£45 per week housekeeping

ceegee

I budget for everything, always have done. I currently have £45 per week for food, toiletries, toilet rolls, detergent and other cleaning stuff. I would very much appreciate it to know if people think this should be:

a) plenty
b) enough/adequate
c) challenging

We are 2 adults with no pets.

Whilst I managed fine at first, I am now finding that, after 6 months of it, it is becoming increasingly difficult. Do I just need to re-double my efforts or am I on a hiding to nothing?

I am aware that I have not given my circumstances, but it was more a question of how do-able is £45 per week for all food, cleaning, washing etc. If anyone could spare a moment to post their thoughts, I really would be grateful.
Thank you!

[purplesignup][/purplesignup]

carrielovesfanta

ceegee wrote: »

I budget for everything, always have done. I currently have £45 per week for food, toiletries, toilet rolls, detergent and other cleaning stuff. I would very much appreciate it to know if people think this should be:

a) plenty
b) enough/adequate
c) challenging

We are 2 adults with no pets.

Whilst I managed fine at first, I am now finding that, after 6 months of it, it is becoming increasingly difficult. Do I just need to re-double my efforts or am I on a hiding to nothing?

I am aware that I have not given my circumstances, but it was more a question of how do-able is £45 per week for all food, cleaning, washing etc. If anyone could spare a moment to post their thoughts, I really would be grateful.
Thank you!

We are in the same household as you. I think that £45 is doable, but you have to really want to do it and it may not give you a lot of variety.


My weekly shop is approx. £30-£35 but that's without veg and meat from the butcher. All in all, I have about £200 a month budgeted for food (we have chosen to eat organic veg and meat so our costs are a bit higher).


What do you find is tripping you up? Lack of cheap recipes? Not able to meal plan? Meal style/ingredient preferences?

Robin9

What is your lifestyle ? Do you eat out at lunchtime / evenings; have take aways ?

We are a pensioner two person household (plus two cats) - dont eat out, takewaway once a month and would think £45 is rather tight - occassionally OK but a delivery shop every 6 weeks ago pushes us well over budget.

campbell19925

We spend £40 at Aldi per week for 2 of us and don't need anything else.

That does breakfast, lunch and dinners all week + toilet paper, cleaning stuff etc.

It is by no means skimping on anything either, chicken, meat, halloumi, wraps etc etc so it's very doable.

Pollycat

ceegee wrote: »

I budget for everything, always have done. I currently have £45 per week for food, toiletries, toilet rolls, detergent and other cleaning stuff. I would very much appreciate it to know if people think this should be:

a) plenty
b) enough/adequate
c) challenging

We are 2 adults with no pets.

Whilst I managed fine at first, I am now finding that, after 6 months of it, it is becoming increasingly difficult. Do I just need to re-double my efforts or am I on a hiding to nothing?

I am aware that I have not given my circumstances, but it was more a question of how do-able is £45 per week for all food, cleaning, washing etc. If anyone could spare a moment to post their thoughts, I really would be grateful.
Thank you!

It really is a 'how long is a piece of string?' question without context.

Family A could do it. :j
Family B couldn't.

• Why is it becoming 'increasingly difficult'?
• Because prices have risen?
• Because you're getting bored with what you're eating?
• Where do you shop?
• Have you done Martin's downsize challenge?
• Do you drink alcohol?
• Do you menu plan?
• Do you batch cook?
• Do you make your own lunches or buy them out?

caronc

My budget for all of the above for just me is £30 per week and I live well on that. I see this as an annual "pot" rather than a defined amount per week. In the winter when I eat more soups, stews etc. I spend less on food but find the warmer months I spend more but it balances itself out over the year. Without compromising or changing what I eat too much I could trim £5 off of that but any less would mean for me some significant changes but would be doable if I needed to (or wanted to enough). £45 for two sounds tight to me but not so tight that it's really challenging. I suppose it depends on what is driving your budget, if that is the most you can spend then you need to eat what fits within that amount which may mean changing what you cook & eat and where you buy it. If it's choice as you want to use money on other things then an extra £5 a week or allowing an increased spend say once a month might give some wriggle room.

tessie_bear

id find it tight to do business with that amount but my ideas would be
$ meal plan
$ use leftovers
$ shop the yellow stickers
$ buy in bulk such as sack of pots if u think u will use them
$ cook cheap meals such as quiche have beans on toast once a week
$ waste nowt

don't be down heartened if u get a lot of posts along the lines I could do a lot more with a l ot less sometimes the people who post this sort of thing are very short on detail xx

ceegee

Thank you all for your ideas, much food for thought there, excuse the pun!

No alcohol, no takeaways, no eating out. If I need to buy something "over and above" such as tights, it leaves me struggling. I have no budget for things like clothes and haircuts, if I did, we wouldn't have even the £45 for housekeeping!

I think that the constant struggle gets on top of me sometimes. Sometimes I remember the well groomed and well dressed woman that I used to be and it does make me feel down sometimes.

I know it might seem that I am being a bit cagey about my circumstances, I don't want to appear that way, it's just that, at the age of 62 and having worked from age 15 until 61, I now find my self in a rotten situation. I shall take all suggestions on board and re -double my efforts.

Many thanks for the thoughts and kindness! !!!55357;!!!56397;

Pollycat

ceegee wrote: »

Thank you all for your ideas, much food for thought there, excuse the pun!

No alcohol, no takeaways, no eating out. If I need to buy something "over and above" such as tights, it leaves me struggling. I have no budget for things like clothes and haircuts, if I did, we wouldn't have even the £45 for housekeeping!

I think that the constant struggle gets on top of me sometimes. Sometimes I remember the well groomed and well dressed woman that I used to be and it does make me feel down sometimes.

I know it might seem that I am being a bit cagey about my circumstances, I don't want to appear that way, it's just that, at the age of 62 and having worked from age 15 until 61, I now find my self in a rotten situation. I shall take all suggestions on board and re -double my efforts.

Many thanks for the thoughts and kindness! !!!55357;!!!56397;

People won't judge.

If we knew what and how you cooked, where you shop and what you buy, what you like to eat and don't like to eat you'd have answers & advice tailored for you.

It really doesn't matter what other people's budget is and whether they find it easy or hard to manage on a certain amount.
The fact is that you are finding it difficult.
It may be that posters can help.

zaax

were do you shop?

campbell19925

ceegee wrote: »

Thank you all for your ideas, much food for thought there, excuse the pun!

No alcohol, no takeaways, no eating out. If I need to buy something "over and above" such as tights, it leaves me struggling. I have no budget for things like clothes and haircuts, if I did, we wouldn't have even the £45 for housekeeping!

I think that the constant struggle gets on top of me sometimes. Sometimes I remember the well groomed and well dressed woman that I used to be and it does make me feel down sometimes.

I know it might seem that I am being a bit cagey about my circumstances, I don't want to appear that way, it's just that, at the age of 62 and having worked from age 15 until 61, I now find my self in a rotten situation. I shall take all suggestions on board and re -double my efforts.

Many thanks for the thoughts and kindness! !!!55357;!!!56397;

Do you like rice?

Aldi does the best rice for 29p. Boil water + rice. I use it as a staple at least 3 meals a week!
12 chicken thighs for £1.99, there are some bargains in Aldi. Where do you shop?