To think £3.25 isn't cheap for a dinner every night?

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DD (18) has a Caesar salad every night for dinner, I batch cook but she doesn't like any of the stuff so I buy her the stuff for Caesar salad. It works out at £3.25 (she likes this certain fresh hot and spicy chicken that goes on it.) She thinks this is quite cheap, I did mention that she is expensive with the food shopping and she got defensive saying that she eats cheap foods and that it isn't fair to say she is expensive! AIBU to the £3.25 every night is quite a lot for dinner?

I wouldn't pander to her like this. I would listen to her thoughts on evening meals - for example if she genuinely hated the taste of a particular food I would cut down on it or if it wasn't too much hassle cut it out of our evening meals.

But there's a big difference between reaching a compromise as a family and her just dictating that you buy something special for her every night. I would say that you agree on some evening meals that you can all eat together. If she won't do that then she's just being a bit spoilt. Either that or she has some food issues.

I'm just wondering if she's planning on going to university away from home; that £3.25 every day won't seem cheap to her then

No, by then she will be cooking for herself and telling her mum how cheaply she can eat. She will also remark that all she had for tea at home was chicken Caesar salad because that's all her mum gave her. Sigh.

Is she trying to eat healthily and this chicken Caesar salad is the only salad she can eat / chooses to eat ? Whilst delicious, chicken Caesar salad is very high in calories. The dressing, parmesan or other cheese shavings and fried croutons really pack in the calories. I love Caesar salad or chicken Caesar salad but it's very rich so it's unlikely that I would have it unless eating out.

Yes I know no one could give a flying one but it's just odd for the OP's daughter to eat this for tea every night.

MrsKoala
it does make sense - but we do it differently, I did up the budget per child, so we have (very roughly) spent the same amount per person, regardless of how many people are at the table. If nothing else, I probably spent more because I am more careful of what I buy with the kids.

When they are off for a few weeks with family, we spend hardly anything at all in comparison.

I woukd be more concerned about how restrictive she is with her food choices, it is worrying that she will only eat one type of main meal. What if you went out for dinner what does she choose then?
I think starting with her limiting her food is the priority here. Are you sure she has lunch? Does she snack? Eat dessert?

The problem started when your DD was allowed to break away from the families mean everyday and have her preferred meal. A couple of times a week would be fine but now DD is used to it.

Anyone who says something isn't expensive should consider then purchasing it themselves after all it's not very expensive is it? Time to get a job and if they already have a job mores the better.

Who counts up what our kids ear?

People who have a limited food budget they have to stick to.

who counts up what our kids eat

Erm... Most people with a bit of common sense, people on a set income, people who stick to a budget for everyday food shopping?

Must be nice to not have to budget the weekly shop, ehy 🙄

MrsKoala " If it was just me and dh we'd still spend the same. "

um..do you mind if I ask why? If you can feed a family of...is it it 5?....on that, then surely it would be a waste of money if 2 people ate on the same money?

Does she have any signs of an eating disorder?

That is an incredibly unusual and controlled (and unhealthy!) diet.

I wonder if she’s comparing the price to something other than the homemade meals though, for example if mum or dad get a £3.25 take away coffee everyday with lunch then she might think her dinner is cheap as it’s a whole meal.

I'm more gob smacked at the idea that you buy it and she only likes on particular brand of chicken and you get that too.
Get her to devise family meals that you all like,give her a budget and stop pampering to her.

Well because people I know tend to spend what is available. Sure we could live on even less than £100 per week if we ate value pasta and bread. But it wouldn't be nice. So we eat with what we can afford. If I had less people to spread it round i'd shop at the butchers and fishmongers more, i'd be a bit more discerning and ethical in my choices etc. We only have x amount left after bills for food, so when DH spent £45 on one meal I had to cut back in other areas. Last night we had salmon, so tonight we've got a slow cooker turkey drumstick casserole which is something I doubt i'd make if the budget would stretch to butchers lamb chops.

I don’t think it’s that expensive for an evening meal but if she’s 18 she can surely contribute towards food or even go shopping herself if she wants to eat food that you don’t normally have in.

@MrsKoala I totally agree with you
We spend a bomb on food but it is so important to us

I think it's part of a larger issue to do with growing up and understanding about money as one moves towards independence. If somebody is still studying they can't contribute much towards the household budget. But they need to start preparing for eventual independence.

I think that most young people living independently - wouldn't be able to live on prepacked fancy chicken pieces and be able to pay for rent, utilties etc.

Oven baked Greek style chickpeas are an ethical, healthy and economical evening meal.

This is one of the most micro managing, over thinky threads I think I have ever read on Mumsnet. She's 18, it's 3.25 for a main meal. She could be spending that on a coffee every day, or fags. Just let her have it until she gets sick of it.

Honestly I am slightly jealous that this is all some people have to worry about.

It's subjective as to whether that is expensive, but it is more than many would spend.

It's very unhealthy to be eating so much meat,not to mention bad for the environment. Can she be persuaded to have alternative (cheaper, veggie) meals?

Oh my, I am happy to live on salad every night, without the chicken, mine is either cheese or Quorn slices or something non meat. I never thought of it as being expensive, but I buy whatever lettuce is cheapest, usually iceberg (never round lettuce or leaves). I never thought a salad would cost that much to make. Compared to what I make for H it is cheap. I clearly need to do some cost cutting.Mine isn't Caeser salad but is a lot of lettuce.

I suppose a Caeser salad made traditionally would cost more than mine though, taking into account ready made croutons and grated parmesan. Cheaper to make the croutons in bulk and buy a block of cheese and a shaver and make it really nice, Iceberg lettuce, cook the chicken, freeze half. Caeser dressing that is ready made is disgusting, and easy to make, could be home made and kept in the fridge. It depends on how many deviations there are to a traditional Caeser recipe as to how much more it needs to cost.

Fazackely "Honestly I am slightly jealous that this is all some people have to worry about."

um, some people have to worry A LOT about that amount of money going on one person's evening meal.

I allow £3 per day for dd who is a student for her lunches (she gets breakfast and tea provided). She tends to make herself tuna or chicken salads with grains and fruit/yoghurt.

So I'd say it is pretty cheap for an evening meal.

I wouldn’t be pandering to this at all. She sounds like she’s deffo got issues with food, at the very least.

Well the salad is easily £3.25.

Lettuce
Croutons
Cheese
Chicken
Caesar dressing

How much is she eating in a sitting?

That still shouldn't come to 23 pounds a week.

In Tesco's the prices are (sorry, I have an american keyboard and no pound sign)

Lettuce - $1 for 2 romaine lettuce hearts
I wouldn't blame her for eating both each day

Croutons - $0.90 100g crutons
Should last nearly a week

Cheese - $1.89 Creamfields Grana Padano 200G
Should last nearly a week

Chicken - $1.99 Eastman's Sliced Cooked Chicken 240g
Should do 2-3 meals

Caesar dressing - $0.85 Tesco Caesar Dressing 250ml
Should last 1.5-2 weeks

And lidl/aldi would be cheaper.

She's comparing it to takeaways and eating out.

She's 18, quite capable of sorting her own tea out

Absofuckinglutely.