AIBU to think £200 is enough?

[Pauuuuuuline]

AIBU to think that £200 a month on groceries is enough?

As of next month, as a family, we'll have £200 a month left over after essential outgoings to spend on our shop.

This £200 will need to accommodate two adults, a toddler, two cats. Will also include four teens EOW.

Can currently spend (and often do) roughly £400-500 a month, so for us, £200 seems quite small but it's doable right?

Any thoughts and tips on how to do it would be much appreciated.

I thought it would be fine if a bit tight until you mentioned the 4 teenagers every other weekend! Boys or girls? Feel like that might push you over.

It will be tight but if you meal plan you should be able to make it work.

Unless you have any special dietary requirements and are happy to eat vegetarian some days then yes it is possible.

possible but a bit joyless imagine

Theres 2 adults here and 8 year old ds here 5 nights a week. We spend about £60 on food including packed lunches for us all. That's being quite careful, as well.

That's £46 per week for two adults and a toddler full time plus 4 teens every other weekend (plus the cats)?

No it isn't enough IMO. That's going to be incredibly tight and not much fun. I'd be surprised if you can keep everyone full and healthy on that amount.

Good point Flerkin I did not even think about packed lunches.

No.

That's tight, with the teenagers over particularly.

Mmmm🤔
Don’t have any advice, sorry, but I’ve been looking at figures and I don’t think I could do it.

Hopefully someone will come up with something helpful.
I spend about £200 a week. That’s 2 adults, 1 teenager and 1 cat

It isn't enough for the teens too.

Well, we will have to make it doable somehow as this will be our reality from September until January. DH starts a new job in the new year wish should pull in another £100-150 per month but until then, £200 per month for groceries is what we'll have.

Getting worried now that some of you are saying it isn't doable! I realise it'll be incredibly tight but I thought with the right amount of thought and planning I could possibly make it work.

Pasta and cheese...

Teenagers are human locusts.

It is doable, just requires stringent organisations and firm management of expectations

It’s doable. You’ll have to shop at places like Aldi, lidl and Poundland. You’ll have to make meals that last more than one day, so stews or something you can eat the next day also like roast chicken on a Sunday, chicken curry on the Monday. No one will be allowed to be picky and also limit the amount of waste. Remember tinned veg and frozen veg is just as good. It will be a bit boring not being able to say sod it let’s have a takeaway but if needs must then you don’t have a choice.

Have you looked at a Girl Called Jack and all their recipe books? There's plenty of cheap recipes there.

I think that will be very tight. We spend that with two adults and a cat, if we include cleaning stuff, loo roll etc.

That is tight. How fussy is the toddler?

Can you cut back elsewhere?

Can the teens work?

What do you have in store cupboard.?
Lidi pasta is nicer than asda .
Would qualify for food bank.

I thought it was tight even before I got to the part about the teenagers .

If you need to do it though, you will find a way. When we're having a tight week:

• Things on toast
• Things from tins
• Tap water only
• No treats
• Fruit/veg from Aldi/Lidl
• smart price/value/savers ranges
• less/no meat
• meal plan to within an inch of our lives

This £200 will need to accommodate two adults, a toddler, two cats.
Doable.

Will also include four teens EOW.
Shit! FOUR teens?

Can you cut back on any other bills etc.? I think you’re going to massively struggle.

It is doable but it won’t be any fun.
You will need to go to Aldi or Lidl, meal plan and stick to a strict budget. Allow for topping up milk, fruit and snacks midweek.

Get lots of Aldi supernoodles, cereal and 19p biscuits as well as fruit and veg for the teenagers to munch on. Have strict words with them about not eating the rest of the food. Make it v clear what is fair game and what’s off limits.

I think you need to embrace vegetarianism. And plan to within an inch of your lives! Will your DH be on board?

www.facebook.com/groups/651859231575794/
Feed yourself for £1 a day group on Facebook is good, there are some sample menus to get through a week on the bare minimum then you can always look at extras?
Meal planning will be important so you know you're getting the most for your money.
Have a look and see if you can find the cats food on offer and stock up for the month - I quite often buy a 120 pack from amazon cheaper than the supermarkets.
Good luck x