Family food costs - how much do you spend?
Discussion
KrissKross said:
Topic that has come up in our household recently.
2 adults and 2 teenagers.
Food bill ~ approx £200 a week. Excluding eating out.
Is that a lot?
Yes and no. I do two adults and it's £100 a week on good food (not eating out). There's some alcohol in that but the wine is separate. I reckon we probably do £50 a week in wine! 2 adults and 2 teenagers.
Food bill ~ approx £200 a week. Excluding eating out.
Is that a lot?
KrissKross said:
Food bill ~ approx £200 a week.
Is that just food, or does it include all the non-food items normally bought at supermarkets?Oddly enough an hour ago I tried to calculate how much my missus spends on such things (inc non-food) in March and it was £800, so spot-on the same as yours. To be honest I was expecting it to be more and I'm not convinced I've captured everything.
There's only two of us although often we have "kids" and grandchildren here.
Shaw Tarse said:
Add in proper meal planning...
This makes a massive difference. Only buying what you need and will use rather than like the look of, go out of date and you'll throw away saves a fortune.Also just using odd stuff up, bit of cooked chicken, left over bacon or lardons, few od mushrooms, cheese, flour milk and a toasted baguette.
Toast-Toppers circa 1980!
we tend to bulk buy , for example , chilli sauce i buy in 2kg tubs,lion brand is the the i get.
works out much better than buying individual bottles. we get through a lot of onions, so buy a bag,i forget how big they are,maybe 10kg. flour for making chapatti, we buy in 25kg bags.
fruit and veg , my mum sometimes goes to a market. they sell class2 or is it classb? produce. you will struggle to carry the amount of fruit and veg you can buy for £10. eg four pineapples for £1.
i also prefer to buy ingredients , rather than ready meals.if i want a pizza , i will make one. mine will have butter and olive oil in the base.
so i do not have a typical weekly shop. we eat well with as much freshly cooked food as possible as we are time rich and money poor. i would prefer to eat better quality meat , but compromises have to be made , unfortunately.
buying in bulk really does help. some weeks we only need to buy a loaf or two of bread,milk and fruit and veg. we even make our own yogurt.
i realise not everybody can do this with busy lives and families to run around after. asian supermarkets can be a good source of many staples too
works out much better than buying individual bottles. we get through a lot of onions, so buy a bag,i forget how big they are,maybe 10kg. flour for making chapatti, we buy in 25kg bags.
fruit and veg , my mum sometimes goes to a market. they sell class2 or is it classb? produce. you will struggle to carry the amount of fruit and veg you can buy for £10. eg four pineapples for £1.
i also prefer to buy ingredients , rather than ready meals.if i want a pizza , i will make one. mine will have butter and olive oil in the base.
so i do not have a typical weekly shop. we eat well with as much freshly cooked food as possible as we are time rich and money poor. i would prefer to eat better quality meat , but compromises have to be made , unfortunately.
buying in bulk really does help. some weeks we only need to buy a loaf or two of bread,milk and fruit and veg. we even make our own yogurt.
i realise not everybody can do this with busy lives and families to run around after. asian supermarkets can be a good source of many staples too
KrissKross said:
Topic that has come up in our household recently.
2 adults and 2 teenagers.
Food bill ~ approx £200 a week. Excluding eating out.
Is that a lot?
Depends on the quality etc . I would imagine its a lot lot higher than most families . We try to eat less but always better . Its true the new german supermarkets in the UK have really boosted the quality of meat . Farmers markets are a whole different ball game again. One thing is for sure. If you do all your shopping in one shop it will work out expensive and the fun has gone .If I had to pick one H/S shop it would be Waitrose . Its not as expensive as you think. the quality is good. Tescos is a joke. They really pick on the poor and fool them. Meal planning is the key and also not allowing food to waste . I cannot abide people who waste food. 2 adults and 2 teenagers.
Food bill ~ approx £200 a week. Excluding eating out.
Is that a lot?
KrissKross said:
Topic that has come up in our household recently.
2 adults and 2 teenagers.
Food bill ~ approx £200 a week. Excluding eating out.
Is that a lot?
Yes, it certainly seems a lot if it doesn't include any drink at all. Surely, it should be nearer about £120-£150 at the very most. As others have said, it may need some better planning for what is actually needed rather than just bought on the off-chance (and then usually thrown away).2 adults and 2 teenagers.
Food bill ~ approx £200 a week. Excluding eating out.
Is that a lot?
Not quite sure what we spend as it's just me and the girlfriend in the city centre. We buy as and when as we have an Aldi, Tesco, Co-Op and market very close to us. I'm still pretty thrifty and when I visit the parents, I do a bigger shop at Morrisons near them.
Best deals I usually go for are:
Steaks, 2 for £7 at Morrisons.
Pork joints for a roast, £2.90 a kg at Morrisons.
Chicken, 3 for £12 at Booker.
Veg, either free from the barrow boys that supply my business or Aldi.
Milk, bread, eggs and other basics from Aldi.
Malbec and prosseco around £7 a bottle from Aldi or Morrisons.
Rice and oriental food bought in bulk from Wing Yip and split with the parents.
Best deals I usually go for are:
Steaks, 2 for £7 at Morrisons.
Pork joints for a roast, £2.90 a kg at Morrisons.
Chicken, 3 for £12 at Booker.
Veg, either free from the barrow boys that supply my business or Aldi.
Milk, bread, eggs and other basics from Aldi.
Malbec and prosseco around £7 a bottle from Aldi or Morrisons.
Rice and oriental food bought in bulk from Wing Yip and split with the parents.
I really should direct the wife to this thread.
apparently it is impossible to shop for less than £200/week......... it's only her & her son (half the week), 3 cats & a small dog.
She seems to go food shopping every day, no meal planning, buys cooked chickens for the dog. When I get home I find enough food gone off or out of date in the fridge to feed a small African nation!!
apparently it is impossible to shop for less than £200/week......... it's only her & her son (half the week), 3 cats & a small dog.
She seems to go food shopping every day, no meal planning, buys cooked chickens for the dog. When I get home I find enough food gone off or out of date in the fridge to feed a small African nation!!
GT03ROB said:
I really should direct the wife to this thread.
apparently it is impossible to shop for less than £200/week......... it's only her & her son (half the week), 3 cats & a small dog.
She seems to go food shopping every day, no meal planning, buys cooked chickens for the dog. When I get home I find enough food gone off or out of date in the fridge to feed a small African nation!!
£800 a month on food?! That's rediculous. apparently it is impossible to shop for less than £200/week......... it's only her & her son (half the week), 3 cats & a small dog.
She seems to go food shopping every day, no meal planning, buys cooked chickens for the dog. When I get home I find enough food gone off or out of date in the fridge to feed a small African nation!!
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