Anyone else’s food bill gone up?

[Lovemusic33]

I won’t ask the question “how much do you spend a week?” As it’s been done to death but was just looking through old treads on the subject and saw a thread in 2013 where people were feeding families of 4-6 for under £50 a week.

I have been doing my shop online but this means using Tesco as no others deliver in my area, I thought I would save money by meal planning.

So it’s me and 2 teens (who eat like horses), dd2 has a cooked meal at school so doesn’t really need a meal in the evening but often asks for one. My food bill includes dog food (£5 a week) and I can’t seem to get the bill down under £70-£80 a week, I used to only spend around £60 and get plenty and now we are running out of food at the end of the week. We don’t eat much meat, I buy a whole chicken to last 2 meals and maybe one other meat item or fish, other than that we often eat jacket potatoes, the dd’s eat a pizza and dd2 will often have a fish finger sandwich or some noodles. We are not really buying any expensive items, mainly fruit and veg. No alchol and only a small amount of chocolate. Why is food costing us so much more?

I know I should probably start going shopping instead and maybe go to Lidl or Aldi bit I struggle to find the time and often end up buying stuff we don’t need.

Is £80 a week a lot for 3 people?
Anyone else seeing a increase?

I’m really worried if prices go up more due to Brexit (sorry to mention it) as I’m already spending over budget.

[Blondie1984]

I’ve noticed the price of fruit and veg has gone up - eg a cucumber is now 65p which doesn’t sound like much but when you’re buying a couple a week it soon adds up. And I know the fact we had such a long hot summer last year has meant prices of potatoes and wheat (eg bread, pasta etc) has increased.
I find myself buying more frozen fish (rather than fresh) and shopping the reductions more - plus being more experimental with tinned food (fish,lentils,pulses) and cheaper cuts/types of meat/fish

[Lovemusic33]

Yes, there’s deffently a increase in fruit and veg prices, I buy quite a bit of fruit and veg and thought eating a vegetable curry would cost less than a meat curry but the price isn’t that much different (chicken isn’t that expensive). I think I need to start shopping around and buying reduced stuff, I used to go shopping on a Sunday afternoon and buy reduced meat for the freezer. We are getting a Aldi near us soon so I will use them more, I think Tesco’s are quite high priced but I like the fact their fruit and veg lasts the week.

[Blondie1984]

I do most of my shopping in Tesco and tend to go at around 7pm as that's when they seem to do the final reductions and get whatever bread, meat/fish and fruit & veg I can and then plan my meals and the rest of my shopping around that - so some weeks I end up spending more and some less depending on what's there

I tried shopping in Aldi but I find the fruit and veg goes off much faster - and so I tend to buy most of it in Tesco unless there are some in the Super 6 offer that I'm tempted by

[kateandme]

I know you are worried.but please don't worry if that makes sense.its horrible but your not alone.this isn't something your doing.and isn't something your getting wrong with your shopping or meal planning.
your shop sounds far less than some.or than some would wish!
food shopping has gone up soooo much since 2013.and its impossible to keep it low now.that is without some miracle budgeting.
so whist I don't have the answer or how to keep it lower.just know your not on your own with it being the way it is.which is a struggle and a big worry

[kateandme]

do you have aldi?they really help
also at Tesco do you shop for the reall cheap brands.so Tesco spaghetti pasta is 55p but their own brands pasta is 20p.you havw to really shop in the catogories as they don't like to show you the cheapest.

[kateandme]

oh and I know this sounds silly to say but make sure when your searching for an item you put the search engine to lowest price first.

[sittingonacornflake]

Instead of the whole chicken you're currently buying try swapping to the mumsnet chicken which can easily feed a family of 5 for a week

[Elllicam]

Frozen veg can be cheaper for things like curries, chilli and casseroles. I make giant veggie curries with a full bag of frozen country veg (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower) and a bag of frozen sweet potato plus Quorn, lentils, tinned tomatoes and spices. I can make about 10 portions for about £5/6.

[Veronicat]

Its definitely gone up. I order online at Asda as I live miles from anywhere.
I checked a previous order from over a year ago and it's almost doubled.

[Lovemusic33]

We don’t have Aldi near buy (one is being built soon) so it will cost me £10 in fuel to get to the nearest, we have Lidl but I find the fruit and veg don’t last as long as Tesco and there’s not always as much choice.

