What's the least I can spend on food

[Ghanagirl]

What's the least amount I can spend on a weekly food shop for family of four? And how would you achieve this? Live in London

[GertyD]

To eat relatively well (thinking 5 fruit/veg a day and three meals) I can do a shop for four for 50-60 per week. But, I have had to learn to cook properly. Rice has replaced potato as a staple dinner carbohydrate. Also I had to 'bank' a load of herbs/spices. Also I don't buy junk food (crisps/biscuits/cakes/snacks).

[ashamedoverthinker]

I was floating around £100 for four inc nappies.

I have decided to spend £80 - ive done a meal plan. I want to have 5 meals per week with meat (DH trains a lot and need his protein but DC's do not eat much meat). Im trying to make things go further:

Im going to put lentils (£1) and value mixed frozen veg (75p) into the dishes below made with 750g pack of mince (3 for £10) which should give enough for two meals each for 4. (So six meals in total)

Spag Bol
Chilli
Mince beef hotpot

Inc pots and pasta tomatoes and oxo (£4) I think this comes in at £4 per main meal. Having two of these per week means we can afford a chicken or stewing steak for casserole.I intend to do one omlette day and a vegetarian day.I know some people pare back further than this though.

[ashamedoverthinker]

Oh and do your shop online, you can meal plan as you go and adjust anymeal plans in response to special offers and of course you can see how much you are spending as you go.

[Ghanagirl]

Thanks, I think I've been spending around £150 a week which I just can't afford this month

[Iamnotanugget]

I would think £50-60 is reasonable but if you're looking for inspiration try looking at 'A girl called Jack', she has blogged some exceptionally cheap and healthy recipes.

[Islenka]

When I lived in London (for a year and a half, a few months ago) for a family of at the time 6, we spent about £45 a month when things were financially worse off.

[ashamedoverthinker]

how did you manage islenka

[Fluffycloudland77]

www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/ £100 a month according to this.

[Ghanagirl]

Thanks everyone was really starting to panic, as I'm starting new year in dire straights, will check out a girl called jack as saw an article about her somewhere

[littleredsquirrel]

Realistically we do it for £80ish a week to eat well but I do have a good store cupboard.

It's also time dependent. When I'm around and have time to cook properly we can do it more cheaply. If we are grabbing preprepared stuff to eat quickly its more expensive. Also depends on the ages of your DCs.

Very very Roughly:

Six lots of meat on 3 for a tenner offer - this will do all our meals easily - £20
Fresh fruit and veg - £15
Bread - £5
Milk - £6
Butter £2.50
Cheese - £5 for 800g
Pasta - 2 packs 80p
Rice £1
Flour £1
Cereal - £3
Fruit juice- £4
Random stuff like tinned tomatoes, sauces, beans, sugar, tea bags etc if needed £12

It's not particularly interesting and we do have chickens and so get free eggs which I use to bake.

[ashamedoverthinker]

Thanks for sharing that squirrel as I have just decided to aim for the £80 I posted about it reassuring to know you can eat quite well without having to literally eat rice and beans.

[Norudeshitrequired]

OP - is your budget just for food or do you need to include toiletries and cleaning stuff in that too?

[confusedofengland]

We average £100-£200 per month for a family of 4 (DSes 5 & 2) plus cat, so average of about £50 per week. This includes cleaning products, toiletries, cat food, nappies for DS2. We keep to this mainly by buying a lot of reduced price (end of day) fresh food - meat, fish, fruit, veg, bakery items etc. On Christmas Eve we got enough meat to last about 6 weeks for £50ish instead of £200 iirc.

I also use value brands a lot & buy milk, bread at Farm Foods when I can't get it reduced. We also eat tasty & varied foods on this budget.

[Norudeshitrequired]

confused where do you find all these reduced bargains? My two local supermarkets do have a reduced section, but the prices are only around 10-15% lower than the original prices and getting to the section is almost impossible due to the sheer volume of people all bargain hunting.

