Nosy question - how much do you all spend on your food bills a month?

[pacinofan]

Hi, have been following with much interest the thread below about menu planning.

When I menu plan I always have a figure in mind for our total monthly food bill and try to plan accordingly (we don't always achieve this, depending on if we succumb to temptations in Tesco's)!

We are 2 adults and a toddler, and I aim to spend not more than £300 a month. This includes all foodstuffs, household necessities such as cleaning stuff, etc, pet food and wine and beer.We shop at Tesco's and seem to spend a fair amount on fresh fruit/veg. Tend not to buy expensive cuts of meat, but do buy organic chicken where possible.

What does everyone else spend? I hear of lots of families that spend much less and still provide fab meals, and would be interested to know what you think of our budget.

[lunavix]

We aim £70 a week, which is me dp and a one year old.

We're both quite fussy and get nice food, and it includes nappies wipes etc (though we don't buy either anymore).

We get it delivered now, and is much cheaper usually £50 a week.

[lunavix]

Bwefore cod comes along though.. you could look in archive we've had this recently!

[Twiglett]

gawd if you find out how to do it, let me know

I regularly spend hundred to hundred and fifty a WEEK on food and other stuff (and we don't tend to buy alcohol)

I should menu plan I suppose

[Hermione1]

We have 4 in our family plus two hamsters. At the beginning of the month i do a big shop which comes to around £100. then it gets shortened to about £30 to £40.
I shop at tescos and asda. depending on my mood.
I am in a tesco mood this month!!
Abit gutted though because i really wanted a lunchbox and know they do value ones for a couple of ££ and they don't have any in. I don't wanna spend money on one knowing that they have them there that cheap. i was told that they on do them in there back to school range. grrrrrrrr.

[RnB]

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[Bozza]

Usually between £50 and £60 a week for DH, DS (4), DD(11 months) and me including booze (but we don't drink much) but not nappies & wipes. And very little extra spent on food/household purchases (ie don't often run out of things)/

[crazyandconfused]

£230:00 weekly
no nappies,alchohol, proccessed food but does include toiletries and cleaning stuff so probably about £190:00 on food all organic

[expatinscotland]

£200/month. Very strictly budgeted. No choice at the 'mo, we have a back council tax debt to pay off.

[RnB]

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[Bozza]

Usually between £50 and £60 a week for DH, DS (4), DD(11 months) and me including booze (but we don't drink much) but not nappies & wipes. And very little extra spent on food/household purchases (ie don't often run out of things)/

[RnB]

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[stitch]

id say we spend about four hundred pounds a month on groceries. that s two aadults and three kids..
but if its a month in which we have loads of people over for dineer, then of course is more.

[Hermione1]

how much CAC?? I'm coming to yours for dinner then!! lol, just kidding.

[RnB]

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[flic23]

for me and DP and DS its about £260 for food and household stuff only extras are really milk and bread

[crazyandconfused]

You all are very welcome though I am far to jelouse to let anyone set eyes on dp hes gorgeous so you would have to come for lunch! what would you like? BTW I did ot mention that we get help with money for food, both kids have allergies, maybe that will help explain the huge price, sometimes I really worry what would happen if dp s buisness went wrong, how would we eat?

[noddyholder]

200 a month inc booze and cats and cleaning.Buy a fair bit organic and plenty of fruit and veg no ready meals and hardly any biscuits etc Ds buys sweets with is pockewt money if he wants them I often buy organic in the reduced section and freeze it

[PsychoFlame]

About £150 at the most... I do a big shop every 2 weeks or so, and then do bulk cooking and freeze to make the most (eg, one pack of mince will do one lasagne, but 2 packs will do a lasagne and two bologneses....)

Nothing is organic or anything because we just can't afford it, and alcohol is only bought if it is on offer (recent Asda jobbie of 3 bottles of wine for £10 )

That is when I'm budgetting... this month is well over cos I never got round to doing the big shop

Oh - 2 adults and a 2 year old.

[noddyholder]

agree with rnb too I'm not scared of anyone(big muscles emoticon)

[Hermione1]

Ok i'll let you off C&C. I am lucky that my kids are not allergic to anything although they might act as though they are!! lol.

I was talking to my mum last night on the phone and she was saying people spend too much money on food these days, years ago no one could afford to pay so much. i just quierly kept saying 'yeah'. lol.

[puddle]

noddy that sounds incredibly cheap. What's your secret (apart from freezing reduced stuff)? We have been spending well over £400 most months for four of us. I really want to reduce it We've started to buy more organic and funnily enough I have found that spending a bit extra means I'm much more vigilant about using fruit and veg before it goes off. We currently have a bit of paper next to the fridge and we are writing down everything that gets thrown away - I have already identified some ways we can organise shopping a bit better to stop the waste.

[SkiBunnyFlummy]

OMG easily 500quid. and go to M&S on top of that. total waste of money. never been able to budget. probably be loaded now if i could. and am an accountant it really is shameful.

trouble is life so busy with full time job, just don't seem to find time to plan meals so end up buying random food and not using it. or finding out just after done all shopping that dp has work commits or something and end up skipping a load. nightmare.

turning SAHM at end of May and then plan to be much better - half to be as household income will drop by 1/3