Is this reasonable? Food shop related!

[Bellygirl]

Sorry if there's already a million similar threads but I just wanted your opinion. At the moment I'm spending £60 ish but sometimes up to £80 a week on food shopping for me, DP and DS. This is including cleaning products which I buy approx once per month. Oh and this isn't including food for dog and guinea pigs which I buy separately for about £40 a month. Is this a normal amount to be spending these days? I would like to spend less but don't seem to have enough food if I do! I don't buy anything fancy and mostly own brands from either Tesco or Aldi.

[slebmum1]

If I do online we spend 85-90, 2 adults, 2 four year olds. The kids have school dinners but that includes packed lunch for me and DH. One dog. If we go to the shop it's about £120.

Doesn't include alcohol or 'treats'.

[FishWithABicycle]

We typically spend at least £110 a week for 2 adults and a child but we aren't particularly economising - I doubt we'd get it much below £80 if we started trying to be properly frugal so I reckon that you are doing OK

[SerenityReynolds]

We probably spend £40-50 per weekl on our online shop and then £10-20 on fresh veg/fruit, milk and bread top ups if needed (2 adults, toddler and baby). That includes formula, cat food. We go to Aldi once a month to stock up on nappies/wipes/cleaning products and are going through the process of trying some of their own brand stuff and replacing that with the more expensive varieties where we like it.

[gingerdad]

We meal plan and buy from local Butcher / green grocer and Aldi. Spend 60-70 per week includes cleaning etc & pack lunch for me and OH. DDs have school dinners on top of this. And our milk is delivered approx £15-20 per month.

Find planning what you need and using lists have reduced our bills massively. Every few weeks we don't shop at all.

[OttiliaVonBCup]

I'm surprised you need to buy cleaning products every month.
Mine last a lot longer than that.

or maybe I'm not cleaning often enough

[Bellygirl]

Ok thanks, I feel a bit better about the amount I spend now. Oh when I said I buy cleaning products every month I didn't mean I buy all of them, just one or two items of whatever has run out, maybe one month washing powder, one month washing up liquid etc!

[OttiliaVonBCup]

That's reasonable.

[Tigerblue]

We spend £45-50 a week on food and cleaning products for two adults and one teenager as we're trying to be careful with money for a year or two. Used to spend more like £90 a week though, have just got into the habit of looking for cheaper options, offers on products we use, buying from cheaper places.

[Allofaflumble]

The only cleaning products I use are washing up liquid mixed with water in a spray bottle, loo cleaner, and disinfectant/multi purpose/or bleach.

I think all the spray products for kitchens, bathrooms, bins etc are a complete waste of money and full of obscure chemicals.

You can save a lot of money not buying them (if you do).

[BikeRunSki]

I think your shop costs sound very reasonable OP.

[NapoleonsNose]

I think that sounds about right too. I shop in Lidl for most things with a Tesco top up for the bits Lidl don't stock. There are 2 adults, 2 teenagers plus a cat to feed. I mainly meal plan and cook from scratch and usually spend around £80 a week.

[Kraggle]

Reasonable to me. We can spend anywhere between £50-£80 a week for me, dh, and nearly 3yo dd including litter/cat food for 2 cats. We do an online shop at asda and I may have to top up bread and milk.

[Roystonv]

Just a comment, your animal costs seem high unless the dog is a giant one or on special food.

[TooShyShyHushHush]

It sounds reasonable.

I spend £45-50 a week in Me, Teenager,DS and 1 cat. Teenager and I have pack lunches and DS gets a school dinner.

I add cleaning stuff in as and when we need it. I rarely shop elsewhere during the week as I'm rushing to and from work/childcare and can't really fit it in.

I try very hard to meal plan and prep a few 'dump bag' dinners for the freezer on a sunday that I can chuck in the slowcooker.

[PumpkinPie2013]

We spend about £60 for me, DH and 2 year old DS.

That includes nappies, wipes and cleaning /household products and some treats.

Mostly from Aldi but meat from the butcher.

Me and DH each take packed lunches to work. DS gets breakfast, lunch and snack at nursery Mon-Fri so only has evening meal at home.

I meal plan and batch cook where possible.

[Oly5]

We spend £130 pw so you're doing brilliantly! 2 adults 2 dcs

[SherbrookeFosterer]

Try buying from a street market. I feed two adults and one greedy teenager for £30 per week.

I make my own cleaning products with cheap Tesco own brand washing up liquid and anti bacterial.

[Kenworthington]

I think it sounds about right Op, we prob spend about £120-£150 if I include cleaning stuf. (Though I tend to buy those bits seperately from wilkos) plus about £30 a month on toiletries as I buy bubble bars from lush as they seem to be the only things that don't upset dd's skin,

[Wineandchease]

For 3 of us ( pack ups for all ) and cleaning products we spend around £80 a week - that also includes cat food

[coffeeisnectar]

Check out Amazon for pet supplies. We get a bulk delivery of cat biscuits every three months (12kg for £40 Purina) which is cheaper than the supermarkets by far.

Amazon also do a new hamper box where you can order washing powder, coffee, loo rolls, squash etc and I use that every two months and that's normally about £50 with enough of everything (except coffee) to last the two months.

Buy meat from the butchers once a month and get it parcelled into meal sizes, so 6lb of mince into six bags of 1lb each.

Then just use aldi or lidl for the rest.

I normally spend about £30 a week (2 adults, 2 kids) on top of the bulk buying. Plus about £6 a week on wet food for the cats.

[lizzywig]

Sounds about right to me. We shop monthly with weekly top ups for fresh of things like milk, bread, fruit, veg and yoghurt. All in we spend around £220 a month for two adults and one child. We do a big monthly shop and freeze meat for the month. We do a lot of batch cooking too because we work full time so that probably won works out cheaper too. We also buy some frozen veg in addition to fresh for more variation.

[Purplebluebird]

We spend sround £70 for 2 adults and 1 child. I'm a SAHM so we eat everything at home, often packed lunch for OH.