What's a reasonable amount for shopping?

dawnylou

csarina wrote: »

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

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

Wow - we spend between £70 and £80 per week for 2 adults and a puppy.
We are seriously working at reducing this as we can't afford it really and have joined the Grocery Challenge at an aim of £50 per week.
I can't imagine we could ever get down to £25 per week!!

Elle00

csarina wrote: »

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

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

I'm sorry, I didn't realise I came on here to be judged and shouted at by a complete stranger. I thought in asking a civil question I just might receive a civil answer. I apologise for my naivety.

I respect everyone's right to their opinion but I do not respect their coming onto my thread and expressing it in such an obnoxious manner.

As you do not buy baby care items and soya produce you would not appreciate their cost. As an example, four desserts for DS costs £1.59 as opposed to 6 value fromaige frais costing 49p. Same as we have to buy Pure soya spread at over £1 per tub rather than cheap margerine at 50p per tub.

I feed my child a wide and varied diet despite the restrictions and while I'm at it I'm trying to set a good example myself. It's rather hard to eat a whole pack of beetroot and a whole lettuce between 1.5 of us in a week which is why they get wasted. When I give my son fruit (which I won't eat) he eats a whole 'nana but only half an apple or pear. So I throw half of these away. I suppose I could stop buying them but then my son wouldn't be terribly healthy and wind up hating fruit the same as I do.

We have to buy fresh produce in the same quantities as families do but cannot eat or freeze it all - that is why it gets binned. I have already clearly said I am doing a meal planner to reduce this but it is unavoidable in its entirety. When you have dietary restrictions you cannot go cutting out unnecessarily if you're going to have a varied and healthy diet including a good variety of nutrients and vitamins.

As for baby products, there is no adult alternative to nappies, bags and wipes so that's £8 a week right there you don't have to pay out. Not having cats knocks off another £4 (hardly going to kick them out because times are tight at present). Drinking longlife cow's milk in place of flavoured soya milk with omega 3 takes off another £3. I'm guessing the other soya replacements amount to a good £5 including the snacks I buy DS in place of cheaper (dairy containing) snacks other toddlers can have. And no, you cannot just give them fresh fruit at every snack time if you don't want them to be lethargic and underweight. Toddlers are supposed to have HIGH fat diets and the fact my son is on the 95th centile for height and 60th for weight despite being premature speaks for itself really.

If you add my extra expenses onto your £25 that amounts to... £45. And then of course there is the extra few quid a week I spend on actual cleaning products. I use anti-bac spray for my kitchen and son's dinner table thanks! Surely you bleach your toilet at least? And what about laundry detergent and fabric softener?

I really do feel I was very clear of what my own needs are when I asked my perfectly polite question so I don't know why this criticism is necessary.

A big thank you to all who've had something constructive to add. I shan't post on this board again.

EDIT: Just have to add while I'm having a rant and not planning to return to this board; would people stop ramming aldi and lidl down the throats of those of us who have chosen to shop at another supermarket. I took a walk round lidls the other week and was disgusted. Not only were the prices THE SAME as in Tescos for the minimal produce they offered but the products were mostly imported, there was hardly any variety on offer and no vegetarian or vegan range available. I shop at Tesco because they are the cheapest supermarket that cater for my family's needs thanks.

Garnet_Gem

Ouch! The Old Style forum was one of the ones with very little arguements. Please can we keep it like that? Everyone's budget is different but we're all here to try and do better with our money.

Smashing

Garnet_Gem wrote: »

Everyone's budget is different but we're all here to try and do better with our money.

Exactly, so why does it always turn into a competition of 'who can spend the least?'

teedy23

Hi ELLE< for most of us lucky people who can eat almost anything, your budget does look high, however, we dont always think before we type. I,m sure o/p didnt mean to be rude or judgemental. We all have our comfort zone or needs, we just do what we can to cut the price of living the life we,re used to. Please dont be put off by this, you wil find there are people on here with the same problems as you and will be only too happy to share tips and help all they can. Good luck with cutting down. By the way the £4.00 a week for cats WHAT!!!! lol

iwanttosave_2

I think people need to realise is that Phil lives with his parents and doesn't have a clue about household finances.

Elle, I shop for 2 adults, 1 child, a toddler and a cat and I hardly ever spend more than £35 per week. Also I would say that the what comment was in responce to Phil rather than you.

Anyways back to food and stuff, my £35 includes cleaning products, nappies, wipes and all the other sundries I need to keep 3 boys fed and watered. I steam clean rather than use more chemicals like antibacterials and bleaches, the only detergent I use is washing up liquid and my persil washing tablets to be honest (and dettol on the carpets when the kitten has an accident) so that keeps costs right down. I bake things rather than get premade dessert pots, or just fresh fruit which strangely my boys prefer. Me and OH are very fussy eaters so its not like we can just buy anything and also OH is a diabetic so we do have to buy certain foods for this.

You will get there, its just deciding how much you want to change things, if you prefer the simple approach and spending that little extra, or doing it yourself which granted I can't always be bothered doing but saving some money.

teedy23

See told you!! lol

Fivenations

We are 2 adults and two adult appetite sized teens and I find it hard to get below £75 a week, despite my best efforts. It doesn't help that I buy organic milk and free range pork and poultry but that's my choice. Csarina - 4 decent pork chops would set me back £10! We have those as a treat, not an everyday meal!

My boys also have BIG appetites. They eat as much in between meals that an the table - and they eat all their meals. I feel like I am really feeding 6 people, not 4!

I thought that was the norm but having seen what some of their friends eat I now realise they must have tapeworms! Thing is they are both fit and not an ounce of fat on either of them, In fact, the eldest struggles to keep weight. Youngest is very muscular and into weight training.

Penny-Pincher!!

By the sound of it, your expenses arent that bad. You have £16 to pay out before you even consider food:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: ....I would say around £45 should be aimable(sp).

If you could or have the time too, pop to your local supermarket (Tesco/Asda/Sainsburys are the best:D ) later in the evening...about 8pm and you can normally find fresh veggies/fruit vastly reduced. Fish can sometimes be reduced greatly too. Decent bread (Warburtons/Organic etc).....10p a loaf....it all adds up.

My OH has smoothies daily and he buys the fruit when reduced to pennies and chops them up into portion sized bags then freezes them. Then when he smooths them, he doesnt have to add ice as there already frozen;)

We do eat meat and poultry and we buy alot of our food reduced. Our average cost weekly which includes everything (food, toiletries, cleaning etc) is normally about £35....but if I added your £16 this would make it up to £51 and theres 3 of us, so your not doing too badly:D

Good luck and please dont stop posting!

Hugs

PP
xx

lynzpower

oh how annoying i did a masive reply that was lost :wall:

I buy in tescos cos its the closest and I dont have a car. and usually carry everything myself by hand. I spend about 25 a week for 2 adults and a dog.

I could go into the ins and outs of it all, but i cant be bothered to type it all out again

Heres a thread I started on the weekend , some fantastic tips from other MSErs on how to drive down our budget for last week. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=490221