Food Shopping in modern times

London_1

I am an elderly lady who lives alone and roughly budget for around £720 per year for food alone.But then I was brought up during food rationing and post war austerity and eat reasonably well and healthily.I cook all my meals from scratch and never eat between meals and with the onset of the COL crisis I shall probably put up my yearly budget to around £800 plus per year. 

I bake my own cakes and biscuits, and the budget gives me room to tuck away at the end of the month any left over cash and twice a year I do a top=up big shop for detergent, clenaing stuff and dried goods etc.

I live fairly simply but its adequate for me. I swap baked cakes for fruit with neighbours and always batch cook when I am using my oven.My freezer is full and I do eat a good amount of veggie meals although I'm not strictly a vegetarian as I do eat meat and fish.A very 'old fashioned' type of cook. Not mad keen on pasta but do like curries and chilli's and I am just as happy having veggie ones and ones with meat in.
JackieO xx

jacko220

London_1 said:

I am an elderly lady who lives alone and roughly budget for around £720 per year for food alone.But then I was brought up during food rationing and post war austerity and eat reasonably well and healthily.I cook all my meals from scratch and never eat between meals and with the onset of the COL crisis I shall probably put up my yearly budget to around £800 plus per year. 

I bake my own cakes and biscuits, and the budget gives me room to tuck away at the end of the month any left over cash and twice a year I do a top=up big shop for detergent, clenaing stuff and dried goods etc.

I live fairly simply but its adequate for me. I swap baked cakes for fruit with neighbours and always batch cook when I am using my oven.My freezer is full and I do eat a good amount of veggie meals although I'm not strictly a vegetarian as I do eat meat and fish.A very 'old fashioned' type of cook. Not mad keen on pasta but do like curries and chilli's and I am just as happy having veggie ones and ones with meat in.
JackieO xx

I am in awe of you, post war austerity, I learnt to cook watching my maternal grandmother, Roast for lunch on Sunday, Winkles and Celery for tea, therefore you can guess where I was brought up. Cold meat and bubble and squeak for Monday dinner, while my Nan did the washing, can still remember the mangle.

Shepherds pie for Tuesday, Cawl for Wednesday that is Welsh Lamb Stew, probably leant from the evacuation to Mid-Wales during WW2. Stuffed Hearts for Thursday, I still cook them, they still taste lovely, but they have to be Lambs Hearts. Friday Wing of Skate cheap back then but £10 a Wing now. Liver and Bacon for Saturday. She was an absolute genius. 

London 1 you say that you live fairly simply, it does not matter how much you spend it is how you are satisfied and it seems that you are. I have cooked for myself at various stages of my life, learnt how to cook curries from Dilip a displaced Ugandan Asian in the early 70's when I was at Polytechnic. Cooked Spaghetti Bolognaise  for 60 when I was 21. Happy Days

RichardJ xxx

sarahj1986

London_1 said:

I am an elderly lady who lives alone and roughly budget for around £720 per year for food alone.But then I was brought up during food rationing and post war austerity and eat reasonably well and healthily.I cook all my meals from scratch and never eat between meals and with the onset of the COL crisis I shall probably put up my yearly budget to around £800 plus per year. 

I bake my own cakes and biscuits, and the budget gives me room to tuck away at the end of the month any left over cash and twice a year I do a top=up big shop for detergent, clenaing stuff and dried goods etc.

I live fairly simply but its adequate for me. I swap baked cakes for fruit with neighbours and always batch cook when I am using my oven.My freezer is full and I do eat a good amount of veggie meals although I'm not strictly a vegetarian as I do eat meat and fish.A very 'old fashioned' type of cook. Not mad keen on pasta but do like curries and chilli's and I am just as happy having veggie ones and ones with meat in.
JackieO xx

Please do share recipes with us I’d love to know how you spend so little. I try my best to cook from scratch so would love inspiration. Thanks 

London_1

sarahj1986 said:

London_1 said:

I am an elderly lady who lives alone and roughly budget for around £720 per year for food alone.But then I was brought up during food rationing and post war austerity and eat reasonably well and healthily.I cook all my meals from scratch and never eat between meals and with the onset of the COL crisis I shall probably put up my yearly budget to around £800 plus per year. 

I bake my own cakes and biscuits, and the budget gives me room to tuck away at the end of the month any left over cash and twice a year I do a top=up big shop for detergent, clenaing stuff and dried goods etc.

