What's a reasonable amount for shopping?

Elle00

I've got my excel cashbook open and have added another sheet for a projected budget. I'm running item, in and out columns for each day of July. Madness to budget daily rather than weekly or monthly I know but I really do need to do this to learn to exert more self-control! :rolleyes:

So what's a realistic amount to spend in Tesco for one adult and one toddler?

Deduct £5 for my son to eat 2 meals at the CM's five days a week.

Add £12 to allow for DS's nappies, wipes and soya produce (he has allergies).

Add £4 for cat items.

Include household items (loo roll, laudry stuff etc).

Also, how do people feel about spending time working out a shopping list using the online store before going shopping? Does it help restrict impulse buys (my weakness) or is it a waste of my precious time?!

Note we are veggies so no meat-loving bargain posts please :rotfl: A realistic figure would be most helpful - I am too gannety to exist on value beans on toast.

Thanks in advance x.

Linda32

Hi,

What I would do is, if you want to run a cashbook for each day, thats fine.

In the first column, I'd list each item, say bread, tea, sugar, butter, crisps etc.
Then the cost of each purchase in the next column.

Then after a week you will see how much you are spending on each.

It will make more sense after a month. Lets say you are buying a box of 40 tea bags a week at 50p (simple maths, bear with me ) over four weeks you've bought 4 boxes and the cost is £2.00 but maybe a box of 160 would only have cost £1.50 thus you can see where bulk buying would save you money.

When I do grocery challenge, I include food, wine, cleaning and smellies, as its possible to cut down on all of these items, cost wise, I mean.

I don't do a shopping list on-line, but I do, do a list before I go, its fatel (sp) not too. You will forget somthing and go back the next day and buy that plus somthing else, which you didn't need in the first place, and this is from someone who isn't tempted by things I don't want or need. - apparently

Going back to the grocery challenge. I added up all of my receipts for the month, you can do it for the week if you like. Then the next month I aimed for £5.00 less.

From memory, the first month was £265 for two adults, no children. So the next month I aimed for £260, got to about £275-80 so I'm still trying for £260

I have a plan though this time. I bought a big shop of non perishable foods for the month so I don't have to go to the supermarket for a box of cerial and come out £10.00 lighter and then buy a veg box for other foods. Forces me to cook from scratch as well, which is obviously cheaper as your not paying someone to do it.

That does involve building a store cupboard up, once you've been around here long enough you will do.

This is from someone who, when I baked a cake I took a photo, it was such an event. :rotfl:


Best of luck

studentphil

I would think about £40 to £50 pounds is about the money.

luckylukey

I have just done my monthly online shop. I spent £49.89 (inc delivery charge) for the month and that is for me. That including shampoo and conditioner . The key for me is to build up my stock of basics over months and plan very carefully. This has been decreased from £120 a month.

Elle00

Thanks all. Just to clarify, my budget spreadsheet is for everything not just groceries. But, that said, Tesco will be a laarrrge part of that. I always pay by card so I've added up this month's Tesco expenditure and that amounted to, wait for it, £233. So that's £55pw. Mind you, I thought it would be more than that... Obviously I've had a better month LOL. I think it usually works out around £65pw (which would explain why I'm always so destitute!). I'm a food-waster I'm afraid and that's going to hopefully stop with a meal planner. I also buy one or two brand name items that I have to accept I just can't afford! I could easily knock £10 - £15pw week off my food shop with some forward planning; I've just never stopped to address the issue before.

I think I'll aim for £45pw based on the advice and my previous expenditure. £3 shopping & household and £15 DS milk & desserts, nappies, wipes and cat food. Hopefully in time I'll get that £30 down to £25. Oh, and DS will save me £7 or £8 a week in bums and wipes before too long!!

Thanks for the input. I've just been through and listed the contents of my kitchen (plus it's all shiney and clean now too) so I'm going to sit here and do my first ever meal planner now. He he, big it up to you OS's and your menus. Could see myself doing this every Sunday evening

I expect I'll be back later with a vegetarian store cupboard challenge for you all (see, I've been doing my homework).

