whats in your shopping cart?

[Eternal]

Ok what do you lovely ladies who know how to budget buy each week?

I end up spending a small fortune every time I shop and I need some inspiration!

So what do you buy, including cleaning products, treats, main meals, lunch and how much do you spend?

I shop twice a month, but still end up spending £150 - £300 a time!

Inspire me that shopping on a budget can be done.

 

[Inge]

We buy lots of frozen meat and chicken portions/fish portions as its cheaper then fresh. We also have a bit of pasta. 30p pasta is the same as bags that cost £1+ to us. Also rice can be brought at 40p a packet. Soup we get at 30ish pence a tin and to me soup is soup, no matter the price Bread we get when reduced at end of the use by date and freeze to use as we need it.
cleaning products I get Tesco value all purpose cleaner at around 55p a bottle and the second cheapest own brand washing up liquids. Ones at 60-80p are great. Poundshops usually sell packs of 2 big bottles for £1 Bargain shops like Home Bagains sell named brands at low prices (they sell food too)
Hope I helped! Also we do a big monthly shop and just food is about £50 a month then milk is another £10 sometimes. An then any other little bits we run out of

 

[Eternal]

wow! thats an inspiration! thanks x

 

[Inge]

thanks You just need to get out of the mindset most people have about cheap food. Just because its own brand doesnt change what it is. I used to only buy the better known brands but since getting our own house and having kids Im alot more budget wise now.

 

[Eternal]

yeah, I have never been good with a food budget (or any budget really :S) but food is shocking, esp with three kids in nappies, two 4 month olds on formula, etc.

 

[Tegans Mama]

Every thursday my OH & I write a list of meals we'll have the next week. Then I break that down & work out what ingredients I need. I add the cleaning products etc onto that list and just buy those things on the list. Some weeks we'll have little extras, some weeks it is just what's on the list. I don't spend more than £60 most weeks. It was £47 when I went yesterday

 

[Squidge]

I'm another who does meal plans for the week, I find I save a lot doing that rather than just buying random stuff. If I'm buying mince ill split it into portions and freeze it till I need it then I'll add veg to it to bulk the meals out. Chicken, pork etc I buy frozen as it lasts longer and sometimes works out cheaper. Bread I also freeze so it lasts longer as I just take it out as and when I need it. I buy toilet rolls & kitchen rolls from our local shop as they're the cheapest for decent ones so I stock up on those. I've also started buying a lot of morrison's savers range rather than big brands, they still taste the same

The last 3/4wks my shopping bill has been less than £35 each week!!

 

[Armywife84]

I use vouchers for toiletries, cleaners, toilet roll, etc.

I stick with fresh meats and produce as frozen anything tends to be pricey. Also, make out a meal plan so I'm not overbuying on foods.

With just me and my DH, I spend $80-$120 for the whole month. My SIL with her DH and daughter spend $150 a month and she also uses vouchers.

 

[littlebabyboy]

also interested in this! i'm terrible at budgeting!!

 

[marley2580]

I can't meal plan as I never know if OH is going to be home for tea or not, so I make sure I have loads of veg in the house (veg isn't that expensive) and staples such as (quorn) mince, pasta, tinned tomatoes, beans etc. I still spend too much atm but am getting better - my aim is to get to £100 a month for all shopping. For things like crisps and sweets etc I try to use something like Approved Foods, which sells food that's past it's best before date. Let me know if you want a recommendation for it lol.

 

[TaylorsMummyx]

Do u no wha OH is the biggest name snob iv ever nown,toke him aldi and he hardly put owt in trolly. Came homs he ate the stuff (ribs, biscuits ect) and said its etter ten the brand stuff. Now when we go he costs me a fortune haha. He says there ribs are better then most hes had in pubs ect

 

[ChloesMummy]

We have had to have some serious cut backs on our shopping since I left my job and went back to being a student and the best way I have found is to meal plan and buy own brand. It doesn't have to be value price- I actually prefer some of the Tesco range tins over the Heinz stuff that I used to buy and they are half the price.

I make a big pot of veg soup every other week so they don't get sick of it and the ingredients only cost a few £. I try to stock up on bread and freeze it cos I find that if I run out and nip to the spar for some I end up coming back with bread + £15 worth of rubbish lol

Our shopping is down to about £60ish a week from about £120-50 per week! Thats for 2 children and 2 adults with a pretty healthy diet.

 

[marley2580]

I've been googling wartime recipes, some great money saving ideas there

 

[Tinax]

We meal plan for the week, I always write a list and never put extra stuff in if it's not on the list. Also shop on my own leave kids at home with DH our average spend a week is £60 for a family of 6 xx

 

[Mousey]

We shop roughly every two weeks and spend about £40 a time. That's for two people. I'm vegetarian and my husband is a meat-eater and it includes cleaning products but not toiletries.

I don't eat alot as I'm in recovery (not even sure I am sometimes) from an Eating Disorder but my husband likes his meat which can be expensive!

We're also going to be having a little kitty joining our family soon so our bill will go up but we know how much it is to keep animals so it won't go up by much.