Spending on Groceries and Household Items

backwherewestarted

I look at all these posts that say I feed my family for £20 a week and think how they hell??!!! I find grocery shopping our biggest expense and try as I might to get it under £100 a week its very hard!! usually between £100 - £130 but 3 adults (one 19 yr old thats got hollow legs) and 2 dogs and thats everything for the week include washing,toiletries, loo roll dog treats HAIR products *or which they use numerous I just use basics*
I have a list and meal plan *though most days its 2-3 different meals due to not everyone liking the same things) *usually me that makes the effort to have what someone else is having or I have a jacket potato* and I don't buy brands. Ive just started to do home delivery as been so busy haven't had time to drive 15 miles to do shopping the only think Im finding with that is the short date lives on things as they don't go to back of shelf like I would so I think its slightly increased waste although our only main waste is bread/rolls.
We all eat a good sized meal as they do manual jobs. OH doesn't eat pasta or rice. Son doesn't do potatoes *only mash but not mine so has to be ready made* I can't eat curry as it doesn't like me OH doesnt do spag bol!!
I think we doomed with food shopping my best was this week at £87

Ben75

Some great advice here. I make all the mistakes - shop when I am hungry, buy 2 for 1's and throw food out, make impulse buys and don't plan properly. Will sit down this weekend and try to work out a meal plan for the week, and try to get more frozen veg in.

Mirno

If you're including non-perishables, then build up a stockpile of toothpaste, washing up tablets, and shower gel when they're on special offer!
It depends on how much storage you have, but buying bigger packs of loo rolls too as they tend to be better value.

As always, do the maths when shopping. Sometimes offers don't always make sense - even when 8x packs are on offer, coke is usually cheaper in the 24x pack for example. On the opposite side, in Tesco I've seen 19x packs of Ariel tabs on special meaning they're cheaper than the 38x pack - but people still buy the larger packs because of habit.

Mirno

suki1964

backwherewestarted wrote: »

I look at all these posts that say I feed my family for £20 a week and think how they hell??!!! I find grocery shopping our biggest expense and try as I might to get it under £100 a week its very hard!! usually between £100 - £130 but 3 adults (one 19 yr old thats got hollow legs) and 2 dogs and thats everything for the week include washing,toiletries, loo roll dog treats HAIR products *or which they use numerous I just use basics*
I have a list and meal plan *though most days its 2-3 different meals due to not everyone liking the same things) *usually me that makes the effort to have what someone else is having or I have a jacket potato* and I don't buy brands. Ive just started to do home delivery as been so busy haven't had time to drive 15 miles to do shopping the only think Im finding with that is the short date lives on things as they don't go to back of shelf like I would so I think its slightly increased waste although our only main waste is bread/rolls.
We all eat a good sized meal as they do manual jobs. OH doesn't eat pasta or rice. Son doesn't do potatoes *only mash but not mine so has to be ready made* I can't eat curry as it doesn't like me OH doesnt do spag bol!!
I think we doomed with food shopping my best was this week at £87

Spag bol, I take it you and son eat it? Hubby doesn't because it's pasta? That's fine, make it and serve his on jacket spuds

Yes most families basic meals seem to revolve around spag Bol,curry, rice and pasta dishes but they aren't working for your family, so you need to think differently


You know lasagne can be made without pasta? Use blanched leeks opened up into sheets

Have you tried gnocchi instead of pasta? Lovely fluffy potato dumplings, lovely with a rich gutsy sauce

I personally only make one meal, it's either like or lump to an extent. Mum doesn't really like pasta, I don't like spuds mashed or boiled, hubby doesn't like chips or the likes. I limit chips to perhaps once a fortnight, same as spaghetti for mum - funny though she loves lasagne Mostly I think of nice things to do with spuds, such as dauphinois , duchess, fondant or if the meal screams for mash, I just miss it off my plate

Liver and bacon which is a huge fav in this family is served with chips for mum, spuds for hubby and bread and butter for me:)

Don't get so het up on use by dates, sniff and taste test always

Also just because I can feed our family for so little, it doesn't mean you are failing. I'm at home a lot now so I have time to spend in the kitchen. I make pastry, cakes and breads. I can buy cheaper cuts as I have the time to cook them ( got a shoulder of lamb here for £3 ys which I shall slow cook and will stretch to feed 5 people next week). We also grow our own and have hens so don't beat yourself up. When I first found this board there were many threads on feeding a family of 4 on a £1 a day or such which I just couldn't get my head around as I was spending £40 or more on just two of us If you can afford what you are spending then theres nothing to be worrying about and congratulate yourself for doing as well as you are