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£1,000 at the supermarket every month!

384 replies

Sainsburysaddict · 26/10/2024 13:14

So - have just gone through our finances and we’re spending £1,000 at the supermarket every month.

DH says this is average for a family of 4 and is rather alarmed that I’d like to budget. Spending less can’t be done apparently, without a life of boring meals.

We desperately need to save money.

Thoughts? Tips? How much do you spend?

OP posts:
WimbyAce · 26/10/2024 13:47

Funnily enough I was just thinking about ours and I think we now spend about £600 per month, 2 adults, 2 under 10 and a cat. Costs just seem to have gone crazy!

Tristar15 · 26/10/2024 13:47

I can see how that can be done. I spend between 70-120 a week on just me and my 7 yr old DD. This is main shop and top ups which includes alcohol (only 1 bottle of wine a week), toiletries and clothes for DD from Tu, George or Nutmeg depending on which shop we’re in. I generally plan what we eat but don’t scrimp or really check prices as I don’t really need to but know I could cut down the amount if I really thought about it.

taggy321 · 26/10/2024 13:47

We spend about £500 pcm, family of 4. We do also get take aways on top though - maybe 3 or 4 a month.

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Wtfdude · 26/10/2024 13:47

MrsJoanDanvers · 26/10/2024 13:39

There are 2 of us at home and we spend about £800. But we like nice food and that’s the one thing we are extravagant on. We also barely eat out as we can cook better at home. A few years ago, I’m sure it was half that.

Same here when we shoped last time. Sometimes even more when doing stock up, but that balances next month.
As well, rarely went out since we both cook well (both in semi professional capacity before).
I did have to do few swaps few years ago when some things shot up, but still good.
We buy plenty of meat, veg, fruit and beer...
So 1000 for family is not that much in my eyes as long as it is affordable.
Mix of supermarkets and immigrant shops

ViciousCurrentBun · 26/10/2024 13:48

I am allergic to all fragrance so cannot use many products even if I wanted to, Quite a few people seem to get through cleaning products and fabric conditioners at a huge rate. Some also wash stuff after one wear and change sheets every week. I just do not do this. Zero fabric conditioner used here and a half measure of washing powder, it’s enough. It’s stuff like this that gets through money without people really noticing.

We spend about £130 per week 3 adults with DS GF here at weekends. DH buys some beers in bulk occasionally but is a light drinker.

You need to post your meals and all snacks for a week so people can work out what you are doing.

MoneyMill · 26/10/2024 13:48

I don't know what ours is but I suspect it would be at least £600 per month.
Yours is £33 per day which seems like a lot.
Can you say what a typical days meals looks like?

Hattysbackpack · 26/10/2024 13:49

We easily spend about the same as you for two adults, a 10 year old and a 7 year old. No alcohol. It includes lunches for both adults WFH and kids have packed lunches most of the time. We never have takeaways and rarely eat out. I also cook from scratch most of the time. I meal plan, batch cook, keep an eye on what's on offer etc and I still spend that much!

SqueamishHamish · 26/10/2024 13:49

£600 for 2 adults and 2 teens. It's tight though, but that also includes toiletries and cleaning materials and all top up shops. I can easily see how it could be £1000.

MeMyCatsAndI · 26/10/2024 13:50

Ours is around £800 family of 4, 3 cats.
It's only the past 18 months the cost of everything has rocketed! It's ridiculous. We used to be really comfortable and have savings, but now 6 days before pay day we have the grand total of 0.25 pence and it's half term!!
Families are worse off.

CrushTheNewsAgenda · 26/10/2024 13:50

We spend at least that OP. It includes the dog, toiletries, household stuff etc. 2 adults and 2 teens. And it includes lunches. We also get a hello fresh box (2 meals for 4) each week for another £30. The main shop includes weekly meat (lamb or pork chops, Sunday roast joint, chicken breast, minced beef). Maybe a bottle of wine each week. No ready meals.

We could eat more cheaply but we don’t want or need to. I could cut this down a lot though if I had to. I shop at Morrisons and M&S but could go to Aldi and home bargains etc but bargain shopping takes more time than I have.

ARichtGoodDram · 26/10/2024 13:51

We spend the same amount for three adults, two teens and one child. Includes food and litter for two cats.

myslippersarepink · 26/10/2024 13:51

SilenceInside · 26/10/2024 13:23

Family of 4, we spend around £120 to £150 a month. Not much alcohol, no pets.

£250 a week seems a lot. Is it alcohol, ready meals?

