Help me reduce my shopping budget please!!!

Pixie983

Hi there - after posting on the DFW board someone has suggested this board for help in reducing my monthly shop!

After just going through last months bank statement online there are a total of 17 debits to Tesco which I know will only be food/toiletries shopping. These 17 debits amount to £347.26 which for 2 adults + 2 cats for 1 month seems ridiculous now it's written down in front of me! I rarely do a big shop and normally just 'pop' to the supermarket whenever I need anything. I do kind of plan for the week but still find I'm missing things that's why I end in the supermarket so much!

Also my OH is an extremely fussy eater so most nights I find I'm only getting dinner for myself (anyone in this situation will know it's quite hard!)

Any help would be appreciated! New month starts tomorrow when I get paid - I'm thinking of trying shopping online as I have a tendency to impulse buy when in the supermarket then throw things away that haven't been used. Is this a good idea?

madmalteaser

Pixie - I have exactly the same problem with a fussy-eating boyfriend. It means for us that we tend to always end up eating the same thing and I can enjoy something he wouldn't like on an evening when he's out but why is cooking for one so much harder than cooking for 2?!

I've finally got him into the habit of making something like a shepherds pie and taking a portion of the rest into work for lunch the next day but he makes my shopping budget very difficult because he is a classic for not preparing any food for work at all and just buying something when he is out.

I haven't added up how much we've spent this month yet (just about too - eek!) but I'm guessing it's going to be in the same sort of region as yourself and we haven't even got any pets! I hope someone pops by soon with some ideas because I could just a few tips myself.

Good luck with next month's shop!

CoD_2

I like shopping online as i know what i'm spending at all times (no shocks at the till) i find it easier to compare items by weight, i can view all offers on one page and i can run my shopping trolley for a few days, ensuring i have the things i may have forgotten, removing the things i don't actually need (munchy moments or things i already actually have in) etc

System

i have cut my weekly bill from £120 to approx £40 i choose asda value products it helps that hubby will try anything if its rubbish i dont buy it again .

Ben84

We've saved on cat food recently. I was concerned that commercial cat food is poor quality and expensive, so we started feeding our cats meat. Sometimes we get a cheap but perfectly good cut, cook it when the oven is going on for something else, and freeze it in portions to defrost overnight in the fridge. Also, Iceland sell clear plastic packets of cooked chicken and beef trimmings which are ready to put from the fridge in their bowls, and can be frozen for use later. We've found it cheaper than even supermarket brand cat food, and both cats seem in better health since.