What's the least you've spent on food shopping for the week?

[DramasticChanges]

I've managed to get ours down to £80 for two adults two kids. I need more inspiration! Help me get it lower.
We already yellow sticker but there always seem to be the same things reduced (Richmond sausages, carrot batons, doughnuts.) It's not always terribly healthy.
I get the £1.50 veg box from Lidl.
We eat meat free most nights.
Kids get free meals, I eat toast which is free at work and bring fruit, dp doesn't eat ( I think he does but doesn't tell me as I'll nag him to make sandwiches.)
Feeding others is pricey. Fed friend on Friday and in laws came over for dinner today so four extra adults.

More power to you for getting it so low. To me, it’s a “how much is my time worth” situation. I’d rather spend more to do 1 weekly shop, than go out at certain times to multiple shops on multiple days to get the reduced stuff, but if you need to financially it’s understandable.
We did spend £21 this week, but only for 2 adults and we had quorn / meat alternatives in already and other essentials so it worked out cheaper.

Not a lot to be honest around £25 quid
I don't cook meat everyday and also the days we do I make two meals out of it and freeze one.
Buy fresh fruit/veg from the market you get loads more and also can freeze left overs
3 children two in nappies so nappies are separate but are 2.75 a pack from Lidl.
Also will buy another milk in the week.

I did £22 once (2011 2 adults, 2 dcs). Usually £60 ish.
This week's menu
Chick pea and aubergine curry with hm naan
Veggi lasange
Stir fry
Pasta dish with feta, walnuts and cauliflower
HM pizza
Minestone/lentil soup

Should have said breakfasts are bagels/eggs/ yoghurt and fruit.
Lunches are sushi (hm), salads or soup with fruit and some nuts.
I make 1 treaty thing each week (fridge cake, brownie, lemon drizzle) which lasts the week.

I still can't get over 70p for 500g of cheese, I can't believe that's true. I'm just back from Lidl and bought their cheapest block, which is £4 for 900g.

Forget Mrs can we save some pennies a week, what about Mrs £50 a day drinking 20 pints of milk?!?!

As long as there is flex to account for when you can't find the cheese for 70p etc.

For what it's worth OP I wouldn't mind nurses helping themselves to a bit of toast on their shift, I'm sure you deserve it. But bringing up the foreigner thing is out of order

I'd also like to know more about Mrs 20 pints of milk 🥛

This thread has been mental.

Spending less than 20 quid a week to feed 4 people to fund trips to South america
70p for half a kilo of cheese.
Suspicious lunches
Britain not hospitable to immigrants
People drinking more milk a day than a calf.
People suggesting foraging can provide plenty of food for a family.

Peak AIBU

What a load of rubbish. There's no way you can rely on getting 500g of cheese for 70p for a start and then if it's expensive and they are ajways selling it off cheap as you said they would simply order less in.

There’s no way you are feeding a family of 4 well on £2.85 per day, that wouldn’t cover the recommended fruit/veg/protein/dairy/carbs/fat portions for 4 people per day.

When I was between the ages of 11 to 18 my family was poor, and it’s bloody grim always eating on a small budget, and I can’t understand why you would do it willingly.

From what you’ve posted it does sound like you have issues around money and food and control.

Have people not seen the reduced counter?

I know it can't be relied on, but you can get some fantastic bargains there, and for things like cheese, yogurt, eggs and veg the food is often weeks away from actually going off.

I have 2 kilos of gammon in my freezer that cost less than a fiver, reduced from over £20 by M&S between Christmas and New Year.

And it may surprise the 'I spend more than that on fruit and veg' commenters to learn that most people don't eat their 5 a day, so don't need to buy it.

OP pop over to the gardening section to learn more about growing your own. Everything from herbs in pots in the summer from cheap seeds to having an allotment. If space for a small fruit tree then apples can store quite well and our pear tree though small had a great glut and we swopped with people who had plums etc. So a freezer full of fruit and jam with less sugar in!

People drinking more milk a day than a calf

that did make me chuckle

We spent between £70-£100 a month (2 adults, sons 6,3 and 6months)

We haven’t ever budgeted when doing the food shop but my husband has gone vegan and I have gona veggie so without buying meat we’ve saved about £15 a week.

People did accuse the op of stealing and then a poster said it again even after the op explained about the staff taking it in turns to buy the bread.

