How much is your weekly shop?

[KnittedBreast]

I was talking to an old collegue the other day about food shopping and if hes noticed a price rise in his shopping bill.

He lives with his wife and their 3 year old son, i was shocked when he said his shopping bill is £100 a week every week! thats not including the occassional expensive week you know with washing powder or whatever.

My parents with no children (living at home) spends 150 a week-on what? seriously? dips? bloody expensive dips!

My shopping costs about 50 but often 30 a week for 2 adults and 2 children under 5. I have noticed my bill going up a bit, dont know if my son is eating more or vat rise.

do you shop weekly? whos bu, my collegue or me? where do you fit?

Apologies if this has already been posted, but Sainsbury's do the 'meal plan for a week' online. Some of the recipes look really nice. Every week all under £20 and you can add the ingredients to your basket in one click.

My shopping bills have fluctuated wildly for years but I'm trying to get some semblance of control now and stop buying so much stuff on a whim. Today I spent £35 on basics and fruit and veg that will last till Monday at least.

It would be really good to have a tried and tested 'budget' recipes thread. I've got a lovely recipe for Polish potato soup - meat or veggie, perfect for the slow cooker.

God you people, I didn't know there was people doing what they do on the TV with the fancy meals of cottage pie and the like, I live off rice, frozen fish, veg thats frozen, tinned or fresh but only if it's cheap and thats about it.

DF lives off sandwiches of ham or cheese.

I've never had a cottage pie or Spaghetti Bolognas.

Mine fluctuates but i think it is easily £100 a week for 2 adults and 3 teenagers. I cook from scratch and shop in Waitrose most of the time because it is convenient and i get a discount.

150 a week for 2 adults and 3 very hungry children. I meal plan.

Last year I averaged £115 for a family of four (hungry!) people. That is for everything - all household stuff, toiletries, wine, beer, often bits of clothing/socks etc.... And includes Christmas and other "treat" catering such as parties and dinner parties.

We buy all fresh, make all meals from scratch and do batch cook/meal plan and all that as well. If we had no booze we would save £30-40 a week I reckon.

Ok, here is a £53 shopping list for Sainos for two adults, for the people who asked what everyone is buying. I'm not pretending to be abstemious! (sp?)

1 x Sainsbury's Spinach & Ricotta Tortelloni 300g - Total Price GBP 1.651 x Sainsbury's Grissini - Bread Sticks 125g - Total Price GBP 0.541 x Sainsbury's Trio Of Olives 100g - Total Price GBP 1.001 x Sainsbury's Watercress Leaves 75g - Total Price GBP 1.001 x Sainsbury's Pitta Bread, Wholemeal x6 - Total Price GBP 0.541 x Sainsbury's Cottage Cheese Natural, Be Good To Yourself 650g - Total Price GBP 1.551 x Sainsbury's Sweet Leaf Salad 400g - Total Price GBP 1.503 x Sainsbury's Carrots (loose) - Total Price GBP 0.321 x Sainsbury's Houmous, Be Good To Yourself 230g - Total Price GBP 1.091 x Altivo Rioja Reserva 75cl - Total Price GBP 6.491 x Sainsbury's Italian Pepperoni 10" Pizza 367g - Total Price GBP 1.791 x Sainsbury's Mixed Vegetable Stir Fry 325g - Total Price GBP 1.002 x Linda Mccartney Cheese, Leeks & Red Onion Plaits 340g - Total Price GBP 2.001 x Sainsbury's Pork & Beef Meatballs x40 1kg - Total Price GBP 2.501 x Sainsbury's Beef Steak Strips 454g - Total Price GBP 2.501 x Sainsbury's Free Range Woodland Medium Eggs x6 - Total Price GBP 1.581 x Patissier Menier Cooking Chocolate, Plain 100g - Total Price GBP 1.091 x Sainsbury's Free Range Whole Chicken, Taste the Difference (approx 1.63kg) - Total Price GBP 6.241 x Sainsbury's Sundried Tomatoes 170g - Total Price GBP 1.001 x Le Rustique Camembert 250g - Total Price GBP 2.111 x Sainsbury's 100% Wholemeal Flour, Strong, Stoneground 1.5kg - Total Price GBP 1.292 x - Sainsbury's Semi Skimmed Milk Bag 1.13L (2 Pint) - Total Price GBP 1.503 x New Covent Garden Minestrone Soup 600g - Total Price GBP 3.001 x Sainsbury's Prosecco Conegliano, Taste the Difference 75cl - Total Price GBP 6.651 x Sainsbury's Lasagne Sheets 500g - Total Price GBP 0.911 x Sainsbury's Broccoli (loose) - Total Price GBP 1.001 x Sainsbury's Spinach 260g - Total Price GBP 1.40

I spend between 75-80 and get waitrose delivery.
Got a free chicken this week worth £12!

