits & we don't drink alcohol ?

Any help would be really good as me and my wife really need to get out grocery spending down once and for all.

As you are in poor health then you should be worried more about getting a balanced heathly diet rather than the cost of it. How much are you spending each month between the 2 of you on your groceries?

Boodle

I base my meals on the same ingredients in one week or at least non expensive ones i.e. so I'm not having aubergine moussaka one day, ratatouille with courgettes and peppers by the dozen the next day, then a puff pastry pie another... the more expensive vegetables and items like the puff pastry add up.

Go for seasonal veg and the cheaper stuff. Carrots and swede rather than butternut squash, dried vine fruits rather than fresh blueberries in winter, etc.

Value kidney beans where you might use more expensive can/carton of black beans for example.

Do a scone dough or your own shortcrust instead of puff pastry.

Do a virtual shop online while you meal plan so you can fiddle and adjust the meals according to cost.

tessie_bear

hi...i focus on trying to use up leftovers and having no waste....i also have a list of cheap meals that i use such as
quiche
chilli
sheps pie
spag bol
jacket pots
hm fish cakes

hth

Popperwell

I don't eat lots of sweets/crisps/soft drinks which with having health problems is probably not a bad thing...

I'll admit to having a food store and a full freezer that helps keep spending down and means an occasional treat of something nicer.

It has been achieved mainly due to eating less/smaller portions, eating mainly vegetable based meals and I do try to eat some meat/fish as you need protein but I make it go further and eat less of it.

And I try to find own brand/items on offer or look for items reduced by the supermarket if I can time my visit to coincide but sometimes the selection is poor or if you go too early the reductions are virtually not worth considering. Too late, the reductions are better but there may be nothing left.

Also, there are less and less reductions being put out and more people with the same idea of getting a bargain.

I'm not cutting back through choice or deliberately making myself suffer(I don't see it that way)but am trying to offset a drop in income that I know is coming and I think this is the case for many...in work(low wages)ill/disabled and needing state help and more austere measures coming in...

The problem is that many "With health problems" often have to avoid some foods if they have too much salt/sugar etc...and need to buy better quality which can cost more.

I do also agree with Tessie Bear, lots of meals are home made and made from scratch/use left overs.

YORKSHIRELASS

Mealplanning is what ultimately stopped me overspending. I only buy what I need and waste very little food.

I have absolutely no problem in buying the cheapest of anything. Meat included. I am too poor to be proud about it!

I try to stick to the rule that I wont buy anything ready made if I can make it myself.

But ultimately there is a level for everyone and I do wonder how some people who quote really really low food shopping figures manage to eat much fruit and veg. If you really have to then thats different I suppose.

heavenleigh

I'm very lucky that i have a large Tesco, small co-op, medium asda, Heron and farm foods within a 5 minute walking distance.
Hope i don't come across as bragging, but we eat very well due to the fact everything is in a close proximity so i yellow sticker shop every day/night (sometimes it is more than once a day)
I still buy value if i'm paying full price and once a month i bulk buy from Approved Food xxx

CT19720

Meal planning is key for me, as is having a healthy store cupboard and 2 freezers.

By my family doing this, I am now able to go food shopping once every two weeks instead of weekly, and usually spend about £60.

Once a week I will buy fresh fruit from our local greengrocers for about £7.00, and that will last the 4 of us the week.

I also no longer really shop in the 4 big supermarkets, and instead go to Lidl, mainly, with the occassional trip out to Aldi. We either buy our meat at Lidl/Aldi or the local butchers. I do buy our bread in iceland though.

We have a very varied diet, using local stores/Lidl/Aldi without having to compromise on quality. I cook most days from scratch, so I know what is in our meals, and bake my own cakes and biscuits. They taste nicer than shop bought, I know what is in them, and a bag of flour/sugar/pack of stork can go a very long way. Having said that the cakes and biscuits I make don't last long in this house!

I also bulk buy ie. sacks of potato/onions from Lidl; toilet paper/washing powder from makro; herbs and prawns from a local chinese supermarket.

The meals that I make can be padded out, so that at least one portions goes in the freezer. For instance we have spaghetti bolognaise tonight done in the slow cooker. 500g mince with passatta, herbs and onion, will feed all 4 of us today, and there will be enough to put a takeaway plastic box in the freezer. When we fancy chilli and jackets I will take this box of mince out defrost it and turn it into a chilli, by adding mushrooms, a chilli mix, more passatta and kidney beans and this will be enough for the 4 of us. So in effect 500g of mince will make 8 dinners/2 days worth of meals.

I also make HM soup once or twice a week too for lunches at work.

I also don't spend loads of money on cleaning products. Stardrops/white vinegar/lemons are all we need.

luminated

HappyMJ wrote: »

As you are in poor health then you should be worried more about getting a balanced heathly diet rather than the cost of it. How much are you spending each month between the 2 of you on your groceries?

True I do need to watch what I eat as I have suffered many Cardio incidents & am under the Cardiologist & Endocrinologist.

Our average spend to include groceries as well as the Superdrug type of items (shampoo, razors, hairspray, etc.) is around £320.