Budgeting on the food shop

[Abigailly]

I spend roughly £100 a week for 3 of us. But I don't try to keep the price down. To keep it under control though, and to avoid waste I keep an incredibly strict meal planner now.

This one to be exact

https://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/products/martha-stewart-home-office/images/li_week.jpg

And I keep a strict list.

I make meals in bulk and I keep freeze them. I also re use a lot of left overs. Like I plan it so that I cook a chicken for a roast dinner and then the next day we have a chicken stir fry. Or we have a beef stew one day and I turn it into a curry the next night.

Also, I buy a lot of veg from the local farm shop. It's in season, fresher, lasts longer and is often cheaper.

If you use Tesco then they have a 'scan as you go system' which means you can keep track of how much you're spending. It also means if you find something elsewhere in the shop you can check back to see if it's a cheaper version.

Basics, like always stick to a list and always eat before you go. If needs be take a snack in with you.

And my favourite one, VOUCHERS!! I use Tesco clubcard with EVERYTHING I buy. Petrol, food, I use their banking and Eon. Every 3 months we get vouchers through and I keep them in an organiser, so I know what needs used etc.

 

[summer rain]

Average of £65-£75 a week for a family of seven, no pets and we are vegan so no meat etc. my kids are also home educated so unless they are going on a trip we don't need to buy stuff specially for packed lunches. We don't use formula but my youngest two are still in nappies and we get through quite a lot of wipes too. No Aldi or Lidl nearby so we usually get Sainsbury's online as for what we buy, it's cheapest. Also any missing items they refund and depending on the staff member you talk to in their call centre (which is in NI, not India) we have been given £5 off vouchers instead. We occasionally get ocado if we're stocking up on certain things. I don't follow a strict menu but just make sure we have all the basic ingredients at hand for dishes we typically make, if push comes to shove anything missing can be subbed with something else. I mainly cook from scratch and this week after spending £73 the fridge was rammed full of fresh fruit and veg, as was the freezer full of frozen veg so having a small budget doesnt mean you can't afford to eat healthily xx

 

[Rachel_C]

£85/week for 2 adults, 2 kids and a cat That includes some cleaning stuff, toiletries, cat food etc but no disposable nappies, wipes or formula. I probably spend an extra £20/month on cleaning stuff and toiletries I get online (BigGreenSmile is my favourite shop ).

I meal plan and try to think ahead to take advantage of offers on meat, as only OH really eats it so the 3 for £10 offers will last him a couple of weeks if I split the packets into portions and freeze what we don't need straight away. I've been shopping at the same online shop for the last couple of years so I usually know whether an offer is as good as it gets - I only buy treats like crisps or Coke (my biggest vice) when they're on the best offers and I stock up then but I only ever have a week's worth of food in the cupboards though, any extras are on top of the high cupboards so we don't feel like we have plenty and use them faster! I've been using ClickSnap from Quidco recently, it's mostly applied to things like Coke and I only use it when it's something I would buy anyway (or when I need toothpaste I'll switch brand but not increase the amount I'll spend to get cash back) and I've earned quite a bit back in the time I've been using it.

 

[Quackquack99]

I spend about 30 a week in total but it is just me and Summer in this household. I am good friends with a couple of greengrocers so I get a good discount. My other friend is a local butcher so I get meat a discount too.

 

[BabyCleo]

We are probably about $50 a week, DF and i. i buy a lot of fresh veg. and meat, and my god does bread go fast here. 2 days and a loaf is GONE! I am a total foodie and a huge cook, so i always end up buying more expensive things and cooking with them. Awesome meals, but not cheap.

And Df... well he loooooves sandwiches. like, adores them. so he has them for lunch and i make him like, 4.. he builds cars so he needs the energy!

 

[highhopes19]

We shop at aldi and spend between £40-£50 a week we buy lots of fruit and veg with that and also naughty treats like cakes and biscuits. I meal plan and cook from scratch bulking meals with extra veggies helps x