6 of us here, mostly males who can eat for England! Shopping usually £120 if I go to Tesco as I always end up picking up something extra for the house etc. Prob £90 from Asda on a skint week. Very impressed by the person who can shop for 6 on £75!

I have frozen it, but usually wrap it in foil and keep it in the fridge - will keep for 5 days - more if you are feeling brave!

Thanks valium.

I'll give it a go.

Our budget is about £60 a week for two adults, DD (3 months) and 3 cats. Includes all food, nappies, cat food, cat litter etc.
If we have a couple of 'good' weeks (ie under £60) we sometimes have a takeaway with the leftover cash

I decided to conscience shop with the extra money from my £120 per month payrise of 3 years ago - we now have organic meat and dairy (not organic veg), mostly bought from Ocado. We budget for £20 a day for 3 of us (including packed lunches and school dinners) and I cook from scratch. We never eat takeaways. I am now about to get a pay cut of £120 a month so am wondering how to manage that as it will have to come out of the food budget.

My dp is a big meat eater - I would happily eat vegetarian once a week but dp is very moany about this idea!

HannahHack what meals will you eat from your £53 shop? This is much less than I spend so I am interested!
I am guessing
spinach & ricotta tortelloni
pizza
steak and veg stir fry
meat balls
veggie lasagne
roast chicken
+??
that would be a whole lot less meat than we eat in our household and I also pay much more for free range chicken at Ocado

I spend approx £75 a week for 2 adults, 2 DC (11 and 3) and a cat. That includes all cleaning/personal hygiene stuff too.

DC1 has school dinners and a light meal at home, DC2 takes a packed lunch to school and stays for after school club/tea until 6pm Mon-Wed so just a snack before bed, DH takes s/w Mon-Wed and I work Mon-Wed and eat in the restaurant at work (all our food at work is free) so only have a light meal in the evening. I am then home Thur-Sun and make home-cooked meals where I can.

Our bills used to be £100+ a week and the bins were always over flowing! We waste pretty much nothing these days as I only buy what we need.

Thanks HannahHack, that's really interesting!

Varies from £60 - £90 depending on what need. Tend to do huge shop at start of month and stock up on toilet roll, washing powder etc so shopping cheaper through rest of month.

I am one of the earlier posters with low shopping bill. My typical meals are:

1. Vegetable stir fry with pasta on the side
2. Cheese pudding (easy cheese souffle) with baked potatoes and frozen peas
3. Home made spaghetti bolognaise made with steak mince, lots of carrots and mushrooms and home made sauce of cheap tinned tomatoes, stock cube, herbs and garlic.
4. Chilli con carne made with steak mince, leeks, cheap tinned kidney beans. chilli powder and tomato puree.
5. Chicken with seasonal and thus cheap veg.
6. Casserole with rice - made with cheap braising meat with fat cut off, onions, carrots, red wine, stock cube, herbs, tinned tomatoes.
7. Pasta with home made sauce - made with tinned tomatoes, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, basil and pepper.

Well I don't know how you do it. I'm impressed. I'm going to admit that I don't have to budget and that food is our biggest monthly outgoing (apart from school fees). I appreciate I will be flamed and I appreciate that we are very privileged. I feed me and the dc (12 and 16), the DH is abroad Mon - Thurs and we have dropped an au-pair so our bills have reduced a bit. I am going to be totally honest about what we have had for an evening meal and at weekends and I'm a bit of a stickler about the dc having something decent for breakfast (eggs on toast, cheese and tomato on toast, etc) and provide a list and a costing. I estimate I spend approximately 150.00 per week, including cat food, cleaning stuff and toiletries but I don't do packed lunches - that's extra but we never have a take away and eat out only for family birthdays or very special occasions (or if the DH has to entertain and that goes on expenses).

I do most of the shopping at Sainsbury's and have to admit to topping up at Waitrose because I work full time, it's next to my office block and I have a parking space there.

Dinners this week:

Sat: smoked salmon, salmon fillets and prawns, new potatoes, salad and bread and butter (Saino's deal 3 for 10). Choc fudge cake

Sun: Gammon joint, broad beans and parsley sauce, carrots, roasties. finished choc fudge cake

Mon: spag bol (one portion for 3/4 in freezer) and salad. Help yourself pud

Tues: Pizza and salad. Help yourself pud

Weds: Chicken stir fry with rice (1/2 pack chicken gone in freezer). Pud = chocolate (have to make a cake for DS to go to tutor group tomorrow)

Thurs: gammon, egg and chips. Pud = help yourself

Friday: chicken fillet with tomatoes, olives, onion rice, etc + one veggie. Help yourself pud.

Will add that people tend to pop in to this house and we will open a bottle of wine and a few beers on a very ad-hoc basis.

