Monthly food shop is this expensive?

[Foxysoxy01]

Today I spent the day helping a friend out with her monthly budgeting (they are saving for a new extension so need to have a realistic monthly budget to stick to)

One of the costs was £400 a month on the food shop. My first thought was that seemed huge and it could be cut down maybe even nearly halved. There are 3 of them my friend, her husband and their teenage boy that is a bottomless pit!

She explained it included washing powder/comfort, cleaning products and packed lunch stuff for DS and didn't think she could do it for less.

She shops at Tesco/Sainsbury's and normally has it delivered.

Having thought about it I actually think maybe she was right and food is just more expensive than it used to be and prices have just sort of crept up without me really registering.

So my AIBU is...do you think I was wrong and £400 a month is fair or is she way off?
What are your weekly/monthly costs in comparison?
And what do you do to make it cheaper?

[x2boys]

its £100/week ish so about right i probably spend that when you add in the top ups etc.

[PickAChew]

Sounds pretty reasonable to me, but then we spend twice that, some months for that combination plus a bottomless pit in training.

[WorraLiberty]

Ours is about £80 per week I think.

That's 4 adults (well, 2 teens so adult appetites) and a dog.

But it includes everything including top ups, like bread and milk etc.

[I8toys]

Sounds about right - we can spend more some weeks and less others but usually about £100 a week - 2 adults, 2 teens and 2 cats!!

[abeandhalo]

I think that sounds about right. If you think about shampoo, deodorant & things like that it quickly adds up. Some weeks will be more than others, too, when you run out of salt, oil, etc.

[Riderontheswarm]

My goal this year is to bring ours down to £400 a month. I always try to get good value with food but am way over this at the moment. So I think your friend does well to get all household stuff for £400 a month.

[Piratefairy78]

We are a family of 5. 3 DC are 10,8,6. We spend £120ish a week. It also includes most cleaning stuff and toiletries. We also get it delivered as we are time poor. I could get it down to £100ish by shopping around etc however in my eyes the extra £20 saves me going out and having to drag DC around the shops when DH is working away.

[MrsExpo]

Wish I could get ours down to that. She could stop having it delivered and definitely shop at Aldi ....

[Foxysoxy01]

That's a really good point I hadn't even thought about toiletries.

It's made me think more about my monthly food shop I hadn't really thought about it and just spend what I need to (and always find myself desperate for next pay check by the end of the month ) so maybe I need to sort a budget for myself!

[EssentialHummus]

Sounds about right, but if she has an Aldi/Lidl nearby I'd steer her towards that - I saved 40% or so on my shop compared to Sainsburys.

[formerbabe]

It's not excessive at all. You can do it for less though.

[228agreenend]

£400 is not outrageous but can be improved. I probably spend £60-80 on main shop, plus £20 top up shop (per week) but am a family of four, plus buy things at Costco.

Ways to cut down:
Go down a brand. Eg Heinz beans to Tesco beans
Meal plan
Batch cooking
Cook cheaper meals. Eg. Not steak everyday

[chickenowner]

My DP and I spend that much just for 2 of us.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

It's about right with a hungry teen. I've even noticed my Aldi bill creeping up recently.

[foxyloxy78]

Yeah that's about right. That's more or less what we spend. It really does all add up. Even when you take advantage of special offers, the cost of living has crept up over the years.

[SnugglySnerd]

Sounds about right. Ours is about £70 a week for 2 adults, two yo DD, cat food/litter and cleaning stuff, shower gel etc.
A year ago it was only about £50-55 a week on the same stuff. I think food has got a lot more expensive.

[SprogletsMum]

She could easily spend less than that. There's 5 of us and a cat and including all cleaning stuff, nappies and toiletries I spend £80 or less a week.

[clary]

I bet I spend that if I include extra bread/bananas etc in the week. Spent £85 yesterday in aldi and Morrison's. Mind you we have five people including three locust-like teens and that includes pack ups. If she went to aldi it might be £50 less?

[mumonashoestring]

It's what I budget for food and household stuff each month. I do one big £100 online shop at the start of the month for storecupboard stuff, toiletries, cleaning products, freezer bits - then we try and stick to £40/week for fresh stuff including all the little top up bits like extra bread and milk. It's a harder budget than it was to stick to though - at one point we were watching the pennies so closely I knew the price of everything we bought regularly in several different shops, and it's all gone up. Some of the basic/budget products have disappeared too.

[FindingMemo]

Its not excessive, but it could probably be cut down. I lurch between pissing about £500 a month on food by being lazy and shopping at Ocado/Sainsburys/Waitrose/Tesco, but can get it down to £340 a month by shopping at Aldi and Asda.

[dudsville]

2 adults and we spend £70-80 a week. It includes 2 bottles of wine and anything wise non food such as laundry detergent, softner, oh's toiletries, etc.

[DJBaggySmalls]

They could save a bit if they bought toiletries and cleaning at Lidl, but they'd have to do a really big shop once every 2 or 3 months to justify the trip.

[Allthewaves]

Yep. I aim for £80 and that's without toiletries and add ons.