Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that £17,000 a year on food is obscene

377 replies

ChillySundays · 02/10/2015 20:22

Watching 'Eat well for less' on i player. The family are spending £17,000 a year on food. I'd quite like to earn that. The bloke is saying about saving them £100 a week - my food bill is that a week (4 adults) never mind saving it.

What is really getting my goat is the mother laughing about how little fruit and veg the family eat. Surely most people would be embarrassed whatever the reason was.

Am I being incredibly judgey?

OP posts:
goblinhat · 04/10/2015 15:53

The woman and her husband on that show seemed as thick as two short planks.

Grazia1984 · 04/10/2015 16:38

thebest, I understand the point. We could shop more cheaply. My hourly charging rate is £360 an hour (although obviously the state steals half of that in tax) so if I spent an hour shopping around I'd love £360 if you see what I mean so the time/money thing is different when women earn quite a bit.

By the way the 3 boys just went out to M&S (yes we had my Tesco delivery on Friday, son 2 and I to Waitrose yesterday and the 3 boys to M&S today). Today's was £26 and i have the receipt here it looks like fish, bananas, pork chops, burgers, cocnut water (I don't even look at what they spend it on usually unless it looks very high) grapes, tangerines - easy peelers, sausages. Ah percy pig sweets for child 5 ugh....

I do appreciate every day of the year that I don't need to worry about the cost of food and that I can buy and eat almost anything I want to. I don't take it for granted. I remember the days we couldn't afford orange juice (not that I'd drink it now anyway) and hair conditioner because of lack of money.

DisappointedOne · 04/10/2015 16:52

£360 an HOUR? Are you a premiership footballer?!

trufflehunterthebadger · 04/10/2015 17:05

i imagine Grazia may be a City barrister/corporate lawyer type. good for you for earning so much

Annapurnacircuit · 04/10/2015 17:25

I think Grazia is possibly Xenia Smile. Although I think Xenia's children were mostly girls.

Bit unfair of poster to say another poster has too much time on their hands, sure we all spend a fair bit of time doing things that others would deem wasteful of precious time, doesn't mean it's any less or more important.

Grazia1984 · 04/10/2015 17:27

I work for myself as a lawyer and I don't bill every hour. I have to do admin. Not that many people in the UK can do what I do which is why I get paid more than most people.

It is certainly is fascinating what people spend their money on, those lucky enough to have any money over and above necessities and of course what we each think is a necessity. I only drink tap water (no coffee, milk, alcohol, juice). It's very cheap. I recommend it.

TheDietStartsTomorrow · 04/10/2015 18:11

3 ready to eat avocados for £5.25? They are 3 for £1.99 at Lidl.

TheDietStartsTomorrow · 04/10/2015 18:14

If Grazia can afford it and she's not in debt or wanting for more in her life then I don't see any issue in her spending twice or thrice the amount of money on exactly the same fruit and veg or other groceries.

The difference is, she can afford it. It's those people on the show who are wanting money for a deposit or holiday who spend extra that I think is unreasonable.

trufflehunterthebadger · 04/10/2015 18:25

to be fair if i earnt half a mill a year i would spend £350 a week on shopping too

Grazia1984 · 04/10/2015 18:26

I can't remember if we bought avocados or if that is somebody else. I have one in the fridge I think as I'm the only person in the house who eats them. It's prefectly logical that if I can send the boys out to buy what they choose and I save an hour of time and earn £360 (not that I was - I was lying in the garden in my knickers in the sun) then the tiny bit of extra spending compared to the extra time to work is clearly the better bargain.

You can apply the same principles down the distribution chain. If a Tesco delivery costs £4 and you are very short of money you are better off cycling to the shop to get the food. If you have no time and more money then the delivery is worth it.

I think I'm reasonably careful with money on the whole. I'm not getting big expensive things done at the moment at home at present as trying to help a child with a house purchase for example.

Anyway it's fascinating hearing about what other people spend and on what.

SlightlyAshamed1 · 04/10/2015 19:08

JeffreytheGiraffe - baked risotto? I thought that was rice pudding. Blush

Off to google

eedon · 04/10/2015 19:26

That's three packets of pr avocados, only slightly more expensive than lidl.

Food is still cheap and for most people only a fraction of their expenses. I spend about 25-30% of my post tax income on food as I eat very well. The average Brit spends less than 10% and eats a lot of shit.

annatha · 04/10/2015 19:47

thediet has it spot on. The problem is being blissfully unaware of how much you spend and be spending beyond your means.

TheSwallowingHandmaiden · 04/10/2015 19:53

Grazia, you seem to get quite a bit of gyp wherever you post. I find you intriguing, particularly as you ignore your detractors with splendid aplomb Grin

(Sorry for tangent, OP)

howrudeforme · 04/10/2015 20:31

Grazia does indeed sound like xenia. But I don't find her intriguing.

Whatthefoxgoingon · 04/10/2015 20:49

Grazia is xenia or her long lost twin.

fuzzpig · 04/10/2015 20:53

Just caught up on the last episode. Those meals looked lovely. I was really pleased that they gave the parents nice simple healthy meals - much more worthwhile than the 'drop a brand' thing

trufflehunterthebadger · 04/10/2015 21:11

no, xenia would be going on about how much she earns in every other sentence and banging on about how everyone can earn £600k per annum if they work hard enough. plus Xenia ran a law firm i believe, she was not a self employed lone practitioner which GRazia seems to be as otherwise she would not need to do her own admin

Garrick · 04/10/2015 21:15

baked risotto? I thought that was rice pudding.

It is Grin Savoury rice pudding. Chicken stock instead of milk, add extras as required. It comes out more squishy & creamy than real risotto but who cares?

Arborio rice used to be a third of the price when labelled pudding rice but, regrettably, retailers have cottoned on now.

Garrick · 04/10/2015 21:16

Don't become a detective, truffle Wink

ragged · 04/10/2015 21:18

would Xenia buy the Guardian?!!

ragged · 04/10/2015 21:18

ps: I thought it was Xenia too until I saw Gdn on the receipt.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 04/10/2015 21:20

We have an income that would allow us to spend £325 on food without missing it. However I seem to have a Puritan/frugal streak a mile wide. It just seems to me to be so profligate and unescessary.

I meal plan and work on about £24 for 6 people a day. That's a lot of decent butcher sourced meat and farm shop fruit and veg. Though I draw the line at expensively flown in berries and that sort of nonsense. I mostly cook from scratch. Food is such a valuable resource, it just seems so wrong to waste it.

Annapurnacircuit · 04/10/2015 21:38

Absolutely yes Xenia would buy The Guardian.

Truffle just maybe Grazia/Xenia would fudge a few facts to remain kind of anonymous. Her style of writing is instantly recognizable though and yes I do admire her ability to never rise to the bait anywhere.

timeou · 04/10/2015 22:01

I watched this programme this afternoon. I haven't Read right through but did anyone notice that they ate all their meals from bowls? Thought it was really odd! Turned me a bit, they were like babies eating.