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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How can you do a comfortable shop for £30, two adults and a baby?

135 replies

DeanaPiana · 12/04/2017 18:58

DF is adamant she does her Aldi food shop for £30 or under, for two adults and two teen boys.

This includes lunches for two adults but not baby essential etc, which she calculated separately and buys elsewhere.

Could I do it and eat comfortably from Aldi? My shop must include:

Vegetables
Fruit
NO meat
Limited dairy
Some decent snacks
Lunches for two adults
Yoghurt
Soft drinks

Other half is a vegetarian who doesn't eat much dairy. I don't eat meat within the home. Baby will be veggie too (I'm pregnant). I'll probably have to buy Quorn products elsewhere, which is a pain in the arse so a lot of meals from Aldi may well be cheaper because of me calculating the Quorn shop differently.

I use to shop at Lidl and spent around the £45 mark at least for two adults.

OP posts:
MummyBearToTeddy · 12/04/2017 19:47

@nabobs I bought nappies before he was born and some have been gifted to us. The baby is only 2 so doesn't need milk, eats our food and only likes water other than his feeds.

Cleaning products I make myself so they're chemical free and natural.

Planning is all it takes. We have a chest freezer so can buy the ugly veg box once a month for £2 that's full of things for soups, pies, stews, pasta sauces. We grow a lot of our own too that helps. All our bread and pasta are homemade and made in bulk.

If you really want to you can do it and eat well. We don't have the same thing constantly and don't have boring things.

NabobsFromNobHill · 12/04/2017 19:52

2 year olds don't drink milk? And if he eats your food, you need to cook more of it than if he didn't.

I know food in the UK is stupidly cheap but 15 pounds a week for 3 people, I just don't believe you. That is 2 pounds 14 pence a day, or 71 pence a day each.

Maybe you can stay alive, but eat well on 71 pence a day? Nah, not having that.

sailorcherries · 12/04/2017 19:55

We tend to be about £50 on average for a food shop for two adults and one child, sometimes more sometimes less depending on personal hygiene items and shower gels etc.
Then every month or so we are about £20 in extra cleaning products and toilet rolls etc. I use Zoflora to clean and buy the big bottle for £3.99 in B&M and it makes 40 litres of antibacterial cleaner.

We probably average it about £250 per month.

Cocklodger · 12/04/2017 19:56

I think it's certainly possible Nabobs.... particularly when you aren't buying lots of things like cleaning products and veggies (which is a decent slice of my budget) if you grow it yourself. It isn't really the same then is it?
I do believe you though

NabobsFromNobHill · 12/04/2017 19:58

How much can you grow yourself? Not got an allotment full of oranges and bananas, has she?
Nope. Not unless you have an actual farm maybe.

Mooey89 · 12/04/2017 19:59

I did the Aldi shop today... 2 adults and a 3 year old here - £28.

That included wet wipes, shower gel/shampoo, deodorant, sun cream and coffee pods.

We are vegetarian but did include ham for DS and quorn mince, quorn chicken pieces and quorn sausages.

I meal plan really well, I over make and freeze portions for DS. I don't feel like we are deprived though, but I do cook everything, no ready meal type things.

MummyBearToTeddy · 12/04/2017 20:01

@nabobs he's only two so still has breastmilk and therefore he isn't on the shopping list. I cook for myself and DH and he shares my dinner usually.

What costs money monthly for everyone is the wasteful baby things like formula, disposable nappies and wipes and I've never bought those. Cleaning products and I make my own. Alcohol and meat. Being 1 vegan and 2 tee total means we don't need those things.

I rarely buy anymore than my £2 box of veg and fruit a month and that lasts is all month because we grow the rest and don't care what shape it is.

It's entirely your choice to believe me or not but we have a budget that we stick to because financially we have to watch what we spend. You'd probably not believe that except birthday and Christmas presents we haven't spent money on our son yet except the basic starter set of nappies and a few clothes. He has no bed, never had a pram and has few toys because we make our own.

Mooey89 · 12/04/2017 20:01

To be fair, DP does buy 'treats' from the shop separately if he wants beer or I need chocolate

mumthatruns · 12/04/2017 20:02

My last Aldi shop was £32.52.
I got :

Mince
Chicken
Ham (for sandwiches)
Bread
Asparagus
Mange-tout
2 x pizzas
Garlic bread
Bag or carrots
Celery
Spinach
Leeks
2 x red peppers
Courgettes
Yogurts
Quark
Vegetable stock cubes
A football for the toddler
Chocolate biscuit things (husbands lunches)

I think that was it. I probably still have the receipt in a bag somewhere! Anyway that did us meals for the week. I didn't buy fruit as I had loads in the bowl or potatoes as I had some but I can usually do a weekly food shop in there for under £40. That's for 2 adults and a 2 year old (who is potty trained so no nappies needed). I make 90% of our meals from scratch. This week we ate cottage pie, macaroni cheese, risotto primavera, chicken and veg pasta and obviously pizza! Smile

mumthatruns · 12/04/2017 20:03

I also got deodorant, handwash toothpaste!

