To attempt to have a weekly shopping budget of £50?

[LittlePickleHead]

In the last few months of saving for a wedding and a lot of expensive things coming up, so for the next few months I'd like to try and stick to a £50 a week budget for me, DP and 2yo DD.

I know this has been done before, but really looking for tips on how to do this, or whether I am being completely unrealistic!

I'm having to give up my beloved Ocado for a while and switch to Tesco (not really a fan TBH), but I've just used mySupermarket and managed to get a shop for just under budget, although haven't had to buy washing powder this week (though this does include nappies).

Anyone else manage on this small amount? I usually spend around £80 at Ocado, not including any alcohol...

People have been putting thier weekly lists up here, and some are around the £50 mark for adults plus kids (see last post).

We have £50 for me, DP & DS.

They are both rediculously fussy. DS lives on variations of toast, cereal, sausage rolls, fish fingers, nuggets and smiley bloody faces and DP will not eat any veg at all, no pulses and does'nt really like pasta either so all very limited!

Our local butchers does a mix & match 6 items for £20 which lasts 2 weeks

I buy fruit & veg from Aldi.
Eggs from farm shop/fishmongers.
Everything else form Asda.

I feed 5 of us very well on £50 a week.

Oh and bread and milk from Farmfoods.

£3 for 4 litres of milk and 2 loaves of Hovis bread.

For example, I spent £47 this week, and my meal plan is as follows -

Spianch & ricotto canneloni
Thai chicken curry
Mince, veg & tatties
Bacon & cheese lasagne, salad
Prawn & endamame bean stir fry
Veg tagine with apricots & couscous
Macaroni cheese

Plus 3 packed lunches a day (I make my own flapjacks, buy Morrisons 30p fruit sepcials etc)

Use Lidl and Aldi
Go veggie,or use Lidl special offer on their meats.
Meal plan
Bake your own cakes etc
For toiletries/cleaning products would reccomend Home Bargains,a lot cheaper for branded products,also good for stuff like basmati rice,pasta etc.
Here oop North we have a shop called Herons - it sells dairy stuff dirt cheap,usally it is a week to 2 weeks before its sell by date.I get all my dairy stuff here-4 Nom yoghurts for 59p,big block of Cathedral City cheese for £1.79,10 large eggs 99p- tis bargainous!!:o

HowToLook your meal plan sounds good, we do similar.

Mine is:

Sunday - roast chicken, potatoes & veg
Monday - Thai chicken curry with leftover chicken
Tuesday - Veg lasagne & peas
Wednesday - Veg tagine & couscous (snap!)
Thursday - rest of veg lasagne with salad
Friday - veg & bean chilli
Saturday - Pasta Pesto with salad

I'll also make stock with the chicken carcass and make a carrot & squash soup which will do lunch for a couple of days.

We don't seem to have any Home Bargains near us, it does sound fab. I do know that as far as supermarkets are concerned we are ripped off more than elsewhere - Sainsburys did a buy one get two free on huggies wipes in Wiltshire but it was only buy one get one free in London.

Its very easy. Do most of your whole diet as pasta so pasta with sauce, pasta with cheese etc. This makes up the bulk of my diet.

Then I get things like waffles for a £1 that will last me the week and I have it with iceland eggs for a pound. Sandwich at lunch so cheap bread and use up the rest of the cheese.

Tinned fruit for snacks/healthy stuff.

Treat can be iceland £2 mince to make a chilli or spag bol.

Spaghetti in tin is 14p from tesco thats good for snack

Should only come to about 20/25 quid for the family for the week then. You can also get shampoo for poundland and all toiletries. They arent even a weekly thing so thats cheap.

My vote is with Lidl over Aldi. I particularly like Lidl's fruit & vegetables,chorizo & cooked meats, tinned fish, tomatoes and ready made lasagna.

When we needed to cut down on expenses we began to shop at LIDL and saved a lot. I find LIDL is cheaper than Aldi.
We shop at Sainsbury's now. Their 'basics' range is cheap and really good quality and it means that I can buy everything in one place which saves time and is a relief.
Even though our income has gone up I still choose to buy a lot of Sainsbury's basics as the quality is good. Washing powder, washing up liquid, baby wipes, tinned tomatoes etc. 50p big bags of tortillas are actually nicer than Doritos!

To be honest, the best way to cut your shopping bill is to pretend it's 1935.

Seriously, old fashioned, home-cooked food is cheap as chips.

I've just stuck a batch of pastry for a cornedbeef pie in the fridge. Much cheapness!

Mmmm that does sound lovely Stuck but I'm not sure it's very condusive to my wedding dress diet! I'm trying to go low-ish carb at the moment which is pretty hard on a budget.

If anyones interested, seeing as I have been bored working on a Sunday, I've just done the shop I am planning for next week online with Tesco, Sainsburys and Ocado as I don't think MySupermarket actually works it out properly.

Tesco was £49 but with £5.50 delivery (£54.50 total)
Sainsburys £53 but with £6 delivery (£59)
Ocado £57 with £2.50 delivery (delivery pass - 59.50 total)

Not everything was exactly like for like as no real basic stuff in Ocado, but not that much difference really.

I'm going to do the exact same shop at Aldi next week - I'll let you know how much it comes to!

pickle - wherabouts in SE London are you? I am a southeast londoner as well and am fond of a food bargain, so may be able to help you out!

Just food , then yes

total weekly shop, I can't would love to know how!!

I know everyone is saying bake your own stuff it's cheaper, it's not always true ime.

I bought pre-rolled pastry the other day as it was on offer and was cheaper than just buying butter to make my own!

I did a supermarket comparison and my Ocado came out at just a few pence dearer than Tesco. Most expensive was Sainsbury. Love Lidl but nearest one is a 15 mile round trip and given the price of petrol not worth it....and also it is a very small one.

london I'll PM you as want to keep a modicum of discretion on here

lol - I don't think I've ever had a PM before!

Halved my food bill by shopping at Aldi instead of Asda. I heart Aldi.

I can recommend the Corale spaghetti (19p) at Aldi. My 4 year old didn't even mention it wasn't the same and it makes a good light meal. Loaf of Hovis wholemeal was 99p at the weekend as opposed to 1.24 at our nearest supermarket.

I would also second their fruit and veg and if you like ale they do Spitfire at a really good price and some other beers at £1.19.

Try this website for food that's near its sell by date but still edible. Also household cleaners where the labelling has changed, so they sell it off cheap.

www.approvedfood.co.uk/

loving the lidl/aldi loving. i just love!! fruit and veg so lovely, and the biccies! do most my shopping there now x

Base your shopping around seasonal food on offer in the supermarket and use www.mysupermarket.co.uk/ to help you find the cheapest place to shop

Ooh yes, justhavintheone, I forgot the Custard Creams at 29p a packet!

We've only got a Lidl near us and it's a bit of a drive away. Is it worth the fuel/effort/time going there?