to spend £280 a week to feed a family of 5?

[TempleOfBlooms]

I spend about £280 a week on food. This includes my work lunches which tend to be salads from places like Leon plus coffees etc. The rest is food eaten at home.

Breakfast for all five of us tends to be things like Bircher muesli or chia based stuff with fruits and nuts. Fresh juice too.

Lunches in summer are usually a selection of dips and cheese and meats and salads.

Dinner is usually fish or chicken with a selection of salads and grilled veg.

So fresh food but not caviar or ridiculous indulgences.

It seems like everyone else on here can feed a family of four on tiny amounts. How? We certainly could eat more cheaply but that would mean fewer veg, fewer fruits, less fish etc.

Is it really so unusual to spend so much on food? I never see anyone else admit to it.

2 adults, a1yo and a dog in our house and we probably spend about £120 a week all in. (Baby stuff and pet food inc)

We don't scrimp, I don't like frozen fish so only buy fresh and it is expensive. Goats cheese is not expensive so not sure where a pp got that from.

I would love to see one of your receipts though...

Even changing to Tesco would save you money if that's what you are after. I find Sainsbury is £££ more for the same quality.

Although saying that Aldi is good too but limited in selection.

Totally agree with stillwish.

Some food spends on here are incredibly extravagant. Nothing wrong with that's that's your thing but there is no reason why you can't eat a healthy well balanced diet on around £80 pw for a family of 4.

We eat totally seasonably apart from things like apples, bananas and pears which are staples for the kids. Soft fruit is a restricted treat apart from at times of year when it's very cheap. Vegetables that don't grow in the UK at all rarely get eaten, with the exception of aubergine because we are addicted. We never buy pre-prepared veg as it's so expensive and also I can't bring myself to.

I love the excitement of the start of asparagus season. Tragic but true. We are eating it with almost every meal at the moment.

I think this thread just highlights that some people, because they have never had to, have no idea how it is possible to “eat well for less” and budget well. And if you don’t need to why would you?

I have saved a fortune by generally moving to frozen veg and frozen things like berries (unless I specifically fancy in season fresh at some point) for the veg at least it works out much better for cost, variety and waste purposes!

Asparagus is just £1 in Tesco at the mo, just sayin'. We had it griddled last night. It's great in a risotto, which is so easy to do. Onions, good stock, white wine, parsley, lemon juice and shaved parmesan. Costs tiddly squat.

@Cantankerous yes, £20 per week per person (£80 per week for a family of 4 = £320 per month) would be minimal. That’s less than £3 per person per day, for 3 meals.

I find if we stick at about £4 per person per day (£448) we are eating very well, but could happily spend more and probably do most months. I often think it would be nice to cut it back further as it’s a huge chunk, but in reality we have weeks if a £70 spend at Lidl and weeks of a £70 spend plus a £20 Co-op top-up, or a takeaway, or whatever. Plus school lunch for 1 DC paid termly.

I do think that a lot of people underestimate their total food & consumables spend (washing powder etc) because they mentally disregard some elements e.g. the school lunches or the coffee out or whatever.

@StayingAtTamaras

It's true that Sainsbury's do a cheaper basket but you have to pay a £7 delivery charge - I didn't know that.

Asda is £40 minimum shop

Probably depends on whether you spend more on "quality" food as well. I don't buy anything organic or from independent stores, I buy everything from one supermarket. I don't buy alcohol regularly either and we only eat out once a month as a treat. I take sandwiches to work.

Typical week I'll buy 4 chicken breasts, 500g mince and 2 different types of fish. Costs £11-£12 as I buy the supermarket stuff. Fruit and veg I spend around £6, that's usually grapes, pears, satsumas, broccoli, carrots and peas. Less than £20 and then I just have to get the extras for whatever meals I'm doing. Tonight I'm making fajitas and I make my own marinade from scratch - I already have all the spices I need at home.

I'm a single mum and I don't feel like I scrimp at all, I always make a home cooked meal every night. Not the poshest meals I'll admit but bulk things like home made curries/chillies/casseroles can be frozen and they last DS and I for 3 meals. We never eat frozen chips/fish fingers really. I'm really organised with shopping.

