How to save money on food shop?

Vickyh

Hi everyone!
I would like to save some money on my food shop. Before Covid, I had a delivery saver with Tesco, i would order maybe 2 times a week at £50- 60 a go, plus would do smaller shops at either Sainsburys or M&S (even an Aldi trip sometimes!) on the way home from work. I think i could of been spending £150+ on household shopping... there are 3 of us!! 
Once Covid happened- I went down to shopping once a week at Sainsbury's just outside our town - much larger and better at having everything i needed. I was spending roughly £130 a week. Our bank balance is much better for it!
Last week I went to Lidl and spent £90 for the week (i compared like for like with Sainsbury and I saved myself £40) but veg has been a bit hit and miss.

I was thinking of doing a monthly online shop at Sainsbury, to buy the things i can't get in Lidl, and doing the rest there. 

Does anyone have any tips to maximise my savings - I regularly plan our meals for the week and try not to bulk buy.

Thanks!

JGB1955

Your spending is astronomical!  Why don't you bulk buy?  It makes total sense. Fill up the freezer/store cupboard once a month.  Unless you really need it, ditch the online shopping - there are plenty of people still self-isolating who are too scared to go shopping and rely upon online deliveries.  Or... compromise by doing click and collect.   I (now) get my meat from a local butcher.  Get my dried goods from Aldi (probably once a month) and everything else on my weekly shop at Sainsbury's.  I agree that the budget shops have woefully sad vegetables... and I include Tesco in that..nothing better than feeling your carrots yourself!  When you say you meal plan - I take it you ARE cooking double portions and freezing one.....

EDIT - I have an unhealthy relationship with wine but our food bill (for 2) is in the region of £40 to £50 a week.

Robin9

Vickyh - you need more discipline in what you buy outside your online shops.

Other than milk and bread what were you buying with your little shops at Sainsbury/M&S/Aldi ?
I reckon we can get by on £10 a day - yesterday was |CornFlakes/Weetabix for breakfast; lunch Lamb steaks (with mint sauce - beautiful from Asda), new pots, frozen peas with swiss roll for pudding; sandwiches for tea; today cooked tea of gammon, chis beaked beans.   
It's the cats that cost the money !  About £1 a day (each)

Vickyh

Forgot to add we have a cat!

I have dropped the online shops, but at the moment i am furloughed, so us all going to the supermarket one a week has been easier- so don't know how thats going to work once i am back to full time hours. 

I plan for the week- and honestly have taken a hard look at what we have been eating / buying. I'd love to buy from a butcher, but there isn't one around here! I always make two chills, Bolognese (2nd portion into lasagna) a roast chicken last 3 meals....
I also buy frozen veg, as I found onions don't last long..

I don't try to buy more than i have to, as i don't have that much cupboard space, I'll won't bulk buy if its going to sit in my cupboard for ages, unless it something i will use i.e. like coffee  
 

maman

You've come to the right place to save on your massive shopping bill. I can't budget for your cat but I think you could cut at least a third, if not a half, from your bill.
I shop at Aldi. Over the last few years, they've upped their ranges so that I can buy about 90%+ of my shop there. I just go to Sainsburys for a few things like some herbs and spices and that's not necessarily every week . Under normal circumstances I'd go to places like Home Bargains, Farmfoods and the £shops occasionally for some store cupboard items at good prices but that's not essential. 
Unless you're very short of storage space, it's perfectly possible, with planning, to buy a week's food without any top up shops. Unless you're very disciplined then you'll spend more if you keep popping in to shops midweek.
I do a little bit of batch cooking at weekends so that I have some home made ready meals in the freezer and I do a meal plan each week so that I don't waste anything.
Do ask if there's anything we can help with. 

203846930

have a look at the yellow sticker threads for tips on when to shop for them.
You don't need to bulk buy to save money but for some items it does make sense.
Visit the shop and take a look around for bargains rather than going in with a list, have a rough idea of meal plans but be flexible if something else jumps out at you.

Come and live with a scrooge for a week or so and learn how to scrimp and save

Silvertabby

OPs shopping bill is only too much if she can't afford it.  Ours (2 retirees plus one pampered puss) is about the same.  
It's not all food - cleaning stuff and some toiletries are on there as well.  Our cat food bill probably sounds high - but she isn't fed on cheap stuff (the usual suspects are only 4% meat and are the feline equivalent of eating a big mac every day).  

pumpkin89

I agree with Silvertabby - you've come to the right place to save money, but you shouldn't feel bad as many people spend more than you.  We are a couple with no pets and spend over £150 per week.
I understand your rationale around not buying things you won't use soon, but there are certain things that you should never pay full price for (any non-food household stuff, tins/packets/jars with long dates, lots of frozen products).  You may be able to save quite a bit just by setting aside a cupboard to stock up on special offers (obviously, only for things you normally use).

od244051

Noticed that since shopping at Lidl, my food costs have dropped. Making the most out of the orange stickers (30% off with tomorrow's date) 20p/70p/£2 green stickers (latter is for meat). Also make the most of the pick of the week and super weekend stuff too Though can't get everything in Lidl - Marmite and ginger ale are two things I asked Mum to get for me the other week. 

If and when Tesco send me £x off £y vouchers again, I will be using these and go for things that are on offer and things which are Tesco exclusive etc.

givememoney

pumpkin89 said:

I agree with Silvertabby - you've come to the right place to save money, but you shouldn't feel bad as many people spend more than you.  We are a couple with no pets and spend over £150 per week.
I understand your rationale around not buying things you won't use soon, but there are certain things that you should never pay full price for (any non-food household stuff, tins/packets/jars with long dates, lots of frozen products).  You may be able to save quite a bit just by setting aside a cupboard to stock up on special offers (obviously, only for things you normally use).

You've made me feel a bit better. We are a retired couple (no pets) and being over 70 buy our shopping from Sainsbury's online and they deliver. We spend between 80 and £100 per week. Having said that, we are lucky enough to be able to afford it and at our time of life is you can't treat yourself to nice food, when can you. I do generally run out of a few salad items come the weekend and feel now safe with a mask to go in the local Sainsbury's and pick up those few bits. I do cook from scratch and we do eat plenty of veg and fruit. I don't know if I'll carry on with the online shopping once the virus is over (fingers crossed). It has it's pros and cons.

MysteryMe

The OP posted asking for help cutting down their weekly food spend.  It's irrelevant whether they can afford to spend X amount or not,  the fact is they don't want to spend X amount and that's why they posted in the first place.

OP, as you are meal planning and doing a certain amount of batch cooking I can only think it's the "top up" shops where the money is going.  Most of us have been there, done that; gone in for a loaf of bread and come out having spent £10.

Since COVID-19 I've found I have saved quite a bit of money by purely shopping online. I now shop around every 8-10 days and vary it mainly between Waitrose click and collect and Iceland home delivery depending on what it is I mainly want. So if it's mainly going to be fresh meat and fruit and veg it's Waitrose, if it's mainly going to be frozen stuff and household it's Iceland etc.  I've not run out of anything important like bread and milk and have spares in the freezer. If I've used something up, I just eat something else until the next shop.