We are growing our own veg this summer but not sure it will really save us a fortune. My dc’s have autism and one is a fussy eater so she won’t always eat the same as her sister and I. This week I have bought a piece of lamb which will do a roast dinner and a curry (maybe one more meal too), it’s the only meat I have bought and my shopping bill is still £80. I haven’t even bought toilet rolls or washing powder this week so not really a big shop. I’m always disappointed when it’s delivered and it looks like hardly anything. All the press and scare stories about Brexit and food prices almost doubling is scaring me, if this does happen it’s going to be hard for most of us .

[Lovemusic33]

I buy some own brands (baked beans, spaghetti etc..) but Tesco own brands are not as cheap as they used to be. I remember when we used to buy a tin of beans for 7p.

[EssentialHummus]

I don’t think you’re spending excessively, and yes I have noticed prices increasing (or packages shrinking!) Any chance of one or more veggie/cheap meals a week? Things like veg soup and garlic bread, egg and chips, dhal?

[Lamentations]

I've noticed this even at Aldi.

[Lovemusic33]

Essential I eat vegetarian 2 or 3 nights a week, often make soup but have this for my lunch (take to work), often make a veg curry or mac and cheese (or cauliflower cheese). I like to cook so most of my meals I cook from scratch but dd1 has a poor diet due to sensory issues and mainly eats pizza or fish fingers, dd2 will eat what I’m eating.

[Blondie1984]

Could you take a picture of your receipt? Maybe people will be able to make suggestions based on that....

[reindeermania]

Yes , my food bill has almost doubled. I am on a strict budget and do manage to feed us four for £60 a week- but my two dc are still little. We're eating a lot more vegetarian and I'm sad to say I have to use more rice / lentils and less veg to keep costs down. It's quite worrying, I fear that for many (myself included) when prices go up it'll mean sacrificing families nutrition in favour of just ensuring that they get the calories they need.

[Blondie1984]

@reindeermania have you tried using frozen veg? They can be much cheaper and mean less waste.
Also, it's worth remembering that lentils/beans/pulses count as one (but only one) of your 5 a day

[Justagirlwholovesaboy]

@Lovemusic33 how far away is this local Aldi? Are you driving a tractor? £10 in fuel?

[kateandme]

would you dd like to make her own pizza.you could make a batch of dough or more wrap like things.also use wraps.muffins.bagels.bread as pizza. and one of those jus roll sheets of pastry for a pizza slice.
in your currys do you use lentil and tinned veg/or frozen.
in cauliflower cheese you could use frozen.and make sure your using the cheaper cheese.

[GalactiCat]

Lovemusic33 I feel your pain! My local Aldi is a 30 mile round trip, the joys of living in rural Scotland. I go maybe once a month and stock up on washing powder, dog food etc. Where we are hoping to move to, the nearest large supermarket is 40 miles away! I can see I'll be getting a few chest freezers for the barn.

[Singlenotsingle]

I don't think that's a lot for 3 people. I probably spend £100 or more for 2 of us (plus ddog and 2dcats). I shop at Lidl and we don't eat steak every day!

[JRMisOdious]

Yes, even at Lidl and Aldi.

[Clankboing]

Yes prices have gone up lots. I have a family of 6 and buy a lot of food. I have looked at the average price per item for years. At one point it was £1. Nowadays it is £2 - £2.50. Last week prices went up suddenly. (NB I buy larger packs as I have 6 to feed).

[RB68]

There are three of us and a dog and I find at the moement it is around 70 to 80 for EVERYTHING and sometimes a small top up of around 10 in the week. DD is 13 and has gone from gannet mode to locust so that hasn't helped but last year I could stick to 40 to 50 relatively easily and someweeks 30. SO even in just a year lots of chang and yes I am growing alot more this year - stuck to salad last year but more thi syear and the chicks will be coming back too

[Redwinestillfine]

Definitely. My shopping has increased by 25% on average since October. It's ridiculous. I am massively worried it's going to get worse after Brexit. I already menu plan religiously and shop around, bulk cook etc. There's not much more I can do to reduce costs.Not only are costs increasing, but what you get for that is decreasing. Clever packaging etc thinking we won't notice