$15-18 a DAY on cauliflower! shock

Yeah that's the bulk of our meals. But yes, I realised how shocking it is when I wrote it. I'll go buy to making my own cauliflower rice!

You spend £40 a day on food for 5 people? 😳

I have no words...

Your diet must be full of processed food because there is no way anything cooked fresh would cost this amount. It’s worth remembering that just behave ready meals are expensive it doesn’t mean they are good for you.

@nokidshere that's really weird i've got a £35 food shop coming today! £3 for delivery too but still under £40

that's with Asda

NOSQUIRRELS

yes exactly. Why people see it as a mark of pride to spend less than a £5 per day on feeding their families is beyond me.

I am actually quite proud that (after lots of hard work, upskilling and positive life choices) I can afford to spend a decent amount on our diets

Are you asking because you want to cut it down and save money? If so you need to stop buying food/coffee for lunch every day (you can still go out for a walk on your lunch break) shop in cheaper places, meal plan, your breakfast sounds nice but you can buy own brand muesli instead of Bircher or other premium brands.fresh meats for lunch also sounds a bit expensive - what about soup or salad?

When we are all at home I feed four adults very well for £120 pw including lunches.

Breakfasts - porridge with blueberries, gluten free muesli (DH is coeliac, not faddy) eggs with spinach. Yoghurt with fruit.

Lunch - DH sandwiches (quorn/peanut butter or tuna) Me - green salad, chickpeas or lentils, tofu/quorn or vegaqn cheese, Olives, and home roasted beetroot. We both take fruit. Sons make their own baguettes at home.

Dinner - curry, stir fry, frittata, stuffed peppers shepherds pie with lots of veg or salad.

I make one real pudding a week at the weekend and the rest of the time it is fruit and yoghurt.

If I ever buy lunch out that comes out of my spending money, not the food budget.

I can believe that you spend that much. I've only read the first few pages and the last few pages, so perhaps you've already detailed where you shop and what kind of products you buy. Surely this makes a huge difference.

I don't think there is anything shameful in trying to eat in a way that means a fairer deal for the producers, more ethical conditions for the animals raised for their meat, and gentler on the natural environment.

Of course not everyone can afford that (which for some people means they can't afford it without cutting back on other priorities like entertainment, holidays, gadgets, fast fashion, and for others it means they literally cannot afford it as they live on the breadline and would go hungry without discount retailers).

I would guess that your disorganisation and paying extra for convenience filters into other areas of your life as well

Not that you’re projecting or anything

PERE

I always try my hardest to make sure we are using decent meat, dairy and eggs I just won’t buy unless I know where it’s from, but I will sometimes buy different meat if money is tight (I’m self employed so it can sometimes vary

Food shop discussion makes people so judgy (and hangry I imagine!)

I spent £90 at Aldi this week for 4. In there was free range chicken, salmon, king prawns, organic milk, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, jersey royals alongside carrots and broccoli and bananas etc.

I’ve had Leon and it’s alright at the Chunnel but if I was in London or wherever I’d be spending somewhere more interesting tbh. Also I’d be made up with a £5k holiday - where are people going that that’s something to sniff at!

golden £5k is 3-4 holidays a year for me!

Good food costs a lot. When I read the meal planners on here who spend 50p a meal it's all carbohydrate. I probably spend a similar amount if I include everything bought out of the home.

GOLDEN

£90 for a family of four is (I think) I a normal shop with a couple of tasty extras. For me it’s the minimum, if we have extra we are happy to spend it though!

I don’t really get what your Aibu is? AYBU to spend over a thousand pounds on food a month? Not if you can afford it. But the majority here (me included) think it’s excessive and unnecessary. You are very lucky you can essentially fritter money away on luxuries tbh. (Yes, pre bought salads are a luxury many -just becasue they are nicer to eat doesn’t make them an essential). I used to spend far more on food (no where near your level though). I swapped from tesco to Aldi and brought the total down considerably without too much thought. I get a bit cross with myself when I think of all the money I essentially wasted buying branded products when cheaper products taste the same.

5k is enough for a good few holidays. How much are people earning that they think 5 gran isn't enough for one holiday. Get over yourselves!!