The shopping list so far for this week and I do top up a bit and I do try not to go over the top:

Pack 6 McCoys crisps
1 pack economy breakfast bars
8 yoghurts
2 litres milk
bertolli spread
2 tins toms (basics)
2 packs smoothies
1 choc fudge cake
1 tub ice-cream
1 tin peaches
1 tube tomato puree
olive oil
coffee
parsley
2 x veg
Salad: leaves, toms, cu, pepper
1 pack spaghetti (good pasta)
2 gammon steaks
12 eggs
caster sugar
jam
nutella
2 packs clementines
bunch bananas
grapes
ham
cheddar
1/2 dozen beers (Badger bottles)
6 bottles wine special offer (5.99 bottle)
mince
ham joint
chicken breasts (special offer 3 for 10)
2 pizzas (Pizza Express 2 for 5)
butter
2 x lucozade sport drinks
toothpaste
smoked salmon
2 salmon fillets
prawns (3 for 10)
3 loaves
wooden floor cleaner
fabric conditioner
jar nutella
elderflower cordial
6 fizzy waters
cream
stir fry veg
choc puds
cup a soups
juice
cream eggs x 4

Sorry - but I would really be interested to know how you spend much less.

onceamai I shop in cheaper places than Waitrose! I get online shopping as definitely spend less. I buy economy brands.

Easy to spend less. I actually have the money to spend more on food. But my OH doesn't drink so I rarely drink at home. Your alcohol in the budget above came to more than £30.

Also we only have puddings as a treat, although we do buy chocolate.

I am also lucky to be able to get cheap fruit and veg from market nearby.

Never buy specialist cleaners such as floor cleaner. Washing up liquid is fine.

Do an Aldi run every 6-8 weeks to stock up on tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, olive oil, toilet rolls, washing up liquid, etc.

I was quite shocked recently when a friend told me that she only serves the breast from a roast chicken - she bins the rest! We get the same size chicken as her & it lasts for 3 meals (including risotto made from the stock).

I buy very little weekly apart from meat and veggies, some fruit, milk, cereal, bread, butter, flour, eggs, pasta, potatoes, cheese, tinned beans, tomato paste, lunchmeats. There's me and 4 DCs at home. I bake a lot, hardly ever buy dessert and make dinner every day. Once a week we eat all the leftovers from the fridge.

Then there's the tin foil, TP, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, tampons, soap, detergent, window cleaner, bleach shop. But that's not every week.

I'll have to add it up, but it's low...

I want to know how you do it on £30-£50 a week - I spend roughly £80 a week and I make stuff from scratch.

I'm expecting twins so I guess I'm going to have to learn to do it for less. Any tips? I often buy store brand (not the value range though).

OK I accept that immediate savings could be made without puddings and without alcohol. I do, however, justify the Waitrose bit because I top up on the way home from work and it saves me 20 minutes. I still don't know how some of you manage to spend less than 80/90 though.

I spend about £50 - £60 a week [2 adults 1 child]

THIS WEEKS MENU

SUN ROAST BEEF

MON SPAG BOL

TUES CHICKEN SALAD JACKET SPUDS

WEDS COTTAGE PIE

THURS SAUSAGES AND MASH AND VEG

FRI FISH AND CHIPS

SAT TAKEAWAY

PUDDINGS TRIFLE/CHOC PUD/JELLY/ICE CREAM/CHOC ECLAIRS

ALL HOME MADE

ALSO BUY PACK LUNCH STUFF

I THINK ITS IN THE PLANNING

This is the first month I've been keeping track as we are fucking broke and can't actually really afford food this month

So far we're averaging £40 a week for DH, toddler DD and I, with no booze (I'm pg but we can't afford it anyway so DH makes his own) and very little meat (DH is veggie). What meat we do buy is generally organic or at least RSPCA-certified because that's important to me. A lot of our weekly budget goes on fruit as DD eats masses of it and obviously I want to get it into her. Disposable nappies for night only, don't really buy toiletries or cleaning products Buy value/basics where we can eg chopped toms, orange juice. Otherwise it goes on bread, milk, fruit, veg, cheese (cheddar, I need melted cheese on everything to make up for not being veggie ), cereals, tinned pulses, bit of meat, maybe a pizza if it's on offer. Think that's it.

Today spent £25 on bread, milk, pineapple, blueberries & bananas (fruit all on special offer), Cheese Strings (), yogurts, broccoli, washing up sponges, toddler biscuits, cheddar, high juice squash x 2, value orange juice, chocolate bribe to keep DD in the trolley , grapes, baked beans, don't think there was anything else.

Could easily spend £100+ if I was buying everything I wanted to buy - nice cheeses, cooked meats, fruit, fish, more meat etc. No idea how much my parents spend for the two of them but sure it's loads as they both shop every week (Dad = Tesco, Mum = M&S/Waitrose) and their fridge is always full of Parma ham and nice cheese and massive punnets of blueberries

Awesome tip about the ham, valium, will be trying that. Menu planning makes a massive amount of difference to our spending, though I am generally too lazy Currently living out of a frugal veggie cookbook called Mean Beans, meant for students, but is making my life easier!