Aibu to be annoyed the food shop disappears so quickly

60 years ago no one was buying grapes, strawberries and mini marylands with their groceries.

I remember grapes being a big treat. Strawberries being available for 6 weeks of the year and I don’t think I had a blueberry until I was an adult.

How old are the children? If they’re very young like toddlers then 100-130 per week might be fine. The older they get then you aren’t buying enough food that why it’s all gone so quickly.
We spend a hell of a lot more than that feeding 6 sometimes 7 which includes older teen boys who eat like mad and older children.
If it’s gone within a day or two you’re just not buying enough or they have too much free rein in the kitchen cupboards. Triple the amount you buy of these things because unless they have a problem like weight then they obviously need that amount of food.

These kids have an allowance of 1 banana, 10 strawberries, 10 grapes- A WEEK. That’s not enough even for their 5 a day for 1 day.

The result of not buying enough food is that the food does run out.

Thank God I wasn’t raised like this and neither am I raising my own children like this, fruit isn’t something to beg for. 5 a day is really important.

Neither is folk telling OP how much they (can afford) to spend, when she's already explained that the budget is limited.

That is hugely expensive on top of normal shopping. And there is probably more than that.

Milk and a slice of toast perhaps would be cheaper and buy only half of that in that list.

Growing up in the 60s family of six children, we never had snacks just three meals a day.

I don't think comparing to 60 years ago is much help

But it clearly isn’t loads is it, as you’re saying it’s all gone within a day? Are your children teenagers? Because as I remember it they are bottomless pits when it comes to food!

The thought of punishing children for eating more than 1 banana a week is fucking awful.

The consequence is for not asking! If they are hungry, they need to ask, and op can suggest what food they should eat that doesn't just use up all their favourites on the first day of the week. When they are paying the bills, they can choose, right now OP is in charge so they can bloody well ask instead of just helping themselves!

You have a point - in all honesty if someone doesn't want to wait 2 mins for toast then are they actually hungry? I say that as someone who does purchase fruit and convenient snacks too. Toast toppings can be varied too. Crackers or oatcakes are a good option also.

Growing up in the 60s family of six children, we never had snacks just three meals a day.
if we complained of feeling hungry my mother would say “have some bread and butter”.
we were never THAT hungry so managed to wait till the next meal and were fine.

Have you bothered to break it down per day per person? It’s really not loads.

1 banana per week. 1.5 milky way per week. About 10 strawberries per week, 10 grapes per week.

I have 3 big teenagers so we go through a lot of snacks. DH also wfh.

i always make sure we have
plenty of cereal, bread for toast plus something else like crumpets or bagels. Biscuit tin is always topped up and we have lots of fruit - normally berries, apples, pears, bananas, oranges and then often things like mango or pineapple that i chop up.
we also have jars of nuts, dried fruit, choc covered raisins et. And a stash of chocolate bars and crisps. They also like to snack after school on chicken dippers or itsu dumplings.
unlike me they are all skinny things - i dont know where they out it!

Snacks I’ve bought this week : 2 punnets of grapes, 2 x strawberries, 6 bananas, 2 x four milky ways, triple pack of biscuits, 2 x packs of rice cakes, 2 x packs of mini marylands, yoghurts, specific snacks for the toddler.

I think this is loads. If they are hungry why can't they just eat a sandwich, or make an omelette etc. Why do convenience foods have to be provided that can just be picked at constantly?

Mine can get through a bag of apples & a pack of clementines in a day.

I buy lots of bananas, apples & carrots. Carrots are a really good cheap snack.

I buy extra own brand cereal so they can have a bowl of that or peanut butter or toast. Big pots of greek style yoghurt.

Try and limit the crisps as they are expensive now.

In my house we distinguish between treats and snacks. Snacks are fruit, raw veg, bread, toast, yogurt, or a bowl of cereal.

Stuff like chocolate, crisps, cake, biscuits are treats, and for after dinner, or guests.

Perhaps correct, but it's kinder to put that across in a non-judgmental way (unlike some posters).

It sounds more like OP isn't spending her money properly rather than she can't afford to buy things.

I mean, if you only have £150 a week to feed five people, you don't buy strawberries, branded cookies and Milky Ways - you buy cheap bread for toasties or sandwiches, own-brand cereal, bananas, apples and non-branded biscuits or crisps instead.

Good for you. How does that random statement help OP?

Right up through school age.

NHS advice is actually 2 healthy snacks per day for children :)

A lot of nhs advice is pretty much rubbish.

In lots of other countries snacking is unheard of. In France for example, children do not generally snack between meals. There's a lot of research suggesting that snacking habits (snacking has increased markedly in the last 50 years) have contributed to obesity.

I spend £500-600 on me and one child!

And grapes and strawberries (any sort of berry) don’t keep. So apples, oranges and bananas will last longer anyway.

That's great.
Some folk just cannot afford that quantity of fruit though.

Grapes and strawberries are expensive. How about not buying them and buying value apples and value oranges instead?

Small children? Still growing?