[confusedofengland]

The Christmas Eve one was more by luck than judgement, we were just there & I always look in the reduced counter, when I saw the Tesco worker coming along with her trolley, so I hung around

But normally, I go to the store between 7-8pm & ask a staff member when the reductions will be coming out & make sure to be there. Each shop varies so best to ask staff when they reduce goods. Also, be prepared to hang around for 10-15 minutes & it can get crowded (though I've not experienced any violence yet )

[Ghanagirl]

Think I've got enough cleaning stuff and toiletries to las 2-3 weeks so might have to top up a bit so it's mainly food

[Ghanagirl]

Islenka £45 a month for family of 6 how an earth did you do that?

[TotallyAddictedToLurking]

What meals do you all eat? I can only think of 4 so far. I am hoping to do a 14 day meal plan.

[Norudeshitrequired]

As it's just food it's definitely doable. I spend £100 per week and that includes all toiletries, cleaning products, free from food (one person has food allergies) and at least one bottle of wine. If I was on a tight budget then I could shave off at least £10. If it was just food (and no specialist free from foods) then I reckon it would be around £70 per week.
We eat meat, fish or poultry with our evening meal every day. We eat things like chicken pasta bake, cottage pie with vegetables, steak pie with vegetables, paella, roast dinners, casseroles, chicken fajitas, fish pie....

We use to spend £160 per week, but reduced it a couple of years ago and have a better diet now as everything is freshly prepared and nutritious. Ready meals or convenience foods (even ready peeled veg) adds a lot to the weekly bill.

[thatgirloverthere]

The lowest I can manage is £75, that's 3 meals a day for 3 adults and 2 kids, includes a packed lunch each day for husband and children, and a lunch for me two weekdays, my eldest son is studying away from home so we don't need to feed him at the moment.

I've just checked out an Asda online grocery shop total cost £75.01p including toilet tissue but no other household items as I do try and keep a good stock of washing and cleaning stuff. I could possibly have got it down slightly as I will admit to buying prepared veg, but as I work and meal plan it's sometime's the difference between having enough time to get a certain meal ready and having beans on toast. I usually review the shop the night before it's due to be delivered so I can add or take away items.

[littleredsquirrel]

In terms of meals we tend to have the following fairly regularly when we are being careful with the food bill:

Spag Bol (with lots of veg lentils and some oats)
Chilli and rice (as above)
Chicken curry
Chicken pasta bake
Chicken and vegetable risotto
Tomato risotto (we like risotto!)
Moroccan chicken with cous cous
Thai curry
Shepherds pie
Egg and chips
Spaghetti carbonara
Cheese and potato pie
Pesto and feta quiche

All cheap meals and can be padded out.

We also use the freezer a LOT. Everything that isn't used is frozen, even if its a handful of chickpeas half a cup of tomato sauce or a couple of mushrooms. Then gets thrown into the next suitable meal. I am the laughing stock of my extended family for the fact that I will chuck a lone slice of garlic bread into the blender to use as a topping on the next pasta bake rather than throw it away (but my food bills are lower than theirs!)

[Clutterbugsmum]

I would also add

Use markets, ethnic shops as they often have better value on rice and spices etc.

[ashamedoverthinker]

I would add that sometimes it's useful to have a day where you just use up leftovers so everyone may be eating a bit of this/that or different meals completely.

Sometimes for the kids i do them a snack plate for tea using packed lunch type of stuff - meat/cheese/crackers/fruit/yoghurt/salad items.

Sometimes if tea is a bit small/lacking i do tem a supper plate later like above or cereal/toast to top them up.

[BoffinMum]

A Mnetter did a great £50 for a week menu on my blog. I think that's about as cheap as you want to go sustainably.

[ashamedoverthinker]

Oh thats great boffinmum never seen that - but I think adding and etra £10 for some mince, bacon and chicken would work for us.

Im gong to add some of those ideas to me spreadsheet. (dont ask)