Ridiculous food spend...

Pepperoni

I'm mortified by how much we seem to spend on food shopping.

I think most of it seems to go on trips here and there to the food shops, so I'm going to start planning weekly meals again and hope that helps.

One problem we always fall into with this though is that we run out of fresh fruit etc, what do people do then? Just go and stock up again on 'essentials'? That's typically when the 'just popping to the shops' starts again and we buy X, Y, Z along with what was needed!

Any basic tips welcome, I say basic as I think we have a journey ahead! :sad:

Thank you

meer53

Make a list and stick to it. If you run out during the week, just make a note to buy extra next week. Utilise your freezer more too. I manage to buy fruit that lasts all week, i sometimes need bread or milk extra but thats all i buy when i go for it.

Finally, shop at Aldi or Lidl. I did a huge Xmas shop at Aldi, including wine and beer for £75, my average weekly shop (me and teenage daughter) is usually about £45. Since i've been shopping at Aldi (about 2 years) i feel as though i'm being ripped off anywhere else !

surfsister

when you do a top up shop eg fruit n veg only take cash and a small amount!

HappyMJ

Pepperoni wrote: »

I'm mortified by how much we seem to spend on food shopping.

I think most of it seems to go on trips here and there to the food shops, so I'm going to start planning weekly meals again and hope that helps.

One problem we always fall into with this though is that we run out of fresh fruit etc, what do people do then? Just go and stock up again on 'essentials'? That's typically when the 'just popping to the shops' starts again and we buy X, Y, Z along with what was needed!

Any basic tips welcome, I say basic as I think we have a journey ahead! :sad:

Thank you

You have to avoid top-up shops.

Set a day each week/fortnight when you go shopping. Buy enough to top up the fridge/cupboard/freezer to last the week/fortnight plus a few days of extra food. If you do run out of an item eat something else and wait until the next shopping day.

Banana's tend to go quick in this house...so when they go I have to tell them to eat an apple instead. If they didn't eat the apples and return to the shop to get another bunch of bananas it's highly likely the apples will be thrown out.

sarahj1986

I am on times guilty of over spending but I have got a lot better at it. I do an online shop once or twice per month for the "heavy" items (tins, cans, jars etc) and I've found that helps as I can see the amount I'm spending before and take out as and when needed and update it right up until the day before it arrives.

I've also started using Aldi a lot more, I've tried a good amount of their product range and there's nothing I haven't liked. On some occasions their produce is actually better than the "branded" stuff

When I am going into a store I do a list, I only deviate from it if I see reduced price meats or stuff that can be frozen.

I also recommend eating in "season" the BBC food pages shows items in season per month. If its in season it tends to taste better and be cheaper in price.

I also recommend you try more of the supermarket budget ranges. Some, not all, are just as good as branded items double in price, of course it's down to individual taste but it's worth trying.

As mentioned above with reduced price items. It can be hit or miss, but I always have a look when I go in. I mainly pick up the meat/fish and freeze it. Times will vary per store and some supermarkets will be better than others so it's worth looking around.

VfM4meplse

Pepperoni wrote: »

Any basic tips welcome, I say basic as I think we have a journey ahead! :sad:

Thank you

May I suggest you look at the OS board? The monthly grocery challenge in particular will help you keep on track.

[Deleted User]

Only use cash, surprising how it concentrates your mind when you see it disappearing out of your purse.

I went back to shopping as I used to in the 1960s when I first got married. So easy to overspend with a debit card, whereas if you have a set amount in your purse to last you X amount of days or weeks you will soon cut back.

I started with a £120.00 budget originally, and now have cut that by half for a month.True there is only me to feed, and I eat at my DDs once a week at least then come home on Sunday nights with enough left overs for Monday nights dinner.

I have a meal at quiz night on a Tuesday night which costsme £2.00 so only really cook four evening meals a week.

Lunches are usually HM soups and cheese and crackers I buy UHT milk monthly.I don't eat bread anymore and I suppose I spend about a third of my budget on fruit and veg,I like to get about ten days at a time from either Aldi's or Lidls.

Breakfast is usually cereal or a boiled egg.

This month I had one spend up, and spent almost half my budget, but as I am away for around 10 days of this month it wasn't a problem and I have no shopping to buy for the rest of this month.

So easy to spend when you do 'top-up' shopping

NectarCollector

I try to average around £30 a week on food, avoid ready meals at all cost, £3-5 for a single meal won't do you any favours trying to save money.
Instead buy your own mince beef and a bag of potatoes for about the same price and you could make enough cottage pie to last 2-3 days. (In fridge as left overs, or portion it out into tubs and freeze).
Go to the supermarket in the evening when most have started reducing stock reaching the end of their shelf life - most stuff is fine if you freeze it until you actually want it. The only things I avoid eating that are out of date is seafood and poultry.

VfM4meplse

The presence of this thread in the wrong place is really starting to bug me, time to call in the mods.

The are plenty of similar threads on the OS board: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=33

milliemonster

What do you do when you run out? Do without! My mum bless her used to do a weekly shop and that was it, she never did a top up shop in between, once the biscuits were gone and the fruit was gone, tough, we just had to wait until shopping day again.

SailorSam

I have a piece of paper at the side of me here, so whenever i see any bargains posted it goes on the list before i forget.
Always take your list shopping with you. And if you don't need it, don't buy it.