to spend £280 a week to feed a family of 5?

[TempleOfBlooms]

I spend about £280 a week on food. This includes my work lunches which tend to be salads from places like Leon plus coffees etc. The rest is food eaten at home.

Breakfast for all five of us tends to be things like Bircher muesli or chia based stuff with fruits and nuts. Fresh juice too.

Lunches in summer are usually a selection of dips and cheese and meats and salads.

Dinner is usually fish or chicken with a selection of salads and grilled veg.

So fresh food but not caviar or ridiculous indulgences.

It seems like everyone else on here can feed a family of four on tiny amounts. How? We certainly could eat more cheaply but that would mean fewer veg, fewer fruits, less fish etc.

Is it really so unusual to spend so much on food? I never see anyone else admit to it.

[Sirzy]

Well if your wanting to reduce it then cutting down on buying lunch and coffees daily would be a big chunk

[flamingofridays]

We are a family of 4 and prob spend about 60 a week including mine and dh lunches (mostly stuff we take from home)

We eat fresh food too but I shop at Aldi and meal plan. I couldn't imagine spending that much!

[ObiJuanKenobi]

Oh god, not this again.

[Picklepickle123]

I don't spend the same amount (only 1 DC), but I don't spend frugally on food either. I do buy coffees out and lunch as well. I'll the threads talking about food budgets are mostly ones where the people are trying to reduce their spending - if you've got enough money but to worry about that kind I stuff, then you're probably not going to post.

[misspopsicle]

We're a family of 6 and spend £130 a week max

[vandrew4]

why are you buying salads from whatever this Leon's is every day? Why don't you just take salad from home?

[Picklepickle123]

Full of typos - if you've got enough money not to worry about that kind of stuff*

[Scabbersley]

I am a bit of a foodie and we eat well and healthily - mainly shop at lidl with bits from waitrose. Five of us include 3 teens. I spend about 150 a week inc a couple of bottles of wine. If you can afford it then it's noone else's business although it seems a lot to me. I don't buy lunch out though and nor does dh.

[Orangecake123]

If you can afford it, it's all good!

[BendydickCuminsnatch]

YANBU if you can afford it.

[SoyDora]

Family of 4, we eat really well (plenty of fresh food/meat/salad/veg/fruit) and spend approx £120 a week.

[halcyondays]

We couldn't afford to spend that kind of money on food. Not sure what we actually spend though.

[ilovesooty]

Well YANBU if that's how you want to eat and can afford it.
People have to plan according to the money they have available.

[ClownPockets]

We have 7 people here at weekends and five in the week. We spend at most 60 pounds a week including OH lunch and packed lunch for one of the kids. If I buy lunch at work i use my own not our household money so that's not included but yes that does seem a lot. We plan meals, shop at Aldi or Lidl, use slow cooker and don't have a diet of junk food either.

[TempleOfBlooms]

Vander- to be honest I don’t make my own salads to take to work because (I) I dont have time (2) I’m not that organised (3) take away salads are nicer (4) walking to buy lunch gets me out of the office for a few mins.

[Tiredspice2]

You spend a lot on work lunches. That is is a lot of money. Can’t you make your own?

[Scabbersley]

Breakfast for all five of us tends to be things like Bircher muesli or chia based stuff with fruits and nuts. Fresh juice too.Lunches in summer are usually a selection of dips and cheese and meats and salads.Dinner is usually fish or chicken with a selection of salads and grilled veg

This would cost me the best part of fuck all. You are either shopping at harrods or spending a fortune on takeaway lunches

[Pengggwn]

Do stop showing off. It's as plain as the nose on my face (pretty plain) that you have a good shopping budget. That's nice for you.

[EB123]

It is a huge amount to spend. We are a family of five and spend around £70 a week. Homemade food, plenty of fruit and veg.

[vandrew4]

Lunches in summer of cheese / meat can be very expensive. i take it we're talking naice deli meats? how about omelttes/ frittatas, light soup and bread?

[LemonysSnicket]

If I bought lunch and a coffee every day at work that would cost me around £60 a week which is huge savings to make yourself.

[SoyDora]

Our meals are fairly similar to yours too, but less than half the price. You’re doing something wrong.

[Scabbersley]

Your daily menu sounds boring and cheap BTW.

[LemonysSnicket]

Also frozen meat and fish saves me a lot

[Pengggwn]

Oh and the answer is, we eat Weetabix and vegetable pasta bake. We don't have meat every day. Fish or chicken every night? That's Henry VIII level, that is.