Anyone else struggling with the cost of food 😒

[Meltinthemiddle]

Everytime I go to the supermarket I feel sick looking at the prices of food even the cheap supermarkets like aldi and lidl have increased their food prices or stopped certain ranges. I'm really struggling for healthy meal ideas and worried about how I'm going to feed my family on top of all the other bills 😢

I'm really sticking to meal plans now.
I shop freezer, cleaning stuff, toiletries and store cupboard stuff once a month on a Tesco delivery.
I then just buy fresh as and when needed.
I've completely changed my mind set from wanting everything full.
The goal is now completely empty by the end of the month.

Yes, especially this week. I felt we had a relatively limited list compared to usual and it cost an awful lot more than expected. I think costs have been creeping up for so long and with the offers that supermarkets throw in it's sometimes difficult to notice with items that I buy infrequently. I'm also finding that there isn't always a cheaper substitute for what I want so I'll have to meal plan differently.

I know exactly how you feel. I am a single mum with 3 children living at home and the rising cost of food is worrying. I shop in Aldi and am trying to do pasta and sauce and jacket potato meals at least once a week to keep costs down. A fussy 3 year old and a constantly hungry 6 year old do not help. I usually budget £65 a week but have raised my budget to £70 a week during the holidays. We also got £45 in vouchers from dd's school so hoping that will get us through. Times definitely feel very tough. We are working our way through all the half eaten boxes of food in the freezer this week which I'm hoping will save us some money 🤞

We're also vegan and have noticed our Tesco shop for 3 people has crept up to over £100 a week. Cut back on meat replacements, didn't make much of a difference. Expecting baby number two in Jan and worried about how we are going to afford our bills :(

As someone mentioned upthread, Gousto are giving free boxes just now. There are codes on the Promo threads for them and you can cancel after the free box. You can get a 4 person box for 4 days worth £52. Generous portions which may give you leftovers too.

It's just gobsmacking how much things are increasing! We've cut back on the meat replacements, too, adding in lots of chickpeas (Summer Pride ones are 3 for £1 at Tesco) and Butter Beans. Considering trying elsewhere but I doubt it will make a huge difference..

Definitely worth looking in to..

Gousto boxes are ridiculously expensive for people who are struggling to cope with their shops at Lidl or Aldi! The £52 you are quoting is for 4 main meals only! Let alone lunches, breakfasts, snacks, drinks, cleaning produce and toiletries .

I can highly recommend getting a student cook book for anyone struggling to find cheap meal ideas, or those just starting out in cooking from scratch. They are full of easy meals you can make quickly and that don't cost the world in ingredients.

The point was to get the free box then cancel.

Not human food but whiskas dry cat food was 4.50 now 6.29 in Tesco's altho in lidls it's 4.26 don't know how much longer tho

No one was suggesting the OP switches to Gousto. They are offering a completely free box which can then be cancelled, consisting of 16 dinner portions. It might help the OP out as a one off.

It is bonkers atm. We shop at aldi but there’s certain things they seem to have stopped selling in recent months so we’ve been forced to go to Tesco for those things. Pitta breads are an example, they’ve just stopped selling them. The price of absolutely everything has risen and seems to keep rising, eventually we’ll have to eat rations.

Nothing is "cheap" anymore. Years ago I had a spell as a single mum on benefits. It wasn't a lavish lifestyle by any means, but none of us ever went hungry. all the "basics" were very affordable. Now you have parents skipping meals so their children can eat. I'm lucky to only have me to feed now (and 2 cats!) so sometimes I will just have toast or cereal if I'm not feeling particularly hungry anyway. I don't want to "waste" a proper dinner if I'm not going to appreciate it. I suppose that is how I've cut down. But I would hate to be trying to raise a family now, and I have a reasonably well paid job.

@ReginaFilange001 Thank you for recommending taming twins blog it's absolutely brilliant and given me loads of ideas.

@Dominant you're welcome. Pleased that it helps someone. I think she is fab. Not had a duff recipe yet.

Does taming twins do veggie stuff? Most of her things I’ve seen on insta are meat based…

I was listening to the radio and the water shortage in the east of England is also pushing prices up. They can just about keep the crops but are having to pump from water stores which increases electricity costs etc.

Getting hit from all angles at the moment.

Check out food pantries / clubs in your area, these can really help especially if you are on a low income.

I'm extremely lucky to to live in an area with a lot of food waste initiatives, so I can get a box full of fresh and packet food for a tenner as a food waste warrior. It's not means tested and not a food bank..although it does help keep the pennies down and I do need to save as much money as possible. Have you looked up community supermarkets or food waste places?

I got a free Gousto box with a code from this site. Four meals for four people, but only two of us so that's dinner sorted for over a week! Chose one with Nduja sausage so dates will last the week. Here's my code if anyone would like a free box.

100% free Gousto box

Download the Olio app. It’s been a life saver for us.