Is there a free way to pre-pay for food shopping?

MrsWassire

Let me explain... hubby gets paid monthly and we find by the end of the month we're really struggling for food. We do have a budget but evidently aren't sticking to it well enough! I often top up the Asda or Tesco gift cards I have early in the month and keep them for late in the month, this works well. However, ideally I would like to be able to use these for online shopping as I find I spend much less if I can carefully plan my shop online. However, neither store seems to allow you to pay online with gift cards (seems crazy to me in this day and age!). So do I have any other options or am I stuck driving 20mi to the shop and back?

I_luv_cats

Can you not buy your toiletries, household, petfood, non perishables etc. early in the month so you don't have so much to buy later on?

Do you have a freezer?


You could get a pre-paid debit-card and pre load that to use later on.

MrsWassire

Yes, we already do all that. We have Costco membership through his work so we stock up on as much as we can and freeze meat and things. But inevitably later in the month we need perishables again, and we eat quite a healthy diet so things like fruit and vegetables need to be bought regularly.

MrsWassire

Oops I meant to say, I heard the pre-paid cards cost money to load onto, and some stores don't take them?

Own_My_Own

Have you thought about opening another bank account and transferring your food budget into it at the beginning of every month.

busybee100

Could you open another current account just for shopping? Or use a jar system to alot money at the beginning of the month?

jacobcrespo

open another bank account and transfer your food budget there

I_luv_cats

MrsWassire wrote: »

Oops I meant to say, I heard the pre-paid cards cost money to load onto, and some stores don't take them?

They normally charge to load up via pay poimt / post office etc.
You may find them free to load by debit card.

So many options so some homework required.

Edwardia

If your card number is set up with supermarket for regular orders, you should be able to do however many orders you like throigh the month. You just have to make sure you keep track of the money in your account so that when the supermarket goes to take it, it's there and you get your food. However if you had a spreadsheet or a notebook listing what was coming and date you should be able to deduct it off your budget as you go.

Fire_Fox

Maybe eat more frozen fruit and vegetables, fresh root and cruciferous veg, dried fruit, dried lentils, canned tomatoes and beans later in the month? All count towards your five to nine a day and are well priced. I've kept red cabbage, onions and carrots for many weeks, to the point I can use two to four kilo packs even living alone.

You might be able to prepay for delivered vegetable boxes a month at a time? I imagine a local farm would be delighted to accept payments in advance, you might even get a discount.

hilstep2000

Give yourself an amount for food, then get in in cash in another purse. When it's gone, you'll have to manage with storecupboard things. That's what I do.