Oh and I'll def be doing that list. Like you say Linda, I do forget things and go back for one or two items - then come away with a subsequent rather more frivilous purchase on top. I'm going to set a day for shopping in future and if I run out beforehand I'm going to go without from now on!

csarina

studentphil wrote: »

I would think about £40 to £50 pounds is about the money.

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I spend less than £25 a week and thats for 2 adults!!!!!!!!!!!!!

studentphil

csarina wrote: »

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I spend less than £25 a week and thats for 2 adults!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To eat well with all the extra things you like it is hard to spend less than 25 quid a week on food and then £15 a week on your household stuff is not lavish.

Trow

OK - so take that £25 and - deduct £5 for my son to eat 2 meals at the CM's five days a week. (£20)Add £12 to allow for DS's nappies, wipes and soya produce (he has allergies). (£32)Add £4 for cat items. (£36)So £40 isn't that far off the mark, really.Where you can shop also has a huge part to play. I have a local corner shop within walking distance, a small co-op with arked-up prices 5 miles away, and a Somerfield and a large co-op 17 miles away. It's pretty much impossible to shop here for as little as it is where there is a plethora of supermakets, Lidl and Aldi, farmers markets etc.So you would probably go WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (increase size to suit) for my budget too - but for where we live we do really well, cost-wise. Everyone's circumstances vary - and we are here to help others improve what they can - and some individuals budgets are just not possible for others.

csarina

studentphil wrote: »

To eat well with all the extra things you like it is hard to spend less than 25 quid a week on food and then £15 a week on your household stuff is not lavish.

All you need to clean with is vinegar, microfibre cloths, washing soda and if you use it, bleach.

We eat very well on less than £25 a week, today:

Beakfast OH porridge. Me Grapefruit, orange juice OH cranberry juice me toast and coffee.

Lunch home made bread, and cheese, pears and yoghurt.

Supper: oven roasted pork chops, stuffing, new potatoes, cabbage, courgette and carrots. Vienetta.

Tomorrow, breakfast the same as today.

Lunch, boiled eggs withh homemade bread, fruit and yoghurt.

Supper: Spag bol and garlic bread, baked bananas.

We have our 5 a day most days.............

But I do not waste food, we cannot afford to do that.

stefejb

Elle83 wrote: »

Also, how do people feel about spending time working out a shopping list using the online store before going shopping? Does it help restrict impulse buys (my weakness) or is it a waste of my precious time?!


Thanks in advance x.

I have a choice between asda and tesco so will sometimes virtually shop on mysupermarket.com (I'm too old a dog to learn the trick of doing proper links sorry) which will compare my basket between those two. It will also suggest ways of swapping items in your basket for own brands and multisavers that you may not have been aware of so you can revise your list - i then really try to stick to the list when i get to the shop. at the checkout pause and make sure tht you really do want everything that's in your troley - if it's an impulse buy then put it back

As you are veggie, and with a veggie dd i know that this can take some extra planning if you are going to avoid expensive meat substitutes like quorn, it is a good idea to buy packets of pulses and then soak and cook them and freeze in meal size portions

stef

studentphil

csarina wrote: »

All you need to clean with is vinegar, microfibre cloths, washing soda and if you use it, bleach.

We eat very well on less than £25 a week, today:

Beakfast OH porridge. Me Grapefruit, orange juice OH cranberry juice me toast and coffee.

Lunch home made bread, and cheese, pears and yoghurt.

Supper: oven roasted pork chops, stuffing, new potatoes, cabbage, courgette and carrots. Vienetta.

Tomorrow, breakfast the same as today.

Lunch, boiled eggs withh homemade bread, fruit and yoghurt.

Supper: Spag bol and garlic bread, baked bananas.

We have our 5 a day most days.............

But I do not waste food, we cannot afford to do that.

I am clearly not resourceful enough with my cooking and shopping.