AIBU to be confused when people say it's cheaper to cook from scratch?

[Blueskiesandcherrypies]

(Sorry another 'weekly food shop post'....)

I just don't think it is! I struggle to get our weekly food shop below £140pw. That's for me, DH, ds9, dd7 and dd1 (and soon to be newborn ds). We all love our food, though I tear my hair out every week planning meals everyone will enjoy rather than refuse and sulk about tolerate, and cook from scratch (just things like spag Bol, curry, carbonara, puff pastry 'pizza', roasts...) but I often think blimey if I could just chuck a few ready meals in the trolley and loads of bits from the frozen section (burgers, nuggets, kievs!!) we'd be quids in! But then we wouldn't be eating so healthily and I wouldn't know exactly what we're all putting in our mouths.

Weekly food shop includes packed lunches, loads of fruit for snacks, cat food, household bits, nappies.... but not alcohol, that comes out of DH's 'own' pocket rather than our joint account even if it's wine for me. We never have leftovers so can't stretch a meal over 2 days (DCs have growing appetites).

I am green with envy when I see people saying they can feed a family of four for £50 a week! Just....how?!

And ok, before you ask, I have been shopping at ocado lately but I haven't seen a huge price diff than when I used sainsburys.

Please help me see where I'm going wrong!

It's the same with paracetamol/inruprofen/ anti histamine

No difference in active ingredients at all. But nurofen can cost 2/3 quid whilst a shop own brand can come in under 50p

For the same drug

If you have a freezer full of portioned up bulk bought mince then it's not cheap. However you have to have the means to have a large enough freezer and to be able to afford the upfront costs of bulk buying in order to do this.

If you have no food in and only 5 then it's probably cheaper than buying a bag of pasta & the rest of the ingredients.

We have a stupidly small freezer at the moment and I'm really noticing the financial difference now that I can't snap up multiple just-about-to-go-past-the-sell-by-date meat markdowns and batch cook. A bigger fridge freezer is top of my list of save-fors for when dh is back at work.

So do you go to the cheese counter and ask for 30p of cheese, or do you mean that's how much you'll use from a block? Because that's only any good if you have the cheese in the first place. Same with the herbs. Same with calculating the cost of making your own garlic butter and only factoring in the cost of a slice of butter off a pack.

I spend around £100 for 2 adults, a 9 year old, 5 year old and a 15 yr old!

This includes all 'other' households bits as I need them , loo roll ...fabric cond etc...

It also includes packed lunches for 4 people all week!

I've found something that is helping us at the moment.

Shopping on-line with Tesco twice a week instead of a massive one off load.

This way, I never run out...nor have too much in the fridge.

Two shops of around 50.

I've paid the delivery charge at the start of the month, so as long as I'e spent £40 it can be delivered as much as we need.

I don't think all tinned tomatoes are created the same Waitrose (around 59p) are in a league of their own. The quality is so good, I can make a meal from just 2 cans...pasta + cheese grated on top!

Most people who cook the majority of meals from scratch buy herbs and spices in bulk so have them in the store cupboard. Same with the cheese, you work out what you are going to cook that week and buy a block of cheese that will cover those meals and take some as you need it. So there is no need to think that you need to go and buy 30p's worth of cheese or 10ps worth of spices. Only households that eat a whole lot of ready meals would be devoid of herbs and spices.

Excluding wine/beer and weekday lunches, I think I'm at about £80 a week for 3 adults and two cats at Ocado. My last receipt was for £83, delivery on the 12th. Next order probably going in for delivery next week. I'll pick up about £30ish of top-ups a week. I cook a lot, bake my own bread, and I don't have snacky food in the house - it's amazing how people are suddenly not hungry if they have to walk down to the corner shop.

I did a roast chicken yesterday, and I reckon I could have eked that out over 4 meals for 2 if a) I hadn't let DH portion up the meat b) could have got him to pick over the carcass properly so that the wings didn't go in the bin c) could have been arsed to make stock, and had the freezer space to store it.

Thing is, my kitchen is set up for lots of home cooking, I enjoy it, I'm good at it, and I've got enough cushioning that, if I cock it up and produce something inedible, we can just call for a takeout or raid my food cupboards without it being a budget disaster. If I'd been on my feet all day at an exhausting job (my standing desk doesn't count!) I'd be less inclined to stand for half an hour at the stove making risotto, as opposed to slinging some chips in the oven. It's also the setup costs - not just the storecupboard ingredients, but the equipment. A slow cooker might not draw a lot of power, but it wasn't free in the first place.

You aren't comparing like-with-like if you insist on good quality lean mince when pricing against a supermarket ready meal. I would use frozen mince (from the freezer aisle for that) and still have most of a bag left for my £4.

Likewise cheese. sleepy in this house we are big fans of cheese and get through a block of cheddar every week. But a bit grated on each meal plus one cheese sauce means we get a lot of value out of it. Likewise butter: I buy it every week or two so accounting for a whole pack when pricing up each meal would be daft.

