To think it's too much?

[Ellatreetop]

We spend £400 on our weekly shop, granted we have a family of seven, shop at Ocado and try to stick to organic fruit/veg/meat but still it seems ridiculous!

How many people in your family, where do you shop and how much do you spend?!

try to stick to organic fruit/veg/meat

that's why. Organic industry is amazing marketing, they are getting people to pay 3 times as much for the same stuff. And no, organic is not grown without pesticides; it's not better for environment and it's not healthier. If you are concerned about health and/or impact on environment, cut out the meat and try to buy as much as possible locally grown seasonal vegetables. I bet you will cut your food bill massively.

I'm just not sure how everyone else seems to spend so much less!

You have literally just typed out the answer to your question within your post. You can't seriously lack the common sense and awareness to not be able to work that out. I still think you are being a smidge disingenous

First think about goals all this excess money your spending you could be having a fun day out with your children

Now firstly does it have to be delivered or is your family life to hectic for that.If not go to aldi their nappies are absolutely fantastic and o so much cheaper.Their cleaning products are also good but you can also get branded products from the pound shop.They have plenty of good food and snacks for way cheaper.

If you cant go out shopping life to hectic fair enough then shop as asda online they are far cheaper than ocado.

For pets i bulk buy from zooplus you can get high quality food for a great price

www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/dogs/dry_dog_food/taste_of_the_wild/177903

@coconuttelegraph

No need to be rude, there's always one isn't there? I'm not the only one who buys organic food and shops in Ocado for goodness sake!

@damthatanxiety

THANK YOU!

Disgusting OP, I have 18 children and spend £6.50 a week

OP quite seriously, if you have time, add the same/equivalent items to your basket for an online Tesco or Asda shop. You obviously don't need to actually buy the items but it might be that you can get some of the branded items (cleaning products etc) much cheaper elsewhere without needing to cut back on food quality

@giveherhellfromus

I think I will, £400 seems ridiculous, but I'm honestly just buying what we need! (No keyboard warriors, none of us are obese)

It's easy to spend lots of money at the supermarket- especially if you are are health conscious and buy ethically- no factory farmed animal products, trying to buy British produce where possible, trying to get your ten veg a day each, trying to include fresh fish, fresh veg etc. etc. And there are 7 people to feed in your house OP, plus a few guests!

I spend around £130 a week when I'm being economical (for two adults
and a teen) - this includes food for packed lunches, all other household items as well- toilet paper, 3 bottles of wine, cleaning products, the odd bottle of shower gel or hand wash etc. I shop at Ocado.

@Apirateslifeforme - Does that £50 include any alcohol, cleaning products or toiletries? Does it also include snacks, drinks, lunches etc?

So,

You shop in Ocado, you buy organic, you feed multiple children both your own and other peoples, you give your dog high grade meat, you buy a huge amount of snacks, you have special washing products for your dogs things and you then say I'm just not sure how everyone else seems to spend so much less!

I'm not being rude, I'm incredulous that you don't know how everyone else spends less than you, come on now, you can't expect people to believe that

I totally get what it's like with teenagers, my 6 year old DS had friends over during study leave and they were like a swarm of locusts, the amount of food they went through was incredible. Then still hungry for dinner.

But if you're paying a premium for organic fruit, veg and meat, and feeding your animals on expensive meat than that's the obvious point to change. If you can afford it and it's not a problem then why compare yourself to others?

16. Not 6. He eats about 6 times what he ate at 6. As do his mates.

So you're not able to post a receipt, or an order (with the personal details removed)? Well I don't think anyone can advise you without that really.

What percentage of your total income is your food budget?

I actually think it's good to spend as much as you want/are able to on good quality food that will get eaten, personally, but £400 must include stuff other than food, surely.

You said yourself you think £400 a week is "ridiculous" and too much money, but if you want proper advice (other than don't spend so much, which is kind of fucking obvious) we need to see an example of your receipt.

I wonder why you posted .

2 adults, 2 teenagers
£90-£100pw, Aldi for most stuff with a few bits from Tesco

I don't see how some people can spend £50 on their weekly shop for 3 people.

By weekly shop I mean food for 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 main meals, the odd dessert thrown in, all cleaning products, laundry detergent, alcohol and soft drinks, handwash, shower gel, toilet rolls, teabags, coffee, a few snacks etc. NO WAY can that lot total £50!

You need to consider changing shopping habits OP if you are serious about wanting to cut down your spend.
It's no good justifying it and wailing that there's nothing you can do, you need everything.

For starters, shop in a cheaper supermarket and stop buying cereal bars and loads of bagels. Buy cheap cereal and offer toast or something. You can get a packet of plain biscuits for about 30p and buy fruit in the reduced section of the grocery aisle.

I think people are a bit irritated because they are genuinely on a tight budget and have to shop smart, plan every meal and snack and you're being very disingenuous.

I only buy certain things organic OP, so dairy products, the dirty dozen fruit and veg (U.K. version as US is differ to). Meat I go for grass fed if possible (hence field and flower, you also know what farm your meat comes from etc). Everything else I just buy non organic. My husband an I try to eat very little meat (appreciate this is more difficult with kids especially as they get older, my eldest two are meat fiends ).

I can also see how much more expensive my food shop is going to get as my boys grow into proper teenagers! Dinner will be pasta every night!!

@freakstar

You have described my choices in a nutshell!

Oh come on, no adult needs to be told how not to spend £400 on a weekly shop

5 in our house including 2 teens and a rapidly growing 10 yo, spend around £150 fortnightly at Morrisons (meal planning) with about £30 - £50 a week on cat food/top ups/Local pyo for veg.

Morrisons stuff comes from the same warehouse as Ocado.

@Ellatreetop
Are you aware that the living wage is £9 per hour? Yet here you are mystified how everyone manages on less than £400 groceries a week, it’s just a bit goady and slightly obscene. You heard of food banks, oh how the other half live

@SmileyClare

When did I wail? I just stated it seems ridiculous that good food costs that much, read the original post! I was wondering how much other people spend on their shopping.

Also, may I suggest you change your username? You don't come across as very smiley, more like angryclare!

@Ellatreetop so you're not able to post a receipt? Or explain exactly what you want from this thread?

And I say that as someone who could actually see how someone could spend that amount, and have known people who probably did but A they wouldn't be doing a weekly online shop and B they didn't actually buy, or even cook, their own food....

Also, may I suggest you change your username? You don't come across as very smiley, more like angryclare!

I'm sorry Clare, I think you're fab, but this made me laugh out loud

Ha ha touche I'll try to turn my frown upside down for you OP.

I was just imagining you wailing about the cost of your shop. I know you didn't say that.

I'm still baffled as to the point of all this. Were you hoping other families were spending similar to you? I don't get it.