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.

CantankerousCamel
Chief husbands, did you mean chef or was that a spelling mistake?

We are a family of 3 and spend £100 a fortnight not including milk n bread every 3-4 days. That's with fresh meat, fish and veg. We get most of our fruit and veg either from the garden or we buy the Supermarket 49p veg, it's just as good. Eggs come from the allotment hens, and we shop in local butchers for meat etc

God i really wish i cooked smart and shopped well

Instead of I shop haphazardly and cook listening to the radio and don’t concentrate

Sorry
cooked well
shopped smart

THEWHALE

you spelled ‘ridiculous’ twice, in this thread with an E, then called me an idiot.

I’m absolutely fine with admitting that I’ve found this very upsetting and it’s probably put me off spending anymore time on this particular forum.

If I was spelling very simple words wrong repeatedly, then calling other people idiots, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was pointed out to me either.

Half of the ingridents you’ve mentioned I couldn’t buy for the price you’ve put as the entire meal price!

My thoughts too when I read the meal plan. But then I don't live in the UK.

CantankerousCamel
I did not call you an idiot because of the way you spell, infact I actually don't remember saying that at all but there is good chance I did as that is my opinion of you and your self righteous crap.

DROWNING I was in Aldi earlier (ironically) and even Aldi meatballs are £4 and that doesn’t include sauce, spaghetti etc.

THEWHALE

yes you did, that’s why I pointed out your spelling mistake as you kept calling me names. Tbh I Don’t really think much of you either, or, fundamentally care if you agree with me regarding meal costs or not. Why you care so much about me agreeing with you is something only you can know (please, spare me the explanation)

Rick did you mean to come across as such an ass? I'm hiding this thread now as apparently despite providing proof I'm still in the wrong and have better things to do.

LADY, You’ve provided proof of nothing other than you’re inability to know how much meatballs cost.

I don't care if you agree with me, I would just like you to stop being patronising and offensive.

A spelling mistake does not make someone an idiot and it is childish to point them out.

Also one pack of meatballs from Aldi not 4 pounds.

You’re the only person being offensive, WHALE.

I’ve explained enough about myself and my circumstances and why I feel the way I do. Simply being abusive and nasty is not going to change my mind on anything.

Just have a little step back and consider how utterly awful you’re behaving simply because someone has a different mindset to you regarding shopping budgets.

This is no reason to be obstructive, cruel and call people names.

Really, it’s not.

The nearest thing to an actual conversation showing your point was LADY producing a meal list with an awful lot of vague, irrelevant numbers attached to it.

I’m not sure exactly what you’re trying to prove but this is hardly the way to go about it.

I’m off to bed now as have children, training and work in the AM. Hopefully you’ll have changed the record when I get up.

You are the one who has been cruel, telling people that if they can't afford to spend over 80 pounds a week on food then their families must be unhealthy! It's offensive and that's the sort of thing I have said to you all along. I have not once been abusive! That's taking it a bit too far.
Also cannot see how they were vague, irrelevant numbers.
On several occasions more than one person has told you they are offended by the things you have said, yet you chose to keep saying them and believe you are doing better for your family because you spend more, but that is just not true.
You insult people as much as you like though and no one should say anything back to you.
Maybe when you wake up in the morning you will see how offensive you have been.

It is a lot to spend imo OP but we all have different ways. We are a family of 5 and spend max £70 per week including toiletries and all household cleaning items etc. This is for alI meals for all of us at school, work or home. I shop around which saves a lot, get the main shop delivered which saves time, effort and petrol.
If I ever have to buy a lunch, it would be free with boots points - the last time was over 2 years ago.
I would feel embarrassed to spend such an amount on lunches as you say you do. I guess for you it is a sort of retail therapy and if you can afford it then why not?
I don't 'have time' to do all the home cooking, children's packed lunches etc - who does? But I make time and do them every single day. Why, when it would be easier to eat expensive bagged and prepared food? Fundamentally, for me it comes down to the fact that I cannot bear food exuberance or waste and the money is better spent elsewhere. Oh and don't start me on takeaway coffee....

Maybe OP is being paid more per hour than the amount she will save preparing her own lunches? Plus, no stress, etc.

£280 on food? There you go then... We are a family of 4. We spend around £80 per week. We eat well...

@metoodear whilst your meals look very nice, may I ask why you come across so angry and who are you arguing with? The people you mention in your posts aren’t even responding to you or talking directly to you!!

We spend about £90 on food for a family of six a week though likely have to get extra milk, bread and juice.

If I had the money, I'd love to spend more on food, often it's the cheapest brands but such is life.