And yes everyone agrees the setup costs of tasty home cooking are expensive, but you don't have to use all the herbs I find the most important thing to add is the dregs of wine from earlier in the week

And a watery sauce is a blessing if you don't fully cook your pasta first: it will soak into the pasta and make it all rather delicious.

I cook for 5 adult sized people on a regular basis, 8 during the busy period so I understand wanting to cut costs, I am picky with a lot of things like free range organically fed "happy" meats, organic veg, locally owned and sourced, palm oil free (which rules out most ready made meals, sweets and wheat products right there) as well the ingredients lists usually look like a science experiment. I make on average four meals a week that are meat free, saves heaps. I am aiming to get rid of our meat purchases altogether over time. The meals that do have meat only have a small portion each and are bulked up on veg, rice or beans or whatever, far cheaper by weight than meat is.
I make my own breads and flat wraps, pastries and pasta as well as ice creams, yoghurts, cakes and biscuits etc. I only buy fruit and veg fresh when it's in season. I freeze suitable veg for use during the off season or buy frozen as needed. I also buy in bulk where possible.

Napolina tinned tomatoes really do taste better than the cheap ones but I have no idea why.

I am absolutely not lying when I say my weekly shop costs £40. I do an online shop at Sainsburys, every 2 weeks for my family of 3 (one toddler, no nappies) and it comes in at £60 - I then buy bread and milk inbetween days. How do I get it so cheap?

I finely grate carrots into every meal to bulk it up
I buy frozen meat and defrost it - always cheaper
If I am going to buy a whole chicken I will stalk where it is selling cheapest
I buy tinned tomatoes in bulk from TFC
When veg is going off I make soup
I add dried lentils to alot of things for bulk
We eat alot of beans (not baked beans because they are fucking nasty)
DP goes past Tesco on his way to work and stalks the reduced aisle for suitable freezer items like reduced fish or meat

I don't always use Sainsburys either - we use whoever is cheapest that week and factor in delivery costs. It is silly for me to book a delivery every week and add £4 on each time. Better to save it up till you have a large shop. Coupons & voucher codes help too.

I have friends who spend £80 a week and have the same family size. But on inspection they are buying the luxury goods, expensive coffee's, chicken breast instead of thigh etc...

Herbs - if you are getting them from the supermarket each time, then you are paying extra for the little glass bottle! The market do them in a bag and you can refill your original glass bottle!

We're a family of three but DH and toddler DD both eat huge quantities (my teenage nephew eats less than my toddler who shocks everyone with what she puts away given her skinny little frame).

We can occasionally do a £50 shop but that's only when the freezer is full. I agree that cooking from scratch (which we do most nights) is expensive.

We tend to stock up on offers and bulk out meals with cheaper ingredients. I've tried to like Aldi but DH doesn't like the own brand stuff as much and we've had issues with meat on the turn. It's a bit further to travel for me too.

We'll make meat go as far as we can to cut costs. I strip every last bit of meat off a small chicken and can do three meals at a push with it, but it normally ends up as two and sandwiches. If you make stock from it you can use that to make a chicken risotto and need a surprisingly small amount of meat, the flavour comes from the stock. Add some peas, couple of rashers of bacon and whatever you have to hand and you can make a fairly cheap meal using the leftovers.

I buy a lot of whoospies too- my local ASDA reduce loads of sr-tuff in the evening, I regularly buy a 5Kg bag of spuds for 10p.

Anyone got good ideas for DIY cereal bars / biscuits for school lunches? Ones that cost less than 30p each? I quite fancy making home made ones. They don't have to be particularly low sugar, just filling and tasty (or they won't be eaten). I also would like them to be the envy of the lunch table rather than a shameful embarrassment.

I spend about £65 every three days for a family of four. I try and cook most things from scratch, I could buy a large family ready made lasagna in Sainsbury's and it would cost £5 but my home made one costs about £8-9 because I use good quality mince and ingredients etc. I don't want to bulk out my food, it is a miserable life to live but if I had to then of course I would have no choice to. No way do I understand how a chicken can last three to four days, the chickens in Sainsbury's are tiny so I need to shop elsewhere! There is an Aldi and Lidl being built locally and I am looking forward to it. I can't wait to do away with the local Sainsbury's and Tesco.

interesting thread, watching with interest
I think we spend about 200 a week on food for 2 adults, teenager (eats more than the adults!), two hungry pre teens. 2 dogs and a cat. I cook 95% from scratch and it is very expensive.

Lidl and Aldi are great as long as you don't get sidetracked by their 'seasonal offers'. You can end up coming home with all kinds of interesting objects from diving suits to horse-riding switches to golf tees that will top up your shopping bill to the proper Sainsbury's price. OTOH even those things will save you money, often 'lookalike' products like kettles etc that cost half the price of the original - but only a saving if you were going to buy one anyway.

Costs a small fortune for us, OP!

Part of that is because we have an under-eating, over-picky* teenager who suspiciously scrapes any hint of sauce off his meat, so no chance of bulking out with anything that he'd actually eat.

*He's autistic. Normal methods do not work. Vegetarianism would quickly = starvation.

