Reducing food shop

[Deleted User]

Hi Boxer

Thanks for the update - so often posters ask for help then don't report back in, so it's nice to see how you're getting on. Firstly, please don't forget that if YOU are happy with what you spend, you can afford it and it works for you, you don't HAVE to change it just because other people spend less. 

I too hate supermarket shopping, and I prefer to support local businesses or eat food that would otherwise be destined for the bin (more below). I get our milk and butter delivered bu the milkman - no plastic waste and means I never have to "nip out" for milk, which invariably ends up being much more than that. Our milkman does Oat milk, so it might be worth enquiring if yours does.

Once in a blue moon I do an A$da online shop for things like chopped tomatoes, tinned tuna (which is now a luxury due to cost), baked beans, cheap pasta etc. I could go to Aldi and get these things a bit cheaper, but as I choose not to run a car anymore it makes it much more logistically difficult. 

I also have two children, and a dog and chickens. For food for all of us, I spend a maximum of £120 PCM. I choose to live a frugal life, which is improving my mental wellbeing and quality of life no end. Meals are fairly simple here. Breakfast is always a piece of fruit, then a bowl of porridge. I eat lunch at work, DS gets a school dinner for free at the moment and DD takes a packed lunch. Dinners are straightforward - we tend to have a pasta meal one night; eggs and beans on toast another night; something frozen such as fish fingers, chips and peas; a picnic tea (crackers, cheese, sliced cucumber peppers, boiled eggs); a jacket potato night; a mince night (spag bol or chilli); and a roast dinner on a Sunday. I have a bottle of wine a week (£3.75 in the Co-op) and a couple of beers. Puddings are things like tinned rice pudding, greek yoghurt and tinned/frozen fruit, HM crumble made with foraged fruit or a slice of HM cake. I keep chickens so eggs are plentiful. I buy my F&V from our weekly market, and we have two food waste share groups in our village. You may have something local which is similar - they are popping up everywhere which is brilliant for feeding bellies, not bins. 

The chicken feed is cost neutral as we sell their surplus eggs, which pays for their food and also the odd treat for us such as a fish and chip supper from the chippy. 
Re. toiletries - I don't even use conditioner anymore and a good brush soon detangles it after a shower! Only cleaning product I have in the house is washing up liquid and a cheap bottle of bleach.
Good luck xx

boxer234

Deleted_User said:

Hi Boxer

Thanks for the update - so often posters ask for help then don't report back in, so it's nice to see how you're getting on. Firstly, please don't forget that if YOU are happy with what you spend, you can afford it and it works for you, you don't HAVE to change it just because other people spend less. 

I too hate supermarket shopping, and I prefer to support local businesses or eat food that would otherwise be destined for the bin (more below). I get our milk and butter delivered bu the milkman - no plastic waste and means I never have to "nip out" for milk, which invariably ends up being much more than that. Our milkman does Oat milk, so it might be worth enquiring if yours does.

Once in a blue moon I do an A$da online shop for things like chopped tomatoes, tinned tuna (which is now a luxury due to cost), baked beans, cheap pasta etc. I could go to Aldi and get these things a bit cheaper, but as I choose not to run a car anymore it makes it much more logistically difficult. 

I also have two children, and a dog and chickens. For food for all of us, I spend a maximum of £120 PCM. I choose to live a frugal life, which is improving my mental wellbeing and quality of life no end. Meals are fairly simple here. Breakfast is always a piece of fruit, then a bowl of porridge. I eat lunch at work, DS gets a school dinner for free at the moment and DD takes a packed lunch. Dinners are straightforward - we tend to have a pasta meal one night; eggs and beans on toast another night; something frozen such as fish fingers, chips and peas; a picnic tea (crackers, cheese, sliced cucumber peppers, boiled eggs); a jacket potato night; a mince night (spag bol or chilli); and a roast dinner on a Sunday. I have a bottle of wine a week (£3.75 in the Co-op) and a couple of beers. Puddings are things like tinned rice pudding, greek yoghurt and tinned/frozen fruit, HM crumble made with foraged fruit or a slice of HM cake. I keep chickens so eggs are plentiful. I buy my F&V from our weekly market, and we have two food waste share groups in our village. You may have something local which is similar - they are popping up everywhere which is brilliant for feeding bellies, not bins. 

The chicken feed is cost neutral as we sell their surplus eggs, which pays for their food and also the odd treat for us such as a fish and chip supper from the chippy. 
Re. toiletries - I don't even use conditioner anymore and a good brush soon detangles it after a shower! Only cleaning product I have in the house is washing up liquid and a cheap bottle of bleach.
Good luck xx

Thank you.  I really do want to reduce the amount I spend I grimace when I look at my monthly food bill it’s already come down a lot from last year. 

 I am easily tempted and my worst enemy is dropping in for a loaf of bread and coming out having spent £50.  

I’m saving for a house then once I’ve got it want to over pay.  

 I went through a divorce and was spending way to much on everything afterwards.  Just buying stuff I feel far happier now I’m not spending, more in control. 

£120 is amazing !  My dogs are very expensive one has tummy problems so is  on specialist food.  The other one will eat anything.  

[Deleted User]

Another point which is so simple but effective. If you’re popping out for a loaf of bread, take £1 with you and leave all other means of spending at home. It’s so easy to tap our contactless cards nowadays. I take £5 to the F&V market each week and physically cannot spend more as I don’t have it with me. Highly effective but so easy xx

boxer234

Deleted_User said:

Another point which is so simple but effective. If you’re popping out for a loaf of bread, take £1 with you and leave all other means of spending at home. It’s so easy to tap our contactless cards nowadays. I take £5 to the F&V market each week and physically cannot spend more as I don’t have it with me. Highly effective but so easy xx

I try and leave my card at home I should withdraw some cash for smaller bits,  I put everything on card.  It was lethal when I worked next door to Waitrose. 

Apintplease

Another tip for the loaf of bread - use the corner shop

My corner shop ( well 4 miles away ) bread is 10p dearer then the supermarket but I go past the shop on the way home, I dont need to drive into town and also the shop is so expensive I do only buy what I need - a loaf of bread. If I drive into Tesco then I get a basket of stuff because Im there and its available