I really need help

Paige

Hi everyone

I really need help to get my housekeeping budget under control. I have reduced my debt by 6k over the last 8 months - now have about 5 k left to clear. I have today been reducing insurances, phone bills ect in a big push to get this down again. I have been ebaying and carbooting to get extra cash , the shopping I have just left as I struggle as to where to start.
I am spending about £600 per month on shopping:eek: for 2 adults and 2 teenagers, for breakfast, packed lunches and dinners. I have got a full freezer and store cupboards but I just dont know how to start reducing costs.
Practically - do I plan meals for the next week ? I seem to just shop with no aim. Do I use all this food and then do a big shop to re-stock ?
This is the last thing to be sorted and I need to reduce it as both me and DH are self-employed and are worried about the state of the economy.

Sorry to sound so ridiculous. Can anyone advise me ? Thanks

outrageous_monkey

Hi Paige

Well done all getting your debt down!!:beer:

If it was me, I would do a freezer inventory. From that list, make a meal plan for 1 week (just do one week at a time whilst your getting use to it). If you are missing some key ingredients, add that to a shopping list.

If you find you like the idea of making meal plans, it will be much easier to buy food. Have you considered shopping online? There are mixed responses on here about online shopping, but for me its saved us a small fortune. I'm not just picking items up willy nilly 'just to see what it tastes like' and then leaving it in a cupboard/fridge/freezer for its lifetime. Dont forget the voucher thread for extra points or free delivery for the supermarket of your choice.

Theres also the storecupboard challenge on here somewhere or the monthly grocery challenge....you'll get loads of advice on there too.

gunsandbanjos

Come join us on The Grocery Challenge, its the first post on this Forum.

Kate1983

Hello! The way I managed to get my food shopping under control was to plan meals each week. I write out a meal plan for each week and then a list of the ingredients I will need for each meal. Then I add all the other stuff I need eg. milk, fruit, toiletries or household stuff I have run out of. Then I check the price of everything online (this is a bit excessive, perhaps!) so I know how much I will be spending, adjust the meal plans if necessary to get the spend within budget, then go shopping.
Definately planning ahead helps - I used to just go shopping and buy stuff and spent a huge amount.
Now I spend £150 a month for 2 adults.
Hope this helps.
xx

wornoutmumoftwo

Take a look at this thread: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=697339

I am using this as a starting point to reduce my expenditure, on this thread the OP is getting through the month on just £100

You could also join the monthly grocery challange, you set a budget and aim to keep to it, mine in £240 for 2 adults, 2 boys (4&5) and a cat.

Other then that I look for cheap cuts of meat and slow cook it, BOGOF and try and cook as much from scratch as is possible,

Poggie123

If you've got well stocked storecupboards and freezer it might be worth doing a 'stocktake' of what you've got already. I find it best to organise it into groups like meat, fish, frozen dinners like hm cottage pie etc, veg, and odds and sods like yorkies and stuffing etc. Then you can look at the list and create a menu plan more easily and a shopping list to only buy what you need iyswim? I try and keep a running list and cross things off as they're used or add them as they're bought.

Post your list if you're stuck for ideas i'm sure you'll get loads of suggestions on here

Paige

Wow - Thanks for all the great advice. I like the idea of weekly meal planning. I have shopped online a few times but found I was buying even more stuff when I popped out to the supermarket for a few bits !
I would be so pleased if I could get the bill down to about £350 per month.
If you meal plan do you include breakfast and lunches as well ?

Pink.

Hi Paige,

I find meal planning really does help to cut costs. I don't really include breadfast as it's usually made from store cupboard items but I do include lunch. Just do what works best for you.

This thread should help you get started:

The Complete Menu Plans Collection

It may also help to have a read through Martin's article:

Supermarket Shopping: Halve your weekly bill by beating the system


Good luck with cutting back,

Pink

minimooch

one simple thing I have found that made a huge difference to my food bill was to stop buying brands.

i used to be a real slave to particular brands. i followed martins advice to drop a brand level (wish i could remeber how he describes it). basically if you always buy a particular brand of something try the supermarket own version, and if you usually buy the supermarket version try their value range. if you like it stick with it, if you don't then buy what did before.

Its made a massive difference to my food bills.

I also make sure I buy whatever is on offer rather than the same brand every week, eg coffee, cheese etc is whatever is on BOGOF that week

pigpen

I spend about £600 a month on food for 2 adults, 2 teenagers and 6 hollow children.. all of them apart from me eat like locusts!!!

I'd start with a stocktake of what you do have.. good time to clean out the cupboards and restack it all in an ordered manner.. Then see what meals you can make and fit them into a meal plan for as long as possible..

I'd try to use what you have already and then buy fresh when you are running low.. it is a good way to see what you buy out of habit and actually don't use!.. like the stock cubes in my cupboard!!

I stock up on stuff on offer.. I shop online and pop out to buy fresh veg, fruit and milk usually daily!!

I buy tesco value just about everything.. and a tin of their beans mixed in with a tin of heinz you'd never know the difference!! Mind you I think heinz are way too salty so don't buy them!

I bet you can half that budget!!

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi There

Well done on cutting your debt by sooooo much:T ....you are an inspiration!

Over the past 2 years, we have cut our weekly shops (2 adults + 1 13yr DD) from over £100pw to around £40 pw.

We have tried most cheaper alternatives to different products, but TBH, there are many things branded we prefer but stock up when on offer at the supermarket or at Makros.

They key is to buy what you NEED rather than what you WANT. This way food wont be wasted and you can top up on things as you need them. I tend to have a good stock cupboard, but oly foods I know we will eat.

Make a list of what you have in the freezer, fridge and cupboards and make a menu plan accordingly. Use up what needs using first and so forth.

Once a week we have a FREE meal, which is normally leftovers or Egg & chips as we always have these in.

HTH and good luck.

PP
xx