People have accused op of not feeding her kids well even when she has posted sample weekly menus that show they eat well.

Overall a lot of people have been very mean and disbelieving and I'm surprised the op didn't snap sooner.

Just because lots on here can't shop cheaply doesn't mean it can't be done and done well. Anyone who has been forced to have a low budget knows tricks and tips and the op has said she enjoys being frugal and bargain hunting.

I don't get why so many think saving money but eating well is miserable. Don't most people have favourites and eat their liked but same foods anyway, so getting these cheaper and finding cheaper ways of cooking them is good.

How on earth is having a low food budget that's suits your family miserable?? I have said on threads before that I would never just hand over my money in huge proportions to the supermarket when I didn't need to.

So many people seem to think that it is a worthy thing to have a high food budget, saying it can't be done for less healthily, when it can be done for less and healthily too.

I'm frugal not as frugal as the op, but I also do frugal takeaways in my food budget and its still spend half what the average family of our size spends weekly. I make choices that I like, ie bean stew, pasta, egg dishes for my girls, jacket potatoes, frozen veg, cheap pulses and tinned fruit.

Frozen fruit and veg is more nutritious than most fresh as they are tinned or frozen so quickly. Not sprayed with chemicals and left to ripen after being picked too early.

People on this thread have been very rude and accusatory to the op.

But I wish more people would realise that some people do have time and make time to do this and some people do not have a choice anyway due to the wage regression and benefit situation in the UK.

Op well done for getting your food spend low. I'm not sure you can or should go lower.

Also lots of people mention hobbies on mumsnet, bargain hunting can be a great hobby, I know it's mine. It sounds like it's the Ops too. I have a lovely home and eat well on an income well under what most people, especially here on mumsnet consider to be OK.

Why should the op spend more on food when she doesn't need to and then not get to visit her dad abroad?

I think the discrepancy between what you spend and what others spend is not as large as it first appears OP. You have not included costs for lunches at school and work, you get 1/7 of your main meals provided elsewhere (Sunday lunch at someone else's house, which from what you say you don't reciprocate), you do actually pay for toast at work and we'd guess that you also buy butter or something to go on it. Plus most people's 'grocery' bill also includes toiletries and household products. So yes, you've done well to use the benefits of living where you do (no such shops near me), but I think the actually full amount you spend would probably be described in different terms by others. There are 4 of you so you'd expect to be buying around 140 portions of fruit and veg a week. Can you really do that for £5 like you said? Are some of these coming from the uncosted lunches? Or are you happy to not eat that much fruit and veg? Or are you actually spending more than you think you are? 3.5p per portion of fruit and veg seems amazing even if it is tinned and cheaper choices. If you're really spending that can you break down more and tell us how? I'm always looking to reduce our bill. I can't offer you any advice I'm afraid. I can't think of anything you're not already doing except not buying school lunches as they're much more expensive than taking in packed lunches.

The only way to get that under £20 is a trolly dash

£27.50 for 2 adults and 3 children. One was a baby at the time

@Hmmmmminteresting

haddock fish cakes with leek and cheese sauce served with veg rice.
^^

Any chance of a recipe for this? Sounds lush!

flirty girl, agreed.

Spending less than 20 quid a week to feed 4 people to fund trips to South america
70p for half a kilo of cheese.
Suspicious lunches
Britain not hospitable to immigrants
People drinking more milk a day than a calf.
People suggesting foraging can provide plenty of food for a family.

'suspicious lunches'

If OP comes back, I recommend Thrifty Lesley. I always find some frugal tips there.

Well I hope she does come back because I want to congratulate her. The food she is giving her kids sounds fine to me and I wish I had her discipline. I know that by popping into the supermarket for a loaf and some milk I'll come out having impulse bought about £20 of stuff we will eat but don't need. I'm now trying to shop less and make meals from what 's in the fridge or freezer. But it takes time and I know I couldn't do it with a demanding job and two children. So well done OP, and please ignore all the nasty comments. I really don't know what people get out of being so mean but sadly, I guess that's social media for you.

February is eat through the cupboards and freezer month, so far I spent £7 last week & £ 6.41 this week

I’ve made some interesting meals, baked bread and we have a stockpile of soya

Smoky bean chilli, chickpea curry, fish finger sandwiches, rice hambalam but not ham - veggie frozen sausages