A month? Not a week?!!!!

missymousey · 26/10/2024 13:51

We spend about £80 per week for family of 4 at Lidl. Including a bottle of wine usually. We don't normally top up in between except maybe for treats.

BendingSpoons · 26/10/2024 13:51

We spend around £150pw to include top up shops and lunches at work. 2 adults and 2 primary age DC but both have school lunches. We don't need to budget, so get what we want, although I do try to be savvy e.g. buy long life products when on offer.

Are you wasting food? Buying premium stuff? Lots of meat/exotic fruit etc? It seems quite high to me.

Itsalemon · 26/10/2024 13:52

We're about the same, could easily spend £1000 per month on food. Family of 4, two continually starving young adult men. Everyone is WFH though so that includes ALL meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks etc. plus all toiletries, cleaning products and some alcohol. Never get takeaways and eat out rarely .

MeMyCatsAndI · 26/10/2024 13:52

@SilenceInside you do not live off £120 a month for a family of four, that's a ridiculous lie.

MrsMoastyToasty · 26/10/2024 13:53

Are you picking up books, magazines, clothing, household items and toys when you shop?

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 26/10/2024 13:53

All food? I work in a supermarket and have several customers who buy £15 worth of alcohol and £30 worth of cigarettes every day. You don't have to add in much food before that starts to mount up.

frozendaisy · 26/10/2024 13:54

Everyone is different OP.

You can buy cheaper fruit, bananas, oranges or costly punnets of blueberries and mangoes.

You can get value potatoes or smaller packets of organic potatoes at double the cost.

We love homemade guacamole that's 3 avocados just in one side dish.

Cheap tomatoes are tasteless.

So one day last week:
Frozen salmon for one meal cost £9 for our family of 4 (2 adults 2 kids), that's just the salmon. We had garlic onion spices baby roast potatoes, peas. Teens had orange juice, H had a couple of cans of beer. About £5.75. If you add on, breakfast for teens, 4 lunches, snack after school, glasses of milk, coffees made at home, Then other consumables laundry, cleaning, showers, soaps, kitchen roll, silver foil.

It's easy to spend a lot on food now.

Have you looked at the opposite side of this, do you throw fresh food away?

And liquids are expensive, I am not going to jump on the judgemental "how much alcohol do you buy", because yes a decent bottle of red wine is £12-15, if you want one, but juices, cans, chocolate milk, it all adds up.

It's a balance between budget and nutrition. You can eat very well and cheaply but that can depend largely on how much time you have to prep, cook and clean afterwards.

If you need to cut back have a think about say 2 evening meals a week being cheaper, to begin with.

Doggymummar · 26/10/2024 13:54

We spend about the same for two, so doesn't seem extravagant to me

Sainsburysaddict · 26/10/2024 13:54

MrsMoastyToasty · 26/10/2024 13:53

Are you picking up books, magazines, clothing, household items and toys when you shop?

No. Nothing like that.

OP posts:
Differentstarts · 26/10/2024 13:55

MeMyCatsAndI · 26/10/2024 13:52

@SilenceInside you do not live off £120 a month for a family of four, that's a ridiculous lie.

It would definitely be possible just not a pleasant way to live

UpOnTheHousetop · 26/10/2024 13:56

We've recently switched from online groceries to shopping at Aldi and it's made a huge difference.

I'm also trying to limit to going there for a big shop every 2 weeks and then do a small shop on a Friday for weekends treats and fruit and veg. It helps that I'm walking when I do this so can only buy what I can carry!
We do packed lunches, family of 3 plus two cats, eat well but mainly vegan, buy 1 whole chicken a week which does Sunday roast and sandwiches for the week (I know, I'm one of those!!) and I'd say doing this has taken us from £800-£900 per month to about £600 so worth it

SabreIsMyFave · 26/10/2024 13:56

Doesn't sound crazy expensive for a family of 4 in 2024. But as a pp said, all you can do is use cheaper stores/use some budget products.

I don't know how much DH and I spend and have never totted it up, but I suspect it's around £105 to £115 a week, so like £460 to £490 a month - on average - throughout the year.

So if you've got 2 children as well, £1000 a month at the supermarket doesn't sound massively high. You probably can reduce it though, with some of the suggestions given.

Sainsburysaddict · 26/10/2024 13:56

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 26/10/2024 13:53

All food? I work in a supermarket and have several customers who buy £15 worth of alcohol and £30 worth of cigarettes every day. You don't have to add in much food before that starts to mount up.

That’s everyone including a bottle of wine and all cleaning stuff and toiletries.

OP posts: