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Reducing food shop

Hello everyone I am hoping to save for the next year to try and increase my house deposit.  I live alone with two dogs and spend a lot on food ! How little can you live on as a single person any tips ? 

I am a regular runner so do get hungry.  I don’t eat meat but do eat some fish.  I have a bit of a sweet tooth.  Don’t drink alcohol.  Currently I spend about £250 a month.  This includes cleaning products and toiletries.  
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Comments

  • elsien
    elsien Posts: 35,098 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Spending diary is the way to go as a starting point. That will help you to identify where the money is going. Mine is top up shops where I with “I’ll just have that” and it ends up with more than my main shop, 
    All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

    Pedant alert - it's could have, not could of.
  • caronc
    caronc Posts: 8,390 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I'd second elsien's advice but also suggest checking what wastage you might have. A small trim of your budget at first which you can then further reduce over coming months is probably most sustainable. Even a £5 saving per shop soon mounts up in a savings pot which can be fairly easily achieved by a few minor changes in brand or ready prepared items. I'd also look at what things you won't compromise on and which ones you don't care about and go for the cheaper options for the later. For example I'm fussy about meat, fish, eggs and coffee but will happily buy cheap and cheerful when it comes to dried pasta or baked beans. Why not pop over to "Cooking for One", we're a friendly bunch with varied budgets/preferences but all eat well without breaking the bank, There's also a "Grocery Challenge" thread that you may find helpful. 
  • boxer234
    boxer234 Posts: 393 Forumite
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    Yes those top up shops definitely get me ! I just love my food.  I will hop over to cooking for 1 I do batch cook but it tends to be the same things. 
  • caronc
    caronc Posts: 8,390 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    boxer234 said:
      I will hop over to cooking for 1 I do batch cook but it tends to be the same things. 
    Don't we all - batch cooking both a plus and bane when you're cooking for one.....
  • elsien
    elsien Posts: 35,098 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I’m also a sucker for a bargain, whether I need it or not. :D 
    All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

    Pedant alert - it's could have, not could of.
  • boxer234
    boxer234 Posts: 393 Forumite
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    elsien said:
    I’m also a sucker for a bargain, whether I need it or not. :D 
    I’m ok if I shop online it’s when I go in the shops I fall off the wagon.  I used to work opposite Waitrose which was disastrous. And don’t even get me started on the dog food budget. 
  • Apodemus
    Apodemus Posts: 3,410 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    My tip would be to look for the things that form staple diets for rural people around the world - they are nearly always quick, simple, tasty and cheap.  And with the world at your command, you have can have a very varied diet on the cheap.  Potatoes, lentils, rice, beans, greens, couscous, pasta, breads - all very cheap and versatile.  Just choose a country at random and Google its traditional cuisine and you will find all sorts of ideas.  In the last week, we've had Dhal Bat (Nepal); East African chapatis (Kenya/Tanzania); Latke (East European/Yiddish); Ramadan Pide (Turkish); Lentil cakes (probably also Turkish) and Provencal olive Fougasse.
  • Apintplease
    Apintplease Posts: 339 Forumite
    100 Posts First Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic
    Do a diary for a month - every penny spent is written down

    Also keep a food waste diary, everything edible at the time of purchase thrown away - write it down

    Often big food bills go hand in hand with food waste

    Once you have done that for a month you will see where your spends really are and where your waste is - those are the areas you work on. Lets say every week you throw away half a loaf or more. You need to question if buying bread is worth it or would buying a more expensive single roll when you fancied bread be the better value?  Throw away lots of fruit or veg? Then perhaps buying pre prepared, small packs would be better value - unless you are a cook who can incorporate wrinkly bits into the meal plan by making a soup, curry, goulash etc

    And meal plan as flexible as you like but plan meals for x days ahead using whats already in the house and just buying what is necessary . I plan twice a week because A - lockdown has totally fried my head having to decide what Im cooking every day - and B - erratic work patterns ( also down to covid ) So Sunday I will get Sunday, Monday and Tuesdays meals worked out and shopped for, Then Wed - to Saturday. Shopping twice a week usually means I catch hold of the specials that in some shops are Tuesdays and Thursdays, some Wednesdays and others weekends and I use those specials on meat and fish to work out what we are going to eat in the coming days

    Food isn't cheap. My food bill has rocketed, more so here in NI due to shortages ( Brexit ) and so less choice. However I can feed 3 of us on just slightly more then what you are spending on one, and we are meat eaters
  • boxer234
    boxer234 Posts: 393 Forumite
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    Do a diary for a month - every penny spent is written down

    Also keep a food waste diary, everything edible at the time of purchase thrown away - write it down

    Often big food bills go hand in hand with food waste

    Once you have done that for a month you will see where your spends really are and where your waste is - those are the areas you work on. Lets say every week you throw away half a loaf or more. You need to question if buying bread is worth it or would buying a more expensive single roll when you fancied bread be the better value?  Throw away lots of fruit or veg? Then perhaps buying pre prepared, small packs would be better value - unless you are a cook who can incorporate wrinkly bits into the meal plan by making a soup, curry, goulash etc

    And meal plan as flexible as you like but plan meals for x days ahead using whats already in the house and just buying what is necessary . I plan twice a week because A - lockdown has totally fried my head having to decide what Im cooking every day - and B - erratic work patterns ( also down to covid ) So Sunday I will get Sunday, Monday and Tuesdays meals worked out and shopped for, Then Wed - to Saturday. Shopping twice a week usually means I catch hold of the specials that in some shops are Tuesdays and Thursdays, some Wednesdays and others weekends and I use those specials on meat and fish to work out what we are going to eat in the coming days

    Food isn't cheap. My food bill has rocketed, more so here in NI due to shortages ( Brexit ) and so less choice. However I can feed 3 of us on just slightly more then what you are spending on one, and we are meat eaters
    Thank you that’s a really good idea about the waste diary alongside.  I like to think I don’t waste that much but could be wrong. 
  • GSDMum
    GSDMum Posts: 211 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 100 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Great advice on this thread. I can only concur...

    Consider getting your fruit and veg from a local street market if your town has one, I find the fruit and veg is of a better quality, in the main cheaper, and fresher, which means it'll last better. Store them where they'll last longer, not all fruit and veg are happy in the fridge. 

    Create a month's menu, and shop for that menu. It doesn't need to be 'set in stone', be adaptable with it and mix/match for convenience purposes. Also planning means you'll be less tempted to order a take-away. File your monthly menus for future inspiration.

    Keep your staples well stocked, if you've eggs, butter, potatoes, flour, tins of beans/tomatoes and cheese stocked, you'll always be able to rustle up a meal. 

    Make your budget a game, striving each week/month to compete with your personal best for economy and variety.
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