Shopping budget for family of 4

[Lelophants]

Trying to save money this year, I’ve got far too lax with food shopping. Two adults and two children under 5. Embarrassed to say I don’t even know how much I’m spending on it atm.

Id love to hear yours! What do you stick to and where do you shop!

Food has got hugly more expensive! We spend £380 to £400 a month to feed 3 adults and a cat. We cook from scatch mostly. Eat very well, lots of meat, fish, cheese, fruit and veg, some alcohol. We don't tend to buy snacks, sweets, soft drinks, ready meals, or desserts though. We shop at asda and a little at waitrose.

If you're trying to save money, I'd recommend meal planning and writing a shopping list, avoiding any waste and cooking everything you can from scratch.

We budget around £500 a month for 2 adults, 2 children and a cat. Covers all meals eaten at home and some packed lunches. Also includes cleaning products. Doesn’t include alcohol. We rarely come in at under £500 and it would be an unusual month if we came in at over £600. We have a fair few Sainsburys deliveries and do the odd Aldi shop. Very occasionally pick up a couple of bits in Waitrose and M&S.

I find things which make the cost shoot up most include processed snacks (eg crisps), soft drinks (branded fizzy drinks are expensive), ice cream in summer, and pre-prepared foods like pizza. We have the cheapest weeks when I cook everything from scratch but that’s not always sustainable with the rest of life!

Oh, and I also echo the suggestion of writing a list and sticking to it. I spend less when I do an online order as I have fewer impulses, and also when I do a weekly shop and avoid top-ups.