Clueless at budgeting for food, help please?

Ladyluck1

You can do it on £20 but it will mean not much meat and eating out of the cupboard...
Do you have pasta, beans, tinned toms etc?
Maybe pop a list up of what you already have and people can help.
I had to do this before when we only had £20 to spend on food and we managed easily
Made me realise I can happily spend £20 a week on food alone, not toiletries or baby milk/nappies. I usually buy a fair bit of reduced meat or on offer meat though and we have a veggie meal once or twice a week.
I used to spend closer to £70 a week
Also agree with Lidl nappies, they are great and have won awards (mumsnet I believe?)
C
xx

missty25

Ladyluk,

we've got quite a lot in the cupboards and freezer, it's just the fruit/veg needs topped Up and cheese and yogurts. Cat food is needed as well.

Getting my thinking cap on this afternoon.

I've been thinking that perhaps I should only leave the money for the direct debits in our joint bank and take out everything else and then take only £30/£40 per week out for food and not touch the rest. I'm pondering aloud really. Do people do this to help manage money? Ie moving money between accounts.

First_Trouble

missty25 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, Aldi is about 10 miles away, so would possibly only go once a fortnight.

Sorry it's £200 a month, I have a bit lee way and could push it up to £250 but then that means we are taking away from our very small budget of £100 for savings, personal spends and family fun things so would rather try to keep it at the £200. But then I think I'm kidding myself that I'll be able to do this. This is for all meals and snacks.

The cat will only eat whiskas, kit e kat and Felix, tried it with every other shops own brand and it just turns it's nose up at won't touch it. The dog is not fussy.

I have a rather large dog and a cat. My food for them is £60 per month.
I buy a large 15kg bag of wainwrights for the dog £39.99 at Pets at Home and this will last him just over a month. Also I have given him out of date dry food before as they were selling it reduced. (this can only be done with dry). My cat is the same he loves whiskas/felix, has to be a mix of dry and wet in his bowl otherwise he turns his nose up (they can't be mixed together in the bowl either very infuriating!)
I find pets at home better value from the supermarkets as you can get better deals last month managed to get 4 boxes of the felix pouches for £20. I tend to look what is on offer and buy for the month. My cat also wont say no to a tin of tuna so if you can buy some of the v.cheap tins to stick in the cupboard for emergencies. I no longer buy commercial treats either a pack of liver/apple is much cheaper and you can cut it into bits and freeze for use as and when. Much healthier for them too.

lynnejk

missty25 wrote: »

Typical though that the washing machine has given up the ghost, every Christmas we end up with some kind of unexpected bill, grrr. Although it's been on the blink for months so can't really complain.

Sorry about the spend on the washing machine - typical eh

missty25 wrote: »

I've been thinking that perhaps I should only leave the money for the direct debits in our joint bank and take out everything else and then take only £30/£40 per week out for food and not touch the rest. I'm pondering aloud really. Do people do this to help manage money? Ie moving money between accounts.

I do it all the time. The money is yours - so use it in the most beneficial way you can and move around.


While talking money - look at paying bills online and direct debit as you usually get a discount. Pay yearly also as the same.


Have a good look around all your local pound shops as you can save £sss on stuff you buy anyway. Much cheaper than all the SMs.


Also have a punt around other threads on here such as Grocery Challenge, Make £10 a day, Grabbitt to mention a few.


Don't be too fixated about what you buy to eat. If you see a real bargain go for it.


All I'd like to add is NEVER throw anything away.


Food can always be recycled especially for soups or bakes.
Finished with items can be sold on eb*y or F/B or car boot


Best of luck
Lx

Towser

I looked at the most expensive high cost items on our bill and then reduced accordingly. Our big spends were meat, toilet paper, washing powder, coffee and orange juice. Prices all slashed now. I really try and remember prices for these items and then when I find a bargain I go for it.

Loosely Meal plan around the meat in the freezer which is bought on special offer or whoopsies or cheaper cuts. Or plan veggie meals but then boost with bacon or other bits if family complain.

Use mysupermarket.com to order months worth of cheaper food compared to Aldi and Lidl and will always look for deals especially, cheese, shampoo, conditioner, coffee, Wash Tablets, Clothes softener, Toilet Rolls, Kitchen Rolls, Tooth Paste if they are a Savvy buy. You really need to remember prices for these.

Some things you can always buy on special offer such as coffee and then stock up especially if it has a long use by date.

Buy a sack of spuds off the farm shop.

Used to use Costco for toilet paper and washing powder but can be cheaper in Aldi or Asda.

Batch cook especially Spag Bol and use the freezer for everything I can't keep fresh any longer. Padding anything I can with vegetables-main meals or fruit-puddings.

Use a list for fresh stuff such as bread, milk, veg, fruit, lunch and then go to Aldi. Bread is often 50p or more cheaper there for example.

I also use as many coupons as I can, and if I can combine them with special offers,

The more you shop the more you are likely to spend due to impulse buys - this is definitely me and have found I spend more on "offers" so trying to stick to my regime of sticking to Aldi Super Six and Lidl weekend offers only as that is the best use of real offers,

Use mysupermarket.com by shopping online it is easier to stay within budget as you can swap things around, trade up or down a price level and then make sure you come on budget. You could do a whole months worth of shopping and then just top up with fresh stuff in Aldi.

Good luck OP

JulieGeorgiana

Lidl's nappies are GREAT!

Buy frozen veg it's cheaper and healthier/more nutritional.

Also Lidl children yogurts are cheap, and instead of sugar being the top ingredient it's second. I overcame this issue by making my own yogurts... And DD1 loves them plain.

Meal plan, downshift on groceries and bulk cooking will help you cut back.

Good luck x

maman

Towser wrote: »

I looked at the most expensive high cost items on our bill and then reduced accordingly. Our big spends were meat, toilet paper, washing powder, coffee and orange juice. Prices all slashed now. I really try and remember prices for these items and then when I find a bargain I go for it.

I do much the same so I know what's a good buy and what's not. So as I read your list I think:

• meat - try to get YS or offers and split into portions. Last night I bought one of Asda's £4 kg beef joints. Today I'll cut it into small joints and some casserole cubes for the freezer.
• toilet paper - always Farmfoods Nicky at £2 for 9 rolls of quilted
• best price washing powder is Asda SP although best value (for quality) may be Lidl or Aldi
• we're not huge coffee drinkers and DH still likes Nescafe so buy when on a good offer
• Aldi is best price I know

Unless anyone knows different??:rotfl:


I could probably give you a good price for where I get most basics. It does depend on range of shops available and ability to shop around but it is worth it if you can.


I write my meal plan (suppers only) in the corner of my shopping list with my freezer/storecupboard inventory in front of me. So I base the meals on what we have in and only buy essentials and offers. When I get back from shopping I cut out the meals from the list and stick it up in the kitchen for reference through the week.

krustylouise

I meal plan, then write what I need to buy, then use mysupermaket to compare prices, it's always aldi that comes out cheapest. Their cat litter is very good and only £1.49 a pack. The cat biscuits and meat are well received by our fur babies too.

duchy

ostrichnomore wrote: »

Does the 8 month old still really need formula? I know they've brought out all these follow-on milks now, but I can't help thinking that's just a marketing exercise by the milk powder companies. In the fairly recent past, babies were usually put on normal cow's milk from around 6 months if they were bottle fed and we all survived it. Could save quite a bit.

:eek::eek:
Not sure what you mean by "recent past"
Twelve months was the norm when my son was a baby and he's twenty two now !!

craigywv

I was about to say lidls nappies are great i used them on my son but someone got there before me. Also maybe source out for next year growing your own veg, even if its only spuds in containers or onions or tomatoes in grow bags it all helps xxx