I live fairly simply but its adequate for me. I swap baked cakes for fruit with neighbours and always batch cook when I am using my oven.My freezer is full and I do eat a good amount of veggie meals although I'm not strictly a vegetarian as I do eat meat and fish.A very 'old fashioned' type of cook. Not mad keen on pasta but do like curries and chilli's and I am just as happy having veggie ones and ones with meat in.
JackieO xx

Please do share recipes with us I’d love to know how you spend so little. I try my best to cook from scratch so would love inspiration. Thanks 

Hi there ,I have messaged you 
JackieO xx

Katiehound

sarahj1986 said:

London_1 said:

I am an elderly lady who lives alone and roughly budget for around £720 per year for food alone.But then I was brought up during food rationing and post war austerity and eat reasonably well and healthily.I cook all my meals from scratch and never eat between meals and with the onset of the COL crisis I shall probably put up my yearly budget to around £800 plus per year. 

I bake my own cakes and biscuits, and the budget gives me room to tuck away at the end of the month any left over cash and twice a year I do a top=up big shop for detergent, clenaing stuff and dried goods etc.

I live fairly simply but its adequate for me. I swap baked cakes for fruit with neighbours and always batch cook when I am using my oven.My freezer is full and I do eat a good amount of veggie meals although I'm not strictly a vegetarian as I do eat meat and fish.A very 'old fashioned' type of cook. Not mad keen on pasta but do like curries and chilli's and I am just as happy having veggie ones and ones with meat in.
JackieO xx

Please do share recipes with us I’d love to know how you spend so little. I try my best to cook from scratch so would love inspiration. Thanks 

She waves her magic wand over everything & then it turns into a new meal! I think the wand might be called 'thrift!!'

London_1

Katiehound said:

sarahj1986 said:

London_1 said:

I am an elderly lady who lives alone and roughly budget for around £720 per year for food alone.But then I was brought up during food rationing and post war austerity and eat reasonably well and healthily.I cook all my meals from scratch and never eat between meals and with the onset of the COL crisis I shall probably put up my yearly budget to around £800 plus per year. 

I bake my own cakes and biscuits, and the budget gives me room to tuck away at the end of the month any left over cash and twice a year I do a top=up big shop for detergent, clenaing stuff and dried goods etc.

I live fairly simply but its adequate for me. I swap baked cakes for fruit with neighbours and always batch cook when I am using my oven.My freezer is full and I do eat a good amount of veggie meals although I'm not strictly a vegetarian as I do eat meat and fish.A very 'old fashioned' type of cook. Not mad keen on pasta but do like curries and chilli's and I am just as happy having veggie ones and ones with meat in.
JackieO xx

Please do share recipes with us I’d love to know how you spend so little. I try my best to cook from scratch so would love inspiration. Thanks 

She waves her magic wand over everything & then it turns into a new meal! I think the wand might be called 'thrift!!'

Spot on there , years of practice helps, as well as having a very thrifty wee Scots Mum from whom I learnt so many things bless her. I often wonder what she would think of people throwing good edible food in the bin if she was alive today,I think she would be horrified 

JackieO xx

Pollycat

jacko220 said:

Rather a sensitive topic, would you call £700 for two people enough for only food shopping, I think I know the answer, however, I would like people's comments by the way this was in 2014. 

Just curious why you are asking this question 8 years on.

It seems clear to me that your wife was fleecing you - unless, as someone else has said, she was buying very expensive ingredients.
£700 per month food spend for 2 people 8 years ago is astronomical.

So how much are you spending on food now?

I cook mainly from scratch, we like stews and casseroles, mince meals etc so easy to bulk out with nutritious food like vegetables.

jacko220

Pollycat said:

jacko220 said:

Rather a sensitive topic, would you call £700 for two people enough for only food shopping, I think I know the answer, however, I would like people's comments by the way this was in 2014. 

Just curious why you are asking this question 8 years on.

It seems clear to me that your wife was fleecing you - unless, as someone else has said, she was buying very expensive ingredients.
£700 per month food spend for 2 people 8 years ago is astronomical.

So how much are you spending on food now?

I cook mainly from scratch, we like stews and casseroles, mince meals etc so easy to bulk out with nutritious food like vegetables.

