Why are people so keen to reduce their food bill constantly?
Discussion
Recently on Instagram all I see is people talking about reducing their food costs, and lots of videos comparing the cost of essentials at M&S VS Aldi and people
Being shocked that M&S have a strategy to sell the “essentials” at the same price as Aldi.
There as one video where the caption was “I aspire to be M&S foodhall weekly shop rich”
Another where a woman said you know you’ve made it in life when you grab a trolly at M&S
I commented on one of these videos that I do my weekly shop there, and for 2 people it costs me less than £100, usually around £80, for a exclusively whole food low UPF shop, meats, fruits, sourdough etc
People then commented about how I was crazy, that they shop for 4 in Aldi for £30 a week, students spending £10 in Lidl living off pizza and pasta
These people seemed genuinely proud of cutting their food costs to the bones, but then you click on their profile and they’re all posing in designer clothes at the pumpkin patch with their GLAs in the background
To me good food is the building block of a good life, and it’s something I’m willing to spend more on, I can’t always make it to the farm shop so m&s is constantly reliable
Being shocked that M&S have a strategy to sell the “essentials” at the same price as Aldi.
There as one video where the caption was “I aspire to be M&S foodhall weekly shop rich”
Another where a woman said you know you’ve made it in life when you grab a trolly at M&S
I commented on one of these videos that I do my weekly shop there, and for 2 people it costs me less than £100, usually around £80, for a exclusively whole food low UPF shop, meats, fruits, sourdough etc
People then commented about how I was crazy, that they shop for 4 in Aldi for £30 a week, students spending £10 in Lidl living off pizza and pasta
These people seemed genuinely proud of cutting their food costs to the bones, but then you click on their profile and they’re all posing in designer clothes at the pumpkin patch with their GLAs in the background
To me good food is the building block of a good life, and it’s something I’m willing to spend more on, I can’t always make it to the farm shop so m&s is constantly reliable
I doubt if anyone is feeding a family of 4 for £30/week – even at Aldi. If they are, I dread to think what they are eating. And what’s a family of 4?
The husband is 5’7” and thin as a rake. The wife is 5’0” and there’s almost nothing to her and 2 skinny kids, both under 5?
Or
Is the husband a stocky bloke at 6’5”, his wife is a chunky monkey and she’s 5’10” and they have 2 15-year-old lads who wouldn’t look out of place on a front row?
I have problems keeping it under £35/week at Aldi and I’m feeding just me.
The husband is 5’7” and thin as a rake. The wife is 5’0” and there’s almost nothing to her and 2 skinny kids, both under 5?
Or
Is the husband a stocky bloke at 6’5”, his wife is a chunky monkey and she’s 5’10” and they have 2 15-year-old lads who wouldn’t look out of place on a front row?
I have problems keeping it under £35/week at Aldi and I’m feeding just me.
Quattr04. said:
that they shop for 4 in Aldi for £30 a week
Conveniently forgetting Saturday night in a restaurant and the 3 nights of takeaways? Or the freezer full of stuff that they replenish once every month or two?Another one like that I know of is someone who would eat breakfast and "lunch" (actually 3 course dinner) in the subsidised onsite restaurant, and really didn't eat much at home as a result.
People are also often just making stuff up for the sake of an argument/to support their viewpoint/attack the poster. I mean, that obviously never happens around here, but you can see how it could.
In reality, lots of folk are so poor at budgeting/spending I'd take any claims of living on £7.50pp of food a week as being a big understatement.
Jasandjules said:
I am keen to reduce all my bills. My wife, not so much...
I am ,hopefully, soon moving into my first home, i am hoping that i wont have to drill it into the girlfriend that 45 minute showers are not to become the usual when on a meter as opposed to her parents fixed rate 
Meltphace 6 said:
Hmm I would be very interested to see how £80 at M&S could feed 2 adults 2000 to 2500 calories per day each, for 7 days. 28000-35000 calories for £80 at M&S is fishy (pardon the pun).
It’s not that hard, if you think about a lot of stuff you buy it’s more than 1 meals worthI love making own ramen, you buy a pack of rice noodles and there’s 6 portions in a pack, the chicken broth makes 6 portions too from the jar, so it’s only the salmon (£6) and the veg (£3) that is one meal only
Same with stuff like chippollatas. 12 in a pack, 3 each in a toad in the hole and then another 3 for another meal,
Granted for lunch I tend to just take a tin of soup for £1.10, but that’s enough for me
To many, many people food is nothing but fuel. Spending less on it makes sense.
