Help me reduce my grocery bill please?

[Evianna83]

I've tried to reduce our grocery spending but struggled. We very rarely eat processed foods so I think that increases the overall spend. We live in London and use online grocery delivery services so I think that rules out Aldi / Lidl. (We've no car and no Aldi/Lidl close by and we are time poor so need delivery).

I've tried shopping around most of the online supermarkets taking advantage of various newbie offers. I have actually given up with ASDA as I have ordered from them 4 times and each time the order has been late (after the slot sometimes by hours) with no communication and once was cancelled at the last minute. I wanted to persist as they seemed the cheapest but the massive inconvenience makes it not worth it.

We are two adults and a two year old. I'm including nappies and all household stuff like cleaning products in the shop, but struggling to get it down each month below about £95 a week! I meal plan every dinner and I eat an apple for lunch (DH at work & toddler at nursery).

Does anyone else have any tips? Especially if you do tend to eat healthier foods?

Think you will struggle to get below that if that includes nappies .

Rather than sticking to the same basket of same products each week, which is way to do online, I suggest typing in eg apples each time and choosing whatever is the cheapest that week. I find this changes a fair bit depending on offers etc.

Very easy and cheap for toddler is yoghurt pizza base. Equal quantity of Greek yoghurt and flour, knead it up, bingo you have homemade pizza dough. Takes maybe 10 minutes plus cooking time.

The OP doesn't have a car!

Meal planning or meal prepping is also a good way to save money. I've started to cook in batch, then i freeze it. It's cheaper than buying and cooking small portions. You can find lots of tips for that on youtube

No, nor do many other Londoners - but the savings on many items really can be good enough that even if the OP were to go shopping there once a fortnight in person enduring a bus ride if necessary, it really make it worth it to stock up on them. There are several things we just wouldn’t buy were it not for Aldi as they’re double the price or more at Sains’s or Tesco.

That sounds really quick!! Thanks

Depending on how far it is, it might be worth getting a taxi back from Lidl to stock up on cheaper staples once a month.

Go vegetarian and make your own soups. Or eat all vegetarian meals every other week/one week a month. Batch cook a few meals. Freeze all the leftovers.

Maybe invest in a pressure cooker and make your own pulses/ cook meals faster/ use less electricity in the cooking process.

Sorry if I’m missing the point slightly here but isn’t your DD given normal processed bread at nursery?

I am still struggling to see how you are managing to spend £95 per week unless you are shopping at Waitrose maybe, and buying pampers. But even then doesn’t your Dds nursery provide nappies and wipes? Or do you have to provide them even though they’ve refused to use cloth?

I think if you are willing to post your most recent shop on here along with prices you would get even more helpful advice.

I’m currently trying the bread the op mentioned, it’s so hard to chew it hurts my face 😭😂

@upthem5 this made me laugh more than it should have done 😂 sorry!

@soootiredddd 😂😂😂

OP, we saved a fortune when we finally had access to a decent size freezer. We also do the Morrison's midweek only delivery (£20 year) so not paying as much on delivery costs.