I could never get an honest answer to it eight years ago, even from our vicar, it was obviously a larger amount, she hid her debts and gambling, Accused me of DV to cover the problem, I only discovered her debts after she died 7 years ago.  

Was accused of coercive control by her if I mentioned it, we where only married for seven years, both then in late 50's

I am spending between £40-£60 per week on food depending on menu, I also cook from scratch. Monkfish and mussels last night, Carrot and sweet potato soup for lunch today, Pork meatloaf with vegetables tonight. Probably about £250 per month now on food,

Many other things have come to light since she died that made me shiver.

She promised much but delivered little, I love Cawl, she never cooked it and I was banned from the Kitchen almost. Indeed I was not allowed to use the downstairs toilet, just in case her friends called.

Pollycat

jacko220 said:

Pollycat said:

jacko220 said:

Rather a sensitive topic, would you call £700 for two people enough for only food shopping, I think I know the answer, however, I would like people's comments by the way this was in 2014. 

Just curious why you are asking this question 8 years on.

It seems clear to me that your wife was fleecing you - unless, as someone else has said, she was buying very expensive ingredients.
£700 per month food spend for 2 people 8 years ago is astronomical.

So how much are you spending on food now?

I cook mainly from scratch, we like stews and casseroles, mince meals etc so easy to bulk out with nutritious food like vegetables.

I could never get an honest answer to it eight years ago, even from our vicar, it was obviously a larger amount, she hid her debts and gambling, Accused me of DV to cover the problem, I only discovered her debts after she died 7 years ago.  

Was accused of coercive control by her if I mentioned it, we where only married for seven years, both then in late 50's

I am spending between £40-£60 per week on food depending on menu, I also cook from scratch. Monkfish and mussels last night, Carrot and sweet potato soup for lunch today, Pork meatloaf with vegetables tonight. Probably about £250 per month now on food,

Many other things have come to light since she died that made me shiver.

She promised much but delivered little, I love Cawl, she never cooked it and I was banned from the Kitchen almost. Indeed I was not allowed to use the downstairs toilet, just in case her friends called.

You do seem to have been poorly treated.
Not sure why you would ask your vicar about spend on food though (but then again, I'm not religious so don't understand how those sorts of conversations go).

If you're happy with your current diet and food spend (and it does sound like you are eating pretty well). just put it out of your mind.
It's history.

jacko220

Pollycat said:

jacko220 said:

Pollycat said:

jacko220 said:

Rather a sensitive topic, would you call £700 for two people enough for only food shopping, I think I know the answer, however, I would like people's comments by the way this was in 2014. 

Just curious why you are asking this question 8 years on.

It seems clear to me that your wife was fleecing you - unless, as someone else has said, she was buying very expensive ingredients.
£700 per month food spend for 2 people 8 years ago is astronomical.

So how much are you spending on food now?

I cook mainly from scratch, we like stews and casseroles, mince meals etc so easy to bulk out with nutritious food like vegetables.

I could never get an honest answer to it eight years ago, even from our vicar, it was obviously a larger amount, she hid her debts and gambling, Accused me of DV to cover the problem, I only discovered her debts after she died 7 years ago.  

Was accused of coercive control by her if I mentioned it, we where only married for seven years, both then in late 50's

I am spending between £40-£60 per week on food depending on menu, I also cook from scratch. Monkfish and mussels last night, Carrot and sweet potato soup for lunch today, Pork meatloaf with vegetables tonight. Probably about £250 per month now on food,

Many other things have come to light since she died that made me shiver.

She promised much but delivered little, I love Cawl, she never cooked it and I was banned from the Kitchen almost. Indeed I was not allowed to use the downstairs toilet, just in case her friends called.

You do seem to have been poorly treated.
Not sure why you would ask your vicar about spend on food though (but then again, I'm not religious so don't understand how those sorts of conversations go).

If you're happy with your current diet and food spend (and it does sound like you are eating pretty well). just put it out of your mind.
It's history.

My wife was an elder at the Church, we lived like brother and sister, she gave up work as soon as we moved in together. I ask the vicar, a woman for candid advice, she suggested counselling, my wife did not want to go.

I went and described everything including that before she met me she had 17 miscarriages. I did say there is no reason why that should happen again, yet another bruise.

I have forgotten it, but it feels that everything is stacked against males. I realise that I should probably not say this but I am happy now/