Knowing when to stop cooking something is not written in the recipe - the timing is approximate, knowing when it tastes right, knowing how to chop, how to chose a piece of meat, the correct rice, potato, tomato etc, how to match side dishes, know a recipe is written incorrectly

I am now seriously wondering now how I’ve got by all these years

CantankerousCamel

"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" I know not really the point of the thread but please acknowledge you've been lucky too. I've had 2 careers, firstly nursing, then technical administration. I'm now on benefits due to ill health, which NOBODY can predict. That type of attitude is also rather insulting to those working zero hours/nmw jobs. (Who are JUST as essential to all our lives as the ceo's, Drs etc)

"Some of the lowest earners are the hardest workers!" Definitely!

digitalsynopsis.com/inspiration/privileged-kids-on-a-plate-pencilsword-toby-morris/

It IS a mark of pride to still feed a family tasty, nutritious food on a tight budget because frankly - it's easy to do so on a generous one.

I find it hard to believe, because you don't seem ignorant, that you don't understand this.

You and a few others have made statements like 'I only buy free range organic meat' 'couldn't possibly have anything but filter coffee' when if your income WAS suddenly reduced (long term illness, redundancy, bereavement etc), of course you'd change your buying habits - because you'd have no choice.

NoSquirrels Cantankerous also said they couldn't understand having pride in providing good food from a tighter budget - that for me certainly indicated a certain world view.

£5k for holidays (plural) would be fantastic, dd and I haven't had one in 9 years.

"Surely 'an amazing fuck off holiday' depends on your circumstances? The posters on here who get to spend £300 for a week in a cheap caravan in the UK would find a fortnight of AI in Greece to be pretty 'fuck off'." Quite, we can't even afford the former.

So little empathy on here.

"You are very lucky you can essentially fritter money away on luxuries tbh." Exactly.

"When will rich people realise that 'hard work' is not the reason they're rich" it'll never happen - but we can keep trying to educate 😉

"So you are proud of the fact you have come through a difficult situation in life, that's different to someone saying they are proud they spend rediculous amounts of money on food every week and believing they do it because they are buying "better food" and treating their families better in doing so!" Agree. As a sufferer of numerous severe mh issues myself I'd also love to know how they overcame them (genuinely) as it's taken me several years just to get Cmht to take me seriously on several aspects of treatment, let alone the lack of resources available.

"The power of advertising is really quite overwhelming" ohhh isn't it just? As myself and others have said upthread it frequently comes up on 'Eat Well For Less' and similar programmes, people can very rarely tell the difference when they're properly tested.

"if you can afford fresh, varied, healthy foods then it should be a priority to provide them!"

A what makes you think that's not possible on a tight budget?

B what makes you think people on a tight budget DON'T prioritise their families' nutritional and dietary needs? 🤔

"You seem to be saying that people who feed their families on £50 a week eat the same quality of food as people who feed their families on £120 a week, which is quite obviously not true" says who? Evidence?

Apples, chicken and other basic ingredients aren't more nutritious or taste better because they cost more. That's been proven in numerous studies (mainly on organic and free range produce as people do buy these THINKING they'll taste better/have more nutrients - which is nonsense.

www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/the-great-organic-myths-why-organic-foods-are-an-indulgence-the-world-cant-afford-818585.html

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/j99RqVB4HMpPndyhRmtnnT/is-organic-food-better-for-me

If you THINK they taste better I wonder if someone gave you one from lidl telling you it was from f&m you could even tell the difference, I very much doubt it!

"I’m certainly not going to stop defending myself against people utter contempt for me daring to point out that actually feeding your family good, fresh food is something to be proud of, not ashamed of." But that is NOT what you're saying, you're saying you're a better person because you can feed your family food that cost more - that's SO insulting to less well off families.

"You're being hung out because you're insinuating anyone not spending the same amount as you is NOT feeding their family good food." Precisely

Wow! And now CC has a low opinion of those spending less than "govt recommended" amount (where and what is this btw? Because I've NEVER heard of this and if there is such a thing, how do they justify leaving people LITERALLY STARVING to death due to benefit sanctions? THAT is more shameful than anything, national debtline are a charity that receives some govt funding, not run or guided by the govt).

"so it errs on the side of generous."

Leaving aside that's NOT advice from any govt department cited do you really think if THIS govt WERE to quote an amount they thought was the minimum needed to feed eg a family of 4 it would be "generous"????

And THEN you link to a page which reckons £53 is ave spend AND has advice on how to spend even less! Do you really not see the irony? I'm guessing that amount is for a family of 4 as that's usually what's meant by "ave family" that's £13 A WEEK per person!! Could you or CC manage that? I very much doubt it and you've certainly been vocal on this thread that such a low amount would mean nutritional needs not being met!

"just got offended by the very suggestion that food costs money." Now you're being disingenuous and utterly ridiculous that isn't what people were offended by. It's that you have said in your view good nutritious feeding of a family is only possible by spending more, 'working hard' as if others don't work hard, or those that can't work (for whatever reason) can't possibly feed their families good, healthy nutritious food.

