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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:
MistyBells · 02/10/2015 21:32

I'm shocked by one pizza between 5 as well! But we do love pizza in this house Grin

BeaufortBelle · 02/10/2015 21:34

I hope I can watch this on catch-up.

I don't have to watch the pennies and we love good food and I love cooking it. I spend about £800pcm (£150-£180) pw (that doesn't include fillet steak and ribs of beef very often). Dons flak jacket.

Shop in Sainsburys usually (Lidl and Aldi aren't on my beaten track otherwise I would go to them but I am time poor).

I spend more if we are entertaining and my bill includes all cleaning stuff, wet cat food (fussy cat), toiletries, etc.

I cannot begin to imagine what £325 is spent on. I spend a bit more than that for Christmas week (probably five days) and I host Christmas and we have everything anyone could want.

Shock
MyrtleMoaning · 02/10/2015 21:35

It was the rice that baffled me. How the hell can you save just under EIGHT pounds on one meal for five people? EIGHT POUNDS plus. On rice. On five portions of rice.

And their children ate appallingly. I've never seen British children their age unable to use a knife and fork correctly.

usual · 02/10/2015 21:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WorzelsCornyBrows · 02/10/2015 21:39

I've been watching this and have been flabbergasted at how much these families spend on food!

DH and I both work F/T so we don't have time to shop around for bargains, we both earn a decent sum, but I just can't fathom spending that much on food!

I remember discussing how much we'd saved by switching to Lidl with a family member who said she was saving £90 a week by doing Tesco click and collect. All I could think was "how much food do you buy?"

PHANTOMnamechanger · 02/10/2015 21:40

some of those premium brand microwave rice pouches are about £1.50 EACH

so for 5 that's £7.50

just for the rice for one meal

RomiiRoo · 02/10/2015 21:41

I spend about £100 a week on three of us, including cleaning stuff etc and I thought that was a lot. I cook from scratch to avoid added sugars etc and I don't think it is time- consuming. I am not the most adventurous cook though.

I shop in Waitrose and I tend to buy carefully but what we want. I have done Asda and Lidl which is cheaper, but had bad experiences with meat, which seems different than what some other posters are saying.

Secretprincess · 02/10/2015 21:41

Myrtle thdh bought packs of ready cooked microwave rice, at £1-2 a pop apparently. Mind boggles!

lavenderhoney · 02/10/2015 21:44

when i saw this thread title, I presumed they were getting their take outs straight from the Michelin * kitchens or at the very least dining on wagyu beef, foie gras, top range veg and fruit.

I would easily spend that if I wanted on the most fabulous of food, maybe even prepped by the kitchens of el bulli if he hadn't shut up shop. Otherwise that's insane on a regular basis, and totally impractical unless you are a chef or very experienced cook with the time to do it and people who want to eat like that at home.

Is it the Saudi Royal family? ( wine not included, obviously:)

Bakeoffcake · 02/10/2015 21:44

I didn't see this either. Can I ask where they were shopping? Was it Harrods food hall?!

lifesalongsong · 02/10/2015 21:46

myrtlemoaning - Uncle Ben's packets of rice that you put in the microwave are easily £2 each if they aren't on offer and they said they had a packet each.

Easy to save over £7 but surely no one could be stupid enough not to know that themselves.

I've never seen an episode where the children have proper table manners but sadly I don't think that's unusual at all, your social circle mustn't be very different to mine Smile

lljkk · 02/10/2015 21:48

We aren't frugal.
We like booze.
Most of our food isn't cooked from scratch.
We eat a lot of veg (expensive for the calories you get).
We eat like Pigs (4 adult sized people & 2 greedy kids).
I doubt we spend more than £130/week on avg.

janethegirl2 · 02/10/2015 21:49

I can't believe people can spend that much on food.
Takeaways each night would be cheaper,with sandwiches for lunch even from waitrose it would cost less.
How/why can they spend that much without drinking champagne on a daily basis?

lifesalongsong · 02/10/2015 21:50

This week they shopped at Morrisons but the other ones I've seen have all been Tesco.