NabobsFromNobHill · 12/04/2017 20:03

What costs money monthly for everyone is the wasteful baby things like formula, disposable nappies and wipes and I've never bought those

Excuse me, wasteful? Hmm That is rather judgemental and rude of you to say.

Instasista · 12/04/2017 20:04

"Look at thrifty lesley's website. She shows how it can be done by planning meals and has a range of mealplans all of which are calorie counted, costed at £1 day per person and include plenty of fruit and vegetables. You would have to be prepared to eat only what is in season and to make several different meals out of similar ingredients but it is doable. The recipes I've tried from her site have all tasted really nice, but I lack the discipline to stick to it for a whole week."

How is this possible? Aldi veg is 60-90p a portion alone. Are you just eating half a bag of carrots for dinner or something?

Teabagtits · 12/04/2017 20:05

Without meat and junk food/"treats" it would be quite easy in Aldi. You could also consider supermarket own brand veggie mince and meat like pieces which are considerably cheaper than quorn. If you end up including formula etc then it will bump up the price.

Instasista · 12/04/2017 20:05

"What costs money monthly for everyone is the wasteful baby things like formula, disposable nappies and wipes and I've never bought those. Cleaning products and I make my own. Alcohol and meat. Being 1 vegan and 2 tee total means we don't need those things."

You must have loads of spare time. If you had a job you'd have more
Money and wouldn't have to scrimp on £30 a week. Grin

Gallavich · 12/04/2017 20:07

Mummybear to be fair it sounds like you have quite a niche lifestyle not to mention lots of time for making cleaning products, wipes, pasta etc. Most people couldn't and wouldn't want to live that way.

MummyBearToTeddy · 12/04/2017 20:07

It's not judgemental. Disposable nappies and wipes are wasteful because they go in the waste bin. Formula is not necessary and contains cows milk too so again it's damaging to the environment. I don't think wanting to reduce our damage to our surroundings is judgemental.

Yes I grow a lot of vegetables and some fruit (apples, pears, berries, tomatoes, cherries) and my DC is the only one who eats bananas and that's not often so usually he can have them as a treat.

Gallavich · 12/04/2017 20:08

If you had a job you'd have more Money and wouldn't have to scrimp on £30 a week Grin and miaow! You're not wrong though. Then again it sounds like being thrifty brings them happiness so have at it.

Trifleorbust · 12/04/2017 20:10

Wow - what is it that is objectionable about MummyBearToTeddy saying she grows food and makes toys, doesn't drink and uses hippy home-made everything? It isn't offensive to anyone else. I couldn't and wouldn't want to live that lifestyle because it sounds too much like hard work, but good for her that she can and does! Some posters sound jealous and it's unattractive.

MummyBearToTeddy · 12/04/2017 20:12

@instasista I do have a job. We both have a job and we both make good money. However we also need to pay for things like parents, mortgage, trips away, and Saving for our sons future education.

Instasista · 12/04/2017 20:12

It's not offensive to say formula is unnecessary?

Tell that to a mother who had a mastectomy. Mind you maybe her baby should just starve, survival of the fittest in hippy land

Instasista · 12/04/2017 20:13

You don't have a job if you make your own wipes Grin or make your life crap by living off £30 a week of Aldi food. I call FIB!

Trifleorbust · 12/04/2017 20:14

Instasista:

I don't want to speak for another poster but since you are responding to me, I'd read that comment as formula being unnecessary to the poster, because she is able and wants to BF. Not everything is a dig!

MummyBearToTeddy · 12/04/2017 20:15

@trifleorbust thank you. You are free to say I'm a hippy. My DH does all the time!

Instasista · 12/04/2017 20:15

"What costs money for everyone is wasteful things like formula"

No trifle she was talking about everyone

MummyBearToTeddy · 12/04/2017 20:19

Ok then I misspoke. What I mean is that when I see other people buying nappies and formula and wipes and a million other baby things I can see where their money is going. Formula is a waste for us. I don't mind everyone else using it but it's a waste of money to us because it's not in keeping with our beliefs and way of doing things. I agree there's a place for ff in this world but I also think it's often overused too.