LadyDeadpool is spot on, there's numerous examples on this thread alone of people feeding their families good, nutritious and tasty food without spending more than they can afford/is necessary.

"There was an element of smugness and condescension in that statement." Putting it mildly.

"I believe that everyone (through support, top ups or wages) should be able to feed their families comfortably. I believe comfortably starts at £80 a week for a family of 4." Then I hope you are campaigning/signing petitions etc asking for better mh resources (they're being cut to hell right now), for sanctions to be stopped, for decent amounts of benefits for those that need them, for higher nmw, to ban zero hours contracts, to clamp down on employers illegally underpaying staff, for the prejudice against the mentally ill in obtaining benefits at all to be addressed...

I'm guessing you'd view me as a failure as I'm on my 7th new med, the others having either stopped working or I've developed reactions (sometimes life threatening) to, I've had therapy in the past which was starting to work but then the psychologist left to live and work elsewhere (don't blame them) and I'm now almost a year into waiting to start again (took local Cmht 8 months just to find one). I accept others may be in more urgent need than me because although I'm housebound (agoraphobia), constantly anxious (severe OCD), and depressed (any bloody wonder!) I'm still able to manage very basic self care inc occasional simple cooking, this is the other reason I do some batch cooking as then days I'm not doing so well and dd is on a late there's something we can reheat easily and quickly. That also informs our weekly menu, as obviously some dishes freeze/chill and reheat better than others.

I also have a physical disability which also causes constant pain and the painkillers limit what mh meds I can have.

Shopping is online due to the agoraphobia and due to location I'm ltd to Asda - who kept getting orders MASSIVELY wrong, Tesco who won't take my (scots) bank card, and sainsburys. I'm grateful sainsburys hasn't proven to be very much more expensive than Asda/Tesco. I still plan and shop carefully and take advantage of offers as much as possible and use online vouchers wherever possible to get costs down. I think I do ok, you probably don't.

Graphista Hear hear! Great post.

Early on in this thread, I said about the OPs food budget 'It's fine as long as you can afford it, but it's at least twice the national average (source - BBC Eat Well For Less, who always say that the average spend for a family of 4 is around £100) and you don't try to use your luxurious spending as evidence that eating well is expensive and that anyone who eats less must be eating a shit diet, because that's not true at all',

so it sounds like we're on the same page and this thread has rather run away in the last couple of days and it seems that there are indeed several posters who are of the opinion that it is necessary to spend hundreds of pounds a week to eat well and those who can only spend a more average amount can only be eating rubbish, which is frankly bollocks and insulting to those struggling on a low income.

As far as the 'government recommended amounts' are concerned, it is likely that these are those recommended by the likes of National Debtline/Stepchange etc as reasonable amounts for a food budget.

They are closely guarded but often mentioned on the Moneysaving Expert debt forums and the purpose of these is to help people seeking debt advice set a reasonable sustainable budget (there are also similar figures for utilities, travel etc) because when people get into unmanageable debt, the temptation is often to cut essentials to pay debts off, which is not the correct way to do it - what you are supposed to do is pay all your basic essentials and pay your debts with what is left and if you don't have enough left over, that is an indication that you need a formal solution, ie bankruptcy, IVA etc rather than struggle along for years getting nowhere because the banks etc keeping piling on interest and charges and the money the debtor pays goes into a black hole rather than reducing the amount owed.

Having suggested reasonable figures that someone can live on means that the banks can't leave people starving (assuming they have an income - low levels of benefits etc are a different issue) and demand that unsecured debts are prioritised over essentials like a reasonable amount of food.

Knowing when to stop cooking something is not written in the recipe - the timing is approximate, knowing when it tastes right, knowing how to chop, how to chose a piece of meat, the correct rice, potato, tomato etc, how to match side dishes, know a recipe is written incorrectly

Lets not dress a simple act up into something its not shall we? It's not high end gourmet cuisine where people pay a lot and expect high standards.

It's a basic human need to eat and as long as it's approximately right, that's fine. Better cooking comes with practice and it's bloody stupid for people to not even try because it's not going to be perfect first time.

Any time something an omelette gets mentioned as a quick, cheap, nutrious, low skill, low effort meal, there's always someone who posts bollocks about how it has to be done this or that way and how specialist equipment is required and not everyone knows how to make an omelette.

Or as far as matching sides is concerned, does it really matter if you have spaghetti with chilli because you don't have any rice, for example.

Or if something isn't cooked, you leave it a bit longer, which is just basic common sense - you don't take the recipe as the law - put it in for 20 minutes and then eat it half raw because your bits of potato were slightly bigger than those chopped by the person who wrote the recipe. Most people would simply use their judgement, surely?