How much is your food shopping bill??

MrsSave

I've just been looking through past online orders to see what we do usually get and thought it might give someone an idea how we do it. It won't be to every ones liking, and I'm not posting it to be judged on what I buy for my family. For around £45 I usually get:

Fresh items
Fruit (apples, satsumas, bananas, strawberries and sometimes something else)
Veg (carrots fresh, rest frozen. I don't buy frozen every week as I have a selection in that we don't eat all of every week, so maybe 1 or 2 packs a week)
Potatoes (white potatoes usually last a fortnight, but I buy jacket potatoes every week)
Salad (an iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, a cucumber and 1 pepper unless I know I'm making fajitas or something and then I'll buy a pack)

Chilled
Yoghurts (kiddies rubbish ones for my son - whatever is on offer, but he doesn't eat them every day so 2 packs last a fortnight. Also value ones for husband. If we're having a week where the shopping bill is lower my husband gets nicer ones, but he says he's more than happy with value)
Cheese (I buy Tesco own brand, not value)
Milk (usually 2 lots of 4 pints)
Butter/spread (maybe once a fortnight, not value but supermarket own brand)

Store cupboard
Chopped tomatoes (I often buy these at 4 for £1, so stock up when I see that offer)
Passata (value)
Red kidney beans (value)
Pasta bake mix (if it's on offer)
Wholewheat pasta
Beans (value)

Meat
I buy a big pack of chicken breasts around once a fortnight and then individually wrap them and freeze.
Mince (usually 500g, which lasts 2 nights if bulked out. I usually cook with half the mince and then freeze the other half, until we have another meal with mince.
Something for Sunday lunch (usually a gammon joint or a whole chicken. I can get 2 to 3 meals out of each. For example we're having gammon today with mash, veg and parsley sauce. We're then having the gammon in pasta with cheese sauce tomorrow and again to finish it off with homemade chips and pickles on Tuesday).
Sliced sandwich meat (usually the 2 for £3 offer).
Bacon

Toiletries
Toilet paper (usually one of the names brands on offer)
Kitchen towel (tesco brand - not value. Maybe once a fortnight)
Baby wipes (have 1 toddler and a baby on the way so am stock piling these at the moment)
I then check to see what's on offer and usually stock up on things such as shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, shower gel, cleaning products.

Other
Washing up liquid (I buy value, find it's perfectly fine).
Bread (2 loves a week)
When things run out we stock buy more, such as jam, cheese triangles, lentils, rice, spaghetti, crackers, sugar, flour, herbs and spices. We maybe buy 1 or 2 things from here every week.
Cereal - corn flakes and weetabix (both value)
Tea (I stock up when this is on offer. It's only hubby that drinks it).

Drinks
Sparkling water
Orange juice
I stock up on squash once every 2-3 weeks, and dh gets beer once every couple of weeks (he's not a big drinker).

Freezer
Some weeks nothing other weeks I'll a few bits. Can include frozen chips (every 3-4 weeks), cod cakes (75p for 4), southern fried chicken, fish fingers, sausages (We have a junk meal once a week). Supermarket own brand ice cream (once a month maybe) and same brand mini milk style for my son (has has a couple a week so they last).

Once I've totted that up, I'll see how far under £45 we are. I then add the treats if needed (such as crisps, chocolate, biscuits - either value or on offer). I may add a Saturday night treat for me and hubby (nice pizzas if they're on offer, or curry things, for example - I can never get a curry to taste as good homemade.....my kitchen weakness!!). I have also had during the past couple of weeks cooking chocolate (value) and made corn flake cakes with my son, tortilla chips (value) and a dip for a Sat night treat, value chocolate bar, etc.


I also add in a small pack of nappies (different brands depending on offers) and a few other bits for the baby until we get up to £45. I figure that the amount I spend on baby wipes and nappies now, will equal what I'll be spending on baby formula once baby is here so won't have to go looking for extra money or cutting back.

I hope this helps someone, if not please just ignore it! The contents of the basket do change weekly and there are probably other things we buy that I've forgotten to list here, we don't eat the same things all the time and eat plenty of healthy foods. My son usually has some sort of pudding after every lunch and dinner, as well as snacks.

[Deleted User]

I have a budget of £60.00 per month for just myself as I am widowed and live alone.I bake my own biscuits and cakes,cook from scratch and bulk and streetch things out I have a £60.00 cash purse every 1st of the month.
I only have five dinners to cook for myself 7 lunches and 7 breakfasts.I don't eat bread and consequently only but the odd block of butter now and again for baking with.

Sunday dinner I always have at my DDs and Tuesday nights meal is at the pub quiz which is £2.00 great value and a good night out for a couple of pounds.This £2.00 comes from my 'Happy Stash Cash' and is separate from my food purse I only use cash and shop around I have a rolling monthly 'float' of around £20.00 that is in my main purse for emergencies etc which if I need to I top back up at the beginning of the month.

I don't smoke, and very rarely drink. I spend about a third of my budget on fruit and veg and enjoy veggie meals at least once a week,but I also eat meat,just not a great deal, as I love vegetables so much.

I make soup quite often as I enjoy using up 'past its best' veg. If I see veg Y/S in Asdas I will snap it up for soup.

Breakfast is usually bran flakes or porridge or HM granola. I use UHT mik as I don't use all that much and fresh milk kept going off before I had used it up.
Evaporated tinned milk will make a large rice pudding with sultanas and honey. I am addicted to cinnamon and love anything flavoured with it.I usually try to have a few pounds left over at the end of the month which goes into my holiday fund.

I abhor waste of any kind and have more than enough in my freezer and cupboards to eat and have reasonably good health.

It is possible to eat well for less if you are willing to cook rather than have ready meals I think I am pretty good at running my houshold food bills quite well. Tonight I have the other half of a small tin of tuna with the other half of a small tin of sweetcorn mixed together with some light mayo and to which I will add some sliced cucumber,a tomato ,some chopped lettuce ,some slicd beetroot and diced red pepper, a bit of grated cheese and my plate will be heaped up yet the whole lot probably priced out to under a quid, yet very healthy. I have a large orange for pudding with a cuppa later on in the evening. I do drink a fair bit of water as long as its been in the fridge and it nice and cold, I'm not keen on fizzy drinks and never eat crisps or junk food