I used to stay with a relative with that attitude. They managed to find ready meals that didn't even need refrigeration and everything else was always the cheapest and nastiest possible.
I took to bringing my own food as eating there made me want to commit suicide.
That, and everyone's skint.
I used to stay with a relative with that attitude. They managed to find ready meals that didn't even need refrigeration and everything else was always the cheapest and nastiest possible.
I took to bringing my own food as eating there made me want to commit suicide.
That, and everyone's skint.
Funnily enough, I was chatting to a guy that sits next to me in the office yesterday afternoon. I've been sitting with him for a few years and as you do, we speak quite a bit about all sorts. Anyway, it is well known in our team that he is tighter than a ducks arse. As there being four men in my team we are always asking what each other is having for dinner that night, or we talk about eating out or take aways on weekend etc. as I'm sure we all do.
When he speaks about the food eats, it's difficult to take him seriously:- They are a family of 3, son is in uni. Never any take aways, never eat out, I have never see him eat in work. In fact I have never seen him spend any sort of money!!!! He buys food from the reduced section only and his food bill for last week for the 3 of them was £28.
One night last week he had findus crispy pancakes and salad, for dinner.
I couldn't live like that.
When he speaks about the food eats, it's difficult to take him seriously:- They are a family of 3, son is in uni. Never any take aways, never eat out, I have never see him eat in work. In fact I have never seen him spend any sort of money!!!! He buys food from the reduced section only and his food bill for last week for the 3 of them was £28.
One night last week he had findus crispy pancakes and salad, for dinner.
I couldn't live like that.
MrWideFit said:
Jasandjules said:
I am keen to reduce all my bills. My wife, not so much...
I am ,hopefully, soon moving into my first home, i am hoping that i wont have to drill it into the girlfriend that 45 minute showers are not to become the usual when on a meter as opposed to her parents fixed rate Jasandjules said:
MrWideFit said:
Jasandjules said:
I am keen to reduce all my bills. My wife, not so much...
I am ,hopefully, soon moving into my first home, i am hoping that i wont have to drill it into the girlfriend that 45 minute showers are not to become the usual when on a meter as opposed to her parents fixed rate welshjon81 said:
Funnily enough, I was chatting to a guy that sits next to me in the office yesterday afternoon. I've been sitting with him for a few years and as you do, we speak quite a bit about all sorts. Anyway, it is well known in our team that he is tighter than a ducks arse. As there being four men in my team we are always asking what each other is having for dinner that night, or we talk about eating out or take aways on weekend etc. as I'm sure we all do.
When he speaks about the food eats, it's difficult to take him seriously:- They are a family of 3, son is in uni. Never any take aways, never eat out, I have never see him eat in work. In fact I have never seen him spend any sort of money!!!! He buys food from the reduced section only and his food bill for last week for the 3 of them was £28.
One night last week he had findus crispy pancakes and salad, for dinner.
I couldn't live like that.
Were they cheesy findus pancakes?When he speaks about the food eats, it's difficult to take him seriously:- They are a family of 3, son is in uni. Never any take aways, never eat out, I have never see him eat in work. In fact I have never seen him spend any sort of money!!!! He buys food from the reduced section only and his food bill for last week for the 3 of them was £28.
One night last week he had findus crispy pancakes and salad, for dinner.
I couldn't live like that.
Quattr04. said:
Meltphace 6 said:
Hmm I would be very interested to see how £80 at M&S could feed 2 adults 2000 to 2500 calories per day each, for 7 days. 28000-35000 calories for £80 at M&S is fishy (pardon the pun).
It s not that hard, if you think about a lot of stuff you buy it s more than 1 meals worthI love making own ramen, you buy a pack of rice noodles and there s 6 portions in a pack, the chicken broth makes 6 portions too from the jar, so it s only the salmon (£6) and the veg (£3) that is one meal only
Same with stuff like chippollatas. 12 in a pack, 3 each in a toad in the hole and then another 3 for another meal,
Granted for lunch I tend to just take a tin of soup for £1.10, but that s enough for me
Edit: Waitrose because it’s what I had to hand
Edited by Meltphace 6 on Tuesday 20th January 12:15
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