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?!

Tell me please, what is an acceptable amount to spend on food on Mumsnet without being hung out to dry?! This is ridiculous.

There is no acceptable amount! If you spend a lot you're boasting and wasteful, and if you spend very little you're competitively underspending and depriving your kids of normal food

We usually average about £30 a week at lidl for 2 of us but occasionally I just say fuck it all, go nuts at waitrose and spend at least double

@Lipperfromchipper I have a stash of stuff. Why?
Mouthguard cleaning tablets - end of line, paid 10p instead of £9. Yes I bought the lot
Teabags - my dad went to cash and carry and got me a giant bag v cheap
Conditioner - I buy when it's on offer
Foundation - being discontinued and I LOVE it so I bought 10 bottles when reduced to £3 instead of £8

Stuff like that or washing powder or hand wash etc I use all the time so if it's on offer I buy 2. If it's not on offer, I don't buy it. Tend to get a lot from wilko so I stock up when I'm there because washing up liquid, bleach etc is a lot cheaper but it's out the way so I don't go often

About £150 a week (including clean products and a few toiletries). We are a family of 5.

That’s crazy.

@FreakStar

There’s always some household items to buy every week
liners- ? Bin liners? I put a lot of my food waste in a composted, and everything else gets washed and separated I don’t use bin liners. I just wash the bin
cloths- I probably buy cloths once a year! washing up liquid- once every few months! scourers- again I buy a pack maybe every six months or so
washing powder- maybe one every 2 months
bleach- don’t buy
kitchen spray, bathroom spray- same thing I just buy one for each side of the house- again once every 3/4 months I would say!!
Floor cleaner,
glass cleaner- don’t buy
cotton wool-don’t buy
cotton buds- don’t buy
toothpaste-every 2 months
hand wash refills- once every 3/4 months oven cleaner- probably once a year
foil- every 6 months
clingfilm- every six months
sanitary products- I use a cup
deodorant- every 2 months

I definitely do not need one of those every week. I know that’s just me but I don’t see how these things are a constant??and YES I clean my house- I’m a clean and neat freak but also trying to be mindful of waste!!

Ok then , family of four with different dietary needs at our very most spent £130/150 per week from sainsbury's and our local butchers for good quality meat, this includes the household stuff like cleaners, shampoo etc. Now since our financial difficulties last year we have cut down to £60 per week