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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how much you spend each month on food, toiletries & household items?

84 replies

NeedSleepNow · 31/12/2018 07:05

I am a sahm and my husband puts £300 a month into the joint account for me to use to do the shopping. This is to cover all food, toiletries, loo roll, cleaning products etc. for a family of 5. I am massively struggling with this budget, even more so at Christmas and other holidays when everyone is home so I was wondered am I just spending too much or is it a wildly unrealistic budget for 5 people.

What do you spend each month on food, toiletries, cleaning products etc.?

OP posts:
trojanpony · 31/12/2018 09:00

£300 is really quite low

£400 pm is a much more realistic budget
Especially if it includes toilet rolls cleaning products etc.

MerryChristmasArthur · 31/12/2018 10:03

£520ish a month for a family of 5 here. I do go over regularly and we are skint. £300 a month is ridiculous.

anniehm · 31/12/2018 10:15

£150 a week at least for 3 (more when dd is home from school) this is everything from the supermarket so includes cleaning stuff, tights, the odd piece of clothing or kitchen equipment and admittedly I don't budget at all due to fortunate circumstances but even with careful planning I would struggle below £100 a week. We have a joint account far easier, both our salaries go into it, his large one and my pittance

arewethereyetmum78 · 31/12/2018 10:17

Family of 5 here too. I budget £450 a month. Fuel/kid's pocket money and activities are budgeted separately. Joint account and all money is shared.
I'm trying to be strict with the food budget as we're going on a big holiday this year, however for us it's false economy cutting it back too much as we just end up spending more by eating out or buying takeaways as the food in the fridge is boring.

At Christmas I allow an extra £200 as we host. I think you need to chat to DH and maybe show him an online weekly shop and ask where he thinks you can economise. He maybe just doesn't realise the true cost of feeding a family of 5.

silvercuckoo · 31/12/2018 10:58

When I stayed at home, it was around £160 a month (myself + two kids). When I went back to work, it went up to somewhere around £700 (including work and school lunches), and we probably ate better on £160. There is no correct answer here, as there are so many variables - dietary needs, cooking / meal planning skills, time resources etc.

BarbarianMum · 31/12/2018 11:08

£300 is doable if gou really have to but its a tough way to live. I suggest you start serving him beans on toast for each meal until he gets the message.

We spend about £500 month for 4.

wombatron · 31/12/2018 11:19

Including all cleaning supplies, toiletries and other bits for the house - you know, random crap that you need occasionally - about £80 a week for 2 of us. £300 seems a bit short for 5 of you. Though we don't budget at all - both work long hours so speed and time saving is more important to us

HughLauriesStubble · 31/12/2018 11:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tor8181 · 31/12/2018 23:01

2 adults 2 kids(8 and 14) but they eat constantly(disabilities)and always adult portions as both boys are big for their age(14 y old 6ft 10 stone 8,8 y old 5ft, 115 pounds)

we have to shop daily as they eat so much and spend between £30-£50 per day

this covers about 20 pints of milk(i drink loads for my acid reflex/GERDS),lots of fruit as both have a big watermelon per day,pack of oranges,grapes each

a pack of ham,yogurts,bacon, sausage all each

they have about 7-8 big sized meals each,(we are up 24 hours as they dont sleep and are home educated so at home all day) lots of snacks

each meal always contain a meat and potato product and is mostly cooked from scratch

if we go out on any trips in the days i buy a meal out each

house hold stuff gets bought as and when needed

DragonMamma · 31/12/2018 23:05

I think that’s really tight. I spend around £110-130 per week on a food shop (which includes the DC and DH pack lunches but not mine - because I am shit).

I would really struggle with your budget, especially if it includes ‘extra’ school things.

JurassicGirl · 31/12/2018 23:10

Family of 5 (dc 9,8 & 6) Also 2 dogs & 3 cats.

I budget £100.

Sometimes it's more than that, not usually less.

Joint account would be the way to go if possible!

JurassicGirl · 31/12/2018 23:11

Oh & my 3 children have packed lunches.

3boysandabump · 31/12/2018 23:13

I could do that if I had to but shopping the way I do normally I'd spend that in a fortnight. Family of 6 but one is just a baby so just nappies and wipes really.

DroningOn · 31/12/2018 23:18

Family of 4 and we just manage on 100 per week for supermarket shopping for food, toiletries, cleaning products etc.

Couldn't do it for 300/mo and definitely not for a family of 5

mindutopia · 31/12/2018 23:19

£600-800 a month for a family of 4, but that includes all meals (lunches every day and we rarely eat out or have a takeaway). Also includes quite a bit of wine and food/drinks for houseguests as well. Last month alone I spent £200 on 3 days of food/drinks for family staying with us who all showed up completely empty handed.

TheyBuiltThePyramids · 31/12/2018 23:23

FFS it's not financial abuse if he is paying what he thinks is needed and doesn't have much left over anyhow. This a communication thing. We have one account and I bet my OH has no clue what is spent on food.

garethsouthgatesmrs · 31/12/2018 23:24

i spend £120 a week and we top up occasionally so i suppose we spend between £500 and £550

we are a family of 5. If money is tight i can shop at aldi and maybe save £15/20 a week but i prefer to get deliveries. I could never feed us on £300 unless we alternated between chicken nuggets and fish fingers with frozen veg all week.

your DH is being tight

OurChristmasMiracle · 31/12/2018 23:27

Your budget is roughly what I spend but it’s only me! So just one person to feed etc.

OurChristmasMiracle · 31/12/2018 23:28

But I do buy my lunch every day when I’m at work. (5 days a week term time)

lboogy · 31/12/2018 23:40

Family of 2 1/2 and I'd say we easily spend £500. If I was wiser I could do £300 so your budget with 2 kids is really tight

BlueSkyBurningBright · 31/12/2018 23:41

Family of 5, 3 teens. I spend about 600 a month on food etc. I don't shop very frugal but would find it impossible to feed us all on 300. During school holidays it can go up too.

JourneyToThePlacentaOfTheEarth · 31/12/2018 23:44

Family of 5 here. I shop in Lidl and Iceland. Today's weekly shop came to £110. Our shopping budget per month is £400 but I think we will need to increase this as prices have noticeably gone up I think. E.g Lidl shower gel used to be 33p per bottle. It's now 49p. I'd have no chance on £300pm

Exhaustedmummy1811 · 31/12/2018 23:50

Family of 6. myself, my brother and my 4 children (12,8,4,3) I'm lucky if I can do it under £500 for everything including cleaning products, nappies etc

Mischiefinthewind · 01/01/2019 00:28

£400 a month for 4 of us. Some months I get it down to £300 and that helps with Christmas or August when costs go up.

Mischiefinthewind · 01/01/2019 00:31

Maybe you need a pt job, and he deals with the SAHP bit whilst you work. Even a few supermarket shifts would make a big difference.

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