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 think that's entirely unrealistic.

Loo roll, washing products, sanitary products & cat food would take a chunk of that, so realistically you're looking at nearer £150-£160 per month on (human) food.

Also, presumably you're not planning Turkey with all the trimmings at Xmas if this has got to last until end Jan/Feb?

Can you/your DP take on additional work until he gets his pay rise?

YABU. £200 a week, or even a fortnight, yes. A month? Nigh on impossible.

I'm nosey so I'd also like to know the back story?

If you have step kids EOW is that shared 50%-50% care therefore no maintenance that could be cut back?

Our cats cost more than us I think 😂

I foresee a lot of pasta and beans in your future. I think this is going to be extremely tight, try and buy some massive bags of rice and stuff like that.

I really don't understand why people are saying that Lidl and Aldi are that much cheaper? The meat might be 50p cheaper than the £3.80 I pay for a massive pack of chicken but it's more that you have a lack of choice so don't spend as much.

It is doable, you just have to put a bit of time in to it. Meal plan and then only buy the exact ingredients you need. Batch cook, and freeze. I have to spend a whole day batch cooking - chilli con carbs, curry, spaghetti Bol, shepherds pie etc. Lentils are a cheap way to fill out mince dishes and they are very filling

Carbs are generally much cheaper, bulk up meals with these. Cheap sources of healthy protein are lentils (and pulses if you soak overnight or cook in slow cooker rather than tinned). Use dried spices and garlic for flavourings. Try getting fruit/veg from the £1 bowl stalls if available, has to generally be eaten that day but you can get really good deals if available where you live. See it as a 3-4mth challenge so it doesn't get you down and fed up. Pound shop for treats. Aldi, lidl and Asda are the cheaper supermarkets.

I don't think it's enough.

Just trying to answer all the questions and read through the replies. Thank you!

Okay, so, as of the end of August, I'll no longer be employed.

I have spent the last month stocking up my store cupboard and buying in extras to try to ease the pressure a bit over the next few months.

Don't anticipate to much of a problem from the teens. They make themselves cereal for breakfast and then me or DH will make them lunch and dinner. They eat it without complaint. They don't, strangely, help themselves to snacks, I might bring out some treats after dinner on a Saturday night but they don't ask for it if don't.

As much as I'd like to embrace a vegetarian lifestyle, I think that idea won't go down well with anyone, (myself included if I'm honest).

DH will need a packed lunch for work everyday and the toddler and I will be eating at home.

I’m sorry, I don’t think it’s doable. My household is me, 21 & 18 year old DSs and 8 year old DD. Also 2 cats. I shop at Aldi or Lidl every time & don’t buy luxuries but still have to spend between £75 & £100 each week including top up shops.

Also see if you can access a foodbank if things get too tight.

we shop at Asda and a family of 3 with cat and dog is usually £70 a week including toiletries etc. I’ve done the exact same shop at Aldi and Lidl and all are in the same price range tbh. I do find Asda cheaper overall though because of their discounts after 8pm.

Mostly it’s fruit that is the bulk of our bill.
It’s coming up to blackberry and raspberry picking time so that is a good free way of getting berries to eat, freeze or turn into jams. As well as fun to do. Apples and plums are also ripening and there a lot of apple trees around ours where the owners are happy to give them away. Usually most people round ours put boxes outside their garden with a sign and their surplus fruit and veg from the garden for people to take free.
there’s usually a lot of surplus fruit and veg getting handed round the allotments around ours as well. We usually end up with pumpkin, leeks, rhubarb etc in abundance. We freeze quite a lot. We buy frozen veg a lot as well (broccoli, cauliflower and carrot mix) which is cheap enough and bulks a lot of food out.

I usually go to asda around 9pm after they yellow sticker everything that goes off that day. I can get salad boxes and mixed fruit that way and I rarely pay attention to use by dates but go by the food themselves. The pasta salad boxes go down to 10p if they go off that day and are really good for lunches.

I find this a lot cheaper than Aldi (as long as I go in with a list as I think people spend more at Asda as theres more choice not that the food is actually more expensive? )

I think it would be doable if you have a plan and stick to it. Unfortunately the unhealthiest foods are the cheapest

It’s holidays (when you’re feeding them for every meal) and Christmas that’ll hurt most - slow cook cheaper cuts of meat and make big meals so you can freeze half for the next week.

If your income has dropped significantly are you eligible for benefits?

Can you (or DP) get a second job? Upping your income is probably going to be less stressful than the level of scrimping you’ll have to do.

No one will be able to be fussy in that budget.

Brown rice, lentils, chickpeas, vast quantities of peanut butter, a sack of potatoes. It you go wholefood and vegetarian it might be a little easier.

How on earth will you manage Christmas?

^^ this

My suggestions are a big sack of earth covered spuds, keep in dry dark place, and a big sack of rice (get from Asian shop) and one of lentils. Spuds will get you far imo!

Sorry, saw your update too late. Meat is expensive!

That doesn't seem doable at all.

You say you will no longer be employed, why are you leaving?

Can you get some work to help? Maybe cleaning / ironing or get an evening job?

Can you have a clear out of the house and sell things on ebay/local Facebook group?

@InterestingView
"Tell the teenagers to bring toiletries from home when they come every other weekend."

Seriously?

You honestly think that the resident parent(s) of the teenagers, who support them for 26-27 days of the month, should also provide toiletries for the time they spend with their NRP?

It's doable but very tight. When teens are around, I'd buy popping corn to make big bowls of popcorn and cheap sliced wholemeal for sandwiches and toast. also, everyone laughs at the MN chicken, but roast a couple of those cheaply when teens are around as you can get three for £10 chickens in lots of places, so that's the a meal for the whole family for about £5 with some roast potatoes, carrots and peas.

But I know i'd really struggle to feed that many adults (teens eat like adults) That's 84 breakfasts dinners and lunches each month, assuming the teens are around for three nights EOW and you eat packed lunches too. That's a total of 252 meals, so less than £1 per person per meal.

Can you look for more work?

Cereal for breakfast is an expensive item you’ll probably have to cut. You won’t be able to really afford meat. You can’t be fussy!

I am very skeptical. Yes, I think you could buy enough food to meet caloric intake minimums with £200/mo, but NOT to meet nutritional needs. It’s do-able short term but to do this for the next six months with children (inc teens) is unreasonable & risks nutrient deficiencies.
Especially since the £200 a month is not just human food, but all household supplies and pet food.
I think you need to find another £100 per month somewhere.
Can either of you work paid overtime? Or can you work a shift a week at a co-op or something? Sell stuff on eBay?

Any chance of picking up an evening or weekend job until things are better?

Lizzie I think EOW is every other weekend.

I also think that a lot will depend on what your cats will eat too. My fussy little shits little darlings cost me a fortune, especially my cantankerous old boy