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.

TBF, Op is only budgeting for dinners, and scanty breakfasts, and seems to be happy to serve unhealthily small portions, and apparently lives somewhere where you can buy 500g of cheese for 70p rather than the usual £4.

If I had access to these magical deals, and was only serving one snack size meal a day, plus pancakes made with a single egg between 4, then I could do it on £20 a week too!

But I don't, I think it is important to provide my family with 3 full, nutritionally balanced meals a day, and therefore spend far more.

There is simply no way that a fully healthy balanced diet can be provided for less than £1 per person per day, let alone once you add in the other grocery items such as washing powder, cleaning products, toiletries etc. For me, a decent variety of nutritionally balanced food is the most important thing that I can spend my money on, and I genuinely cannot understand why the OP would think that this level of scrimping is a good thing.

OP if you only have enough money to spend on food, then please contact a foodbank or other agency for help. If you have more funds available, please prioritse a nutritionally balanced diet for your family.

Wow .. I just spent £77 on a top up shop and I forgot to get any meat so will be back tomorrow spending more. It seems pretty sad that you're trying to get your bill even lower when £80 a month is already ridiculously low. I agree with pp that surely you can't all be getting the nutrients you need ?
Also, are you this thrifty in other areas of life? Like buying clothes or paying for days out? I guess I'm confused, is this a temporary thing to pay off debts or something? Because honestly living like that sounds awful. I've been poor and had to live like that and there is no way I would go back to it by choice.

Did your kids eat any fruit today OP? Do they drink fruit juice ?
At the weekend do they have access to additional snacks?

If you have the time, then great. 🤷

Not sure why mangoes are seen as more extravagant in terms of being tropical etc, but bananas are loss leaders.

And food quality would worry me. 70p cheese? Wtf is in that? Is there flex in the budget for if someone gets to the yellow stickers first and there is nothing feasible there? How many basics do you have in stock?

And how old are your kids? Pancakes for 4 made with one egg, they must be teeny.

I'm going to need to see the receipts 🤔

I think there is something in your posting that seems to really enjoy the low spending and wanting to do more. You talk a bit about the psychology of spending and needing control to stop but there is something that makes me wonder if you’ve become a bit obsessive. You’ve not really answered what your general financial position is.

You sound like you’re doing exceptionally well to keep spending down to £80 a month. For context, as a student my budget was £25-30 a week.

I've re-read the thread and I'm totally confused.

Are you really struggling for money or do you just enjoy economising op?

Sounds miserable, I mean if you genuinely don’t have money I could kind of understand it but you wouldn’t be doing it for enjoyment. However lack of money doesn’t seem to be the driving force here, OP seems to get some weird kick out of this.....

Also portions must be very small, I mean a 1 egg pancake mix for adults & dc.

Also the quality of food, what is 70p cheese made off? Is it even cheese?

DC getting excited by a mango

My shopping bill is high but I’ve no problem with it as I wasn’t Me, DH and our dc to have nice portions and enjoy food not see it as something miserable.

Also what if what you need hasn't been reduced on a particular day? The yellow stickered stuff can be quite hit or miss

We have two of us and a dog and very rarely under 70 x

That is a good point about the sticker Ed stuff formerbabe

Also what happens if OP or one of the dc is ill and can’t have free work toast/ school meal. Even a meal of simple soup may need to be provided depends what the illness is

dp doesn't eat ( I think he does but doesn't tell me as I'll nag him to make sandwiches What does that mean? Does he buy a meal deal in secret at lunchtime so he gets a decent portion of food?

Is any of your budget spent on drinks, OP or do you just drink water?

It is for economic reasons and also because I think food is unreasonably expensive. I'd rather live this way rather than have to sacrifice holidays, afterschool clubs or taking the kids for a hot chocolate after the park.

I really don't think my family is missing out, they're never hungry and eat a lot better than some other children. They have a big bowl of porridge or lots of brown toast with protein heavy peanut butter on top. Are you telling me Coco pops are more nutritious?

As for my 70p cheese you must have missed where I said about going out to a McColls off licence style shop late at night when they reduce everything right down. They sell packs of Cathedral city for 4.99 for 250g usually, as it's so expensive it rarely sells so is always reduced to pennies at the end of the day. It's about learning which shops to go to at what time to get what product.
I never buy milk, ham, meat, bread or vegetables full price. I usually get all my fruit reduced too but there doesn't seem to be much in the reduced section at the moment. In which case I buy tinned and frozen fruit, as well as fresh apples and bananas from our local Asian supermarket (£1 for a big bowl.)
I feel no child needs crisps, chocolate, fruit juice, exotic fruits, junk food on a daily basis. We have these things as a treat.
Plus you can make pancakes with just flour, chickpea juice and milk. And they're delicious.

They have a big bowl of porridge or lots of brown toast with protein heavy peanut butter on top. Are you telling me Coco pops are more nutritious? and there's the judgement I was expecting!!!!
Spending more than a pittance on food doesnt mean you feed your kids convenience sugar filled rubbish.
Well done on spending so little and not wasting but I think you have food issues OP.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers the judgement came from a pp telling me I feed my children 'scant breakfasts' which led me to question what they want me to be feeding my dc's?

Reading your update this is absolutely hideous. I'd prioritise food in your cupboards over holidays. I don't know how old your dc are but I'm assuming they're not teenagers...good luck with that.

I feel no child needs crisps, chocolate, fruit juice, exotic fruits, junk food on a daily basis. We have these things as a treat

Children denied these things often go on to binge terribly on this kind of food once they do have access to it.

@formerbabe we always have food in our cupboards. We have snacks too. I just don't make a habit of feeding my dc's crap.

we spend 40-50 pound per day,yes per day.we shop daily,sometimes twice.and aldis so cant go lower

but i have 2 kids that eat constantly meals and snacks and need big portions because of disabilities

i mean constantly its 9-10 home cooked fresh ingredients(always contain some meat) 24 hours a day as neither sleep.they are never satisfied

i buy 24 pints of milk per day(i have severe GERD and milk is the only thing that helps,i drink around 20 pints,more on a bad day)

household things are bought when needed and we are a teetotal house hold and dont eat takeaways

Is it about cost or health?

Crisps and biscuits are incredibly cheap....but you don't routinely have them.

Fresh fruit is healthy but you won't buy it unless it's reduced.

So, what are you really prioritizing here?

We average about £100 pw however, I’m a childminder so have a varying number of mouths to feed. I do try to be savvy though. I reckon if it was just us it would be about £60pw. We do top up on fruit throughout the week though

OP you sound positively sanctimonious and your like very tedious. Why not get a job and earn a few quid, spend the time you presently spend traipsing from shop to shop looking for yellow stickers doing something that generates an income so you don't have to live this wretched existence.
Personally is put giving the dc a wide and varied diet above wine and holidays.

Also is everyone forgetting that we didn't always eat like this. My mum was born in the 1960's and didn't have a cupboard full of crisps and chocolate. They didn't drink fizzy drinks daily. Now this is normal and we are in the middle of an obesity and diabetes crisis.

@Woeisme99 work 30 hours a week for the nhs mate, thanks for asking.