I think it's a bit unrealistic when they swap for example for an Asda own brand to get the saving, I don't have an Asda near me, I wouldn't drive to one for a couple of products as I'd spend more on the petrol. It would be better if they stuck to things from the supermarket the family uses

Original poster
ChillySundays · 02/10/2015 21:50

Am still watching the program and am gobsmacked on how much rice they use for one meal. The one thing I can not seem to get right is cooking rice and my family will tolerate it if it is being smothered by curry or chilli but if it to be put on the side with chicken then it is the pouches. I stock up when it is on offer but two pouches for one meal is enough. They must be using a pouch each

OP posts:
BeaufortBelle · 02/10/2015 21:50

£7.50 for microwave rice !!!! I've got Arborio, Basmati, Wild, Long Grain and Brown. My DH makes grumbly noises about that. The whole lot together probably cost less than £7.50 and would probably provide at least 50 portions.

I can see the point of the micro wave stuff if you are a singleton or possibly a couple and the dirty saucepan, space in the dishwasher, power to boil it for one, etc., could be deemed disproportionate. But not for a family.

Titsywoo · 02/10/2015 21:51

A whole packet each?! They are two portions. Were they all very overweight?

TalkinPeece · 02/10/2015 21:51

I love Lidl for certain foods
I only use Waitrose cor certain foods
I would only consider my butcher for certain foods
I rely on Sainsburys for certain foods

BUT
I think that families like the one shown CAVEAT : did not see the prog
spend a bloody fortune paying for other people to prepare their food before they buy it

pre cooked rice
pre sliced veg
pre cut salad

all the things that are better and healthier done while laying the table

ready meals : if you buy meat with the sauce already on but not served right after cooking, how can you have any trust in what is in there

Saz12 · 02/10/2015 21:52

I don't care how much people spend on food each week, it's up to them, but for an adult to be SO clueless about everyday costs is frightening.

Our weekly spend is about £90, but that includes everything (lunches, toiletries, wine) - I'm sure some people would think that was too much, others would criticise what I buy.

It was the level of impulse-shopping that was really scary.

The family with the jars of jam - My DH pointed out that I do the same with toothbrushes, we have loads of unopened brushes. Can't explain it, I just end up buying them pretty absentmindedly, usually one each time I do the weekly shop, unless it's BOGOF in which case inevitably I buy 2. I'm going to try and stop...

SisterNancySinatra · 02/10/2015 21:52

I think that programme is taking the piss, why don't they just order a takeaway most nights if she doesnt like cooking or preparing food , that would of been cheaper than her shopping bill.

ouryve · 02/10/2015 21:54

some of those premium brand microwave rice pouches are about £1.50 EACH

Yes, but if it's the Tilda ones, they're enough for 2 people - and freqently on offer at a quid each or less. I don't like them as much as freshl cooked rice or even chiller cabinet rice, but they're handy to keep in for the days when proper cooking doesn't happen. And power cuts. We get a fair few of them!

blueteapot · 02/10/2015 21:56

Bakeoff - Morrisons!

I think there was a wine tested a few episodes ago but the lady didnt like the new wine.

All in we spend 60-80 a week ish on average for 2 adults, 2DC (one a baby). Purposely trying to be frugal but we eat very well and cook most things from scratch. Includes nappies and milk. The mind boggles as to how we would eat £325 of shopping a week, but to be fair she has 3 DC all older so not a fair comparison really.

TalkinPeece · 02/10/2015 21:56

TBH I have three marmalades and 4 jams on the go in the fridge : different meals demand different flavours

I also have 4 types of olive, 3 of capers, 2 of lemon juice, 2 of saurkraut, 2 of BBQ sauce etc etc : it lets me make up meals quickly

Eva50 · 02/10/2015 21:59

£17,000 is our annual income. I can't even start to think how that could be spent on food!

HaloEveSteve · 02/10/2015 22:00

How do they afford to spend that much?! The husband is a fireman so not earning loads, do they mention the wife's job?

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