I buy for a family of 5 including one baby in nappies and one toddler in night time nappies and a very hungry husband. I spend on average £115 per week and we have meat/fish every day. All our meals are cooked from scratch. I also buy cereals and lots of apples/bananas. I shop at Sainsbury's and am not trying to buy the cheapest of anything. I always have leftovers from every meal to freeze and could probably feed the entire family for about 3 weeks on what is tupperwared in my freezer. If I was trying to save money and cut meat out at two meals then I am fairly sure I could do it comfortably for £100 a week. Bearing in mind that around £10 of that per week is household/baby related. Milk is probably the biggest part of my weekly budget as my children drink gallons. We go through about 8 pints every 2/3 days!

£200 a week!! Blimey.

I agree with the other posters who say that one needs to compare like with like. If I compare what I spend a week versus how much an equal quality ready meal would be, I would say that I am saving money. If I compare what I spend cooking from scratch with the cheapest ready meal available, my shopping bill would be too high.

This week, my bill will be

£84 (Ocado - see below for itemisation)+£26(organic veg box + organic fruit box) + £16 (steaks from high quality free range butcher) = £126 for 2 adults and 2 children (10, 6) for the week

Cupboard
2 Baby Plum Tomatoes Waitrose £3.00
2 Brindisa El Velero Anchovies in Olive Oil £7.50
1 Dorset Cereals Classic Fruit, Roasted Nuts & Seeds £3.00
1 Doves Farm Wholegrain Spelt Flour £1.99
3 East End Chick Peas In Salted Water £1.00
1 Ecomil Organic Sugar Free Almond Calcium Drink £3.29
1 essential Unwaxed Lemons Waitrose £1.50
1 Extra Length Kitchen Towels essential Waitrose £2.12
1 Grape-Nuts Crunchy Wheat & Malted Barley £2.49
1 Moo Organic Semi Skimmed UHT Milk £1.00
1 Napisan Non Bio Germicidal Stain Remover £3.79
1 Nivea Q10 Body Firming Lotion £3.24
1 Ocado Fairtrade Bananas £1.25
1 Pitted Queen Olives Waitrose £1.69
Fridge
1 Bunch of Salad Onions essential Waitrose £0.75
1 Clarence Court Burford Brown Free Range Eggs £1.72
1 Curly Kale Waitrose £1.00
1 Duchy From Waitrose Large Organic Free Range Eggs £2.70
1 Duchy From Waitrose Organic Free Range Mince Pork £4.19
1 Marcos Sarta De Chorizo Iberico £4.86
1 Natoora Fresh Egg Bucatini by Vittorio Maschio £2.99
1 Natoora Thick Slice of Italian Pancetta £3.00
1 Nosh The Raw Fruity - Apple, Pear & Raspberry £2.29
1 Ocado Exclusive Medjool Dates £5.50
1 Ocado Half Salmon Side Skin On & Boneless £8.00
1 Ocado Ripe and Ready to Eat Avocados £1.97
1 Ocado Viva Strawberries £1.99
2 Organic Semi Skimmed Milk 4 Pints Waitrose £3.50
2 Taifun Organic Traditional Tofu £2.58

I make my own breads (bagels, bread, pizza bases, crumpets, etc) and cakes. If you look down the list, there are many premium and niche products which probably would not be used in even posh ready meals. I tried Aldi and it was a disaster. First, it was a 20 minute drive (vs delivery or walking), and second, they just did not have many of the things I shop for regularly, so definitely a false economy.

There aren't any cleaning products or wine on my list - I find that a Costco run once a quarter suits me for those things.

Martorna -pasta bake. pasta £1 organic bag 500g. £1 organic passatta. 10p onion. 10p frozen garlic. £1 of mushrooms and courgettes. 50p of cheese. £3.70. Can be done for less with cheaper products

OP you are not going wrong. My shop is about the same 2 adults and 2 teenage DSs. £50 per week might cover main meals but add in stuff for packed lunches, fruit, biscuits (so shoot me), snacks, bathroom, laundry, cleaning products.
I don't buy ready meals but may buy chicken breasts with some sort of topping and buy frozen pizzas and nice potato wedges for busy evenings. Yoghurts, frozen berries, nice crisps for the weekend and packed lunch snacks make the difference to the total amount. My sons eat lots and there is no point giving them a packed lunch comprised of a round of sandwiches and an apple or chopped up carrots, they need more.
I have a weekly Ocado but went to Aldi for the first time last week. It was so cheap for fruit, veg and staples I'm tempting to go every few weeks to stock up.

When you try a new supermarket, give it a month so you are used to the layout etc and shopping "normally". I always spend stupid amounts in an unfamiliar supermarket...

We average £90-£120 per week depending on cleaning products needed at Tesco for 2 adults (both work - packed lunch included) and two 2.8yos and a dog. I don't think we can get it any cheaper without going down a level on meat - we have dropped one level already and I can't do the value meat.

We cook from scratch apart from fish fingers and bloody chicken dippers - they won't eat my homemade ones.