Advice on reducing food bill?

wmp92

Unsure the best board to post this in, so hope here is ok! 

I am struggling to clear just shy of £10k of debt (credit card and overdraft) and am with frequently running out of money before the end of the month. I’ve unfortunately been hit by unexpected dentist, car and house repair costs which have made the situation worse. I have been trying over the last few years to get on top of this but repeatedly fail. I know this is due to my management of money but still fail to get a handle on it. 

A while back I went through all my bills, switched and reduced where possible, and they all come out at the start of the month so I know what I have left. 

An area I know I am doing particularly poor with is food shopping. I use the app Snoop which tells me how much I have spent in supermarkets and I was shocked at the total. I have always guessed I spent approx £30 a week however it is much more. I think this is likely down to sometimes (not daily, but when I have forgotten or not been home to make a lunch) popping to the shop for lunch at work, and mid week top ups. 

I have a small (under counter) fridge/freezer and so limited space for batch cooking or freezing. I am considering getting a small freezer although it would have to live in an awkward place like my hallway due to space constraints. 

I know that I am quite an impulsive person and despite making plans (doing a budget etc), in the business of life and work, it falls apart. 

I am just looking for any advice, tips, or ways to change my thinking and behaviour so I am able to get on top of this. 

Exodi

I think £30 a week is ambitious, especially with food prices as they now are - £4.28 a day is £1 for breakfast, £1 for lunch, £1.28 for dinner and £1 for snacks.

It is possible (though to be honest, very unlikely), and will take a lot of work. I made a batch of 6 lunches for this week (I made the 'Korean-Inspired Turkey Meal' from https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/19-healthy-lunch-meal-prep-ideas/ using beef mince and sugar free maple syrup)... it came to £1.04 per meal (including all the condiments) and very nutritious.

Things like rice/potatos/brocolli/carrots/etc are very cheap - protein is unfortunately very expensive. If you don't care about your health, then yeah, I guess if you just ate rice for every meal, you could thereotically spend about 16p per day!

Obviously spending £5 on an impromptu lunch at work isn't ideal - which is why you have to be preparing sensible lunches beforehand.

Personally, I would set a more realistic budget of £50 a week on food (assuming it's just you) and look at your other expenses. Do you get takeaways? There are too many people that come on here, looking at their weekly food shop under a microscope, while simulateanously spending £25 on a takeaway every weekend as 'their treat' - makes no sense.

Perhaps you should post a full statement of affairs to see where else you can reduce your expenditure?

elsien

I do find a small freezer invaluable, although there is only me to feed,
Not only batch cooking but also freezing the yellow sticker bargains  - grabbing meat close to its use by date when it's been heavily reduced makes a big difference.   As does using up slightly shrivelled carrots etc to make soup to eat for lunch, or making a load of frittata to freeze so I've got a grab and go lunch on my disorganised days of which there are many.
Other options if you're not veggie- reduce the amount of meat per portion and bulk out with veg and lentils, and aim for a couple of vegetarian days a week. Not the expensive veggie meat free products but veggie chilli or curry, things like that which you can also cook an extra portion of and freeze for another time.
Do you buy takeaway coffees and drinks when you're out and about?
If you haven't already done so, a spending diary would be a good starting point. 

kimwp

As an almost vegetarian that shops in Sainsbury's and buys organic dairy, nuts and seeds and fruit and veg, I averaged £135 a month last year. That doesn't include (roughly two meals a week where I bought junk/takeaway or had a meal out, so the grocery cost doesn't cover those, but that's about £35 a week. Buying non-organic at Lidl or Aldi would reduce this significantly.

I get plenty of protein with lentils, chickpeas, quinoa which are relatively cheap and nuts and seeds which aren't. Lots of other foods have protein in too - rice, oats etc and they have vitamins as well. I aim for 8-9 fruit and veg a day.

Batch cooking can mean freezing or just making enough for several days and keeping a pot of the food in the fridge. Note that batch cooking by itself doesn't necessarily save you money - if you batch cook expensive food, it won't save you money.

theoretica

Do you end up throwing food away?  That is an obvious target.

I try to have a few last minute oops lunches on hand that will keep until needed. 

In each category that I buy - eg meat, vegetables - I am aware of what is cheap and what more expensive and buy more of the cheap stuff and the more expensive when I specifically want it as a treat.

MEM62

wmp92 said:

Unsure the best board to post this in, so hope here is ok! 

I am struggling to clear just shy of £10k of debt (credit card and overdraft) and am with frequently running out of money before the end of the month. I’ve unfortunately been hit by unexpected dentist, car and house repair costs which have made the situation worse.

These are not unexpected events.  You will need the dentist at some point, cars and houses will require repairs and maintenance.  They are only unexpected in as much as you have not planned for the expense.  This is what an emergency or sinking fund is for.  

I have been trying over the last few years to get on top of this but repeatedly fail. I know this is due to my management of money but still fail to get a handle on it.  A while back I went through all my bills, switched and reduced where possible, and they all come out at the start of the month so I know what I have left. 

Well that is a positive start.  

An area I know I am doing particularly poor with is food shopping. I use the app Snoop which tells me how much I have spent in supermarkets and I was shocked at the total. I have always guessed I spent approx £30 a week however it is much more. I think this is likely down to sometimes (not daily, but when I have forgotten or not been home to make a lunch) popping to the shop for lunch at work, and mid week top ups.

There is a lot of advice out there around eating well on a budget.  Planning and batch cooking helps but these are not the only tools available to you.  The BBC Good Food Guide, for example, has a lot of recipes that can be made on a budget.  It is fun to experiment with these.     

I have a small (under counter) fridge/freezer and so limited space for batch cooking or freezing. I am considering getting a small freezer although it would have to live in an awkward place like my hallway due to space constraints. 

I know that I am quite an impulsive person and despite making plans (doing a budget etc), in the business of life and work, it falls apart.

This is probably because you are not giving the subject sufficient priority.  Perhaps you can change your thinking here.    

I am just looking for any advice, tips, or ways to change my thinking and behaviour so I am able to get on top of this. 

There is no magic solution. You need a grip on your finances and to invest some time each month in controlling them.  With a bit of practice I am sure you will get there.   

wmp92

Exodi said:

I think £30 a week is ambitious, especially with food prices as they now are - £4.28 a day is £1 for breakfast, £1 for lunch, £1.28 for dinner and £1 for snacks.

It is possible (though to be honest, very unlikely), and will take a lot of work. I made a batch of 6 lunches for this week (I made the 'Korean-Inspired Turkey Meal' from using beef mince and sugar free maple syrup)... it came to £1.04 per meal (including all the condiments) and very nutritious.

Things like rice/potatos/brocolli/carrots/etc are very cheap - protein is unfortunately very expensive. If you don't care about your health, then yeah, I guess if you just ate rice for every meal, you could thereotically spend about 16p per day!

Obviously spending £5 on an impromptu lunch at work isn't ideal - which is why you have to be preparing sensible lunches beforehand.

Personally, I would set a more realistic budget of £50 a week on food (assuming it's just you) and look at your other expenses. Do you get takeaways? There are too many people that come on here, looking at their weekly food shop under a microscope, while simulateanously spending £25 on a takeaway every weekend as 'their treat' - makes no sense.

Perhaps you should post a full statement of affairs to see where else you can reduce your expenditure?

Thank you - yes perhaps that’s is ambitious. I did a SOA earlier this week so will try and post it

Exodi

kimwp said:

I get plenty of protein with lentils, chickpeas, quinoa which are relatively cheap and nuts and seeds which aren't. Lots of other foods have protein in too - rice, oats etc and they have vitamins as well. I aim for 8-9 fruit and veg a day.

I think this is relative - lentils are about 30% protein, chickpeas 20%, quinoa 12%, rice 9%, oats 15%. Lean meats in comparison are 80-90% protein. I'm a frequent gym-goer, and try to eat veggie a good amount of the time. I find I have to use quorn/isolate products to meet my protein obligations. The average person on a vege/vegan diet should probably at least be mindful of their protein intake.

There are other foods that are high protein that I think don't get as much credit. Brocolli florets are more than 50% protein (and is cheap), Asparagus is the same (but not so cheap)

wmp92

elsien said:

I do find a small freezer invaluable, although there is only me to feed,
Not only batch cooking but also freezing the yellow sticker bargains  - grabbing meat close to its use by date when it's been heavily reduced makes a big difference.   As does using up slightly shrivelled carrots etc to make soup to eat for lunch, or making a load of frittata to freeze so I've got a grab and go lunch on my disorganised days of which there are many.
Other options if you're not veggie- reduce the amount of meat per portion and bulk out with veg and lentils, and aim for a couple of vegetarian days a week. Not the expensive veggie meat free products but veggie chilli or curry, things like that which you can also cook an extra portion of and freeze for another time.
Do you buy takeaway coffees and drinks when you're out and about?
If you haven't already done so, a spending diary would be a good starting point. 

Thank you, yes it is just me. Although, my boyfriend visits regularly which does throw off my weekly plan (when I do plan).

that was my thinking re an extra freezer, to both batch cook and to stock up oh yellow label.

I also find as a single person, I do end up wasting things like bread/buns etc, because I won’t use a whole pack before they start to go mouldy. Would be great to be able to keep these in a freezer.

wmp92

kimwp said:

As an almost vegetarian that shops in Sainsbury's and buys organic dairy, nuts and seeds and fruit and veg, I averaged £135 a month last year. That doesn't include (roughly two meals a week where I bought junk/takeaway or had a meal out, so the grocery cost doesn't cover those, but that's about £35 a week. Buying non-organic at Lidl or Aldi would reduce this significantly.

I get plenty of protein with lentils, chickpeas, quinoa which are relatively cheap and nuts and seeds which aren't. Lots of other foods have protein in too - rice, oats etc and they have vitamins as well. I aim for 8-9 fruit and veg a day.

Batch cooking can mean freezing or just making enough for several days and keeping a pot of the food in the fridge. Note that batch cooking by itself doesn't necessarily save you money - if you batch cook expensive food, it won't save you money.

Thank you. I have switched to Lidl mostly (occasionally sainsburys). I do need to focus on meals with cheaper foods. I eat a lot of chicken (although buy bigger packs and freeze individual breasts) and fresh veg with rice. I don’t buy much red meat, and when I do it tends to be mince. 

JCS1

Pop over to the Old Style Living board, there will be plenty of help and guidance on there.