How do you all spend so little?

cobbingstones

Hi all

Well I'm so impressed every time that I see someone spend so little on their shopping. I have tried weekly shops at all the main outlets, monthly shops, local only shops etc etc but still I am spending approx £100 weekly on food for four. I exactly feel ashamed about this because I know Sammy Kaye can make this last for a month :A I menu plan, I cook from scratch but still it always goes over. Would some kind soul have pity on me if they have the time to write out what they buy and what they make with it??? A lot to ask I know.

Thank you all for the lovely receipes and ideas. I will get there.......


MM

Nitha

Well for a family of four 100 isn't enough for a month, I think SammyKaye is 2 adults and a young child if I remember rightly. I feed two adults on 20 pounds per week and a baby is fed, clothed and entertained on 18.80 per week. We do struggle but here's generally what we get:

Tinned tomatoes (saviour, will make spag bol, lasagne, tom soups, pasta sauce, curries etc)
Baked beans (used in sausage casserole, chilli and shep pie)
Big back of tatties (roast, mash, jackets and cheesy pot pie)
Pasta (general staple)
UHT Milk
Carrots (probably cheapest and most versitile of the veggies)
Frozen peas and sweetcorn (generally last at least a month)
Frozen bag of sausages
Mince from the butchers (our is 2lb for 2 pounds which i freeze into 3 or 4 portions)
Frozen chicken breasts (I use 1 breast in a chicken curry and bulk it out with veggies)
Rice (Rissoto is possibly my favourite easy cheap meal)
Bag of value fruit, be it bananas, pears or apples
Frozen mixed veg bag (I call it my emergency veg)
I make my own pastry so always have flour, marg and lard
Occasionally make bread so yeast too (also good for a pizza base)
Cheese (our 'treat' iteam)
Tuna is often in the cupboard for sarnies and pasta
I bulk make pasta sauce with tinned toms and frozen or fresh veg and freeze (I put my recepie in southern scousers post)
Stock cubes are good too if you don't make your own

We don't do a set monthly or weekly shop, we just occasionally pop out if we need something and I walk to save petrol costs. I drink coffee so we have that in as well as tea bags and sugar for guests.

Sorry it's not very structured, but I'm not really (I had severe stress in my teens so the only way I combat it is to keep my life very flexible!)

cobbingstones

Thank you so much Nitha. Much appreciated.

MM

Nitha

No problem - I've had years living on the breadline to get it right!

shell2001

I think it depends where you live as to the the shops/markets you have available to you. Where I am I would have a half hour drive to the nearest market (as I dont drive - yet! no gonna happen). Also Sammy works in the co-op so I know she can pick up reduced items at the end of the night cheaply (not taking anything away from her 'cos I think what she does is amazing).

Dont measure how you are doing against others, why not join the grocery challenge, keep reciepts and see where the money is going. I know there are things I could cut back on but unless we really needed too I dont.

the_cat

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=449413

Welcome on board!

You will get loads of tips to help reduce budget but the above thread is a starting point where a few of us costed out a weeks menu/did shopping lists etc just to get you started! Don't feel despondant though.... take it a bit at a time and aim to reduce by £5 - £10 a week to start with, then a bit more until you are as low as you feel comfortable with.

Join us over in the Grocery Challenge and you will soon have your weekly shop on the way down!

Nitha

I think Shell has a good point. I live on so little because I need to. When I worked full time and was childless I had more, but when I was a student bringing in 3k per annum I had much much less. Find a figure you are comfortable with and don't forget - utilise your freezer!

misspenny

i walked about 3 miles today to get cheap eggs well it was a nice walk along canal tow path and me and 21 month old saw all the narrow boats, swans and a giant frog, but theres a farm at the end where the eggs are really cheap. 75p for 6 free range almost organic eggs (the cant get organic certification but they are pretty much organic farmers) we spent £44 at the supermarket for 3 of us which should last the week we dont meal plan (i just cant get my head around being that organised) but do keep a very close eye on what we put in the trolly we used to waste an awful lot on perishables that we never got round to eating or snacks and treats that i could bake myself for a tiny fraction of the price, also down to just one store bought bread a week and bake my own rolls at the cost of about 30P a batch, this year we have got an allotment and hope to grow our own to reduce our bills further

good luck madsmum

cobbingstones

Where I live we have a Tesco, Sainsbury's and Waitrose. No cheap shops sadly.

Thanks all

MM

cobbingstones

Thanks Miss Penny (you don't have a thanks button)

Do you all take a certain amount of cash with you (or shop online)? If I shop online I'm always down the local shop due to forgetting things (is there any hope for me??)

MM

Nitha

I was using my card but I found I overspent. Now I just withdraw the four weeks money and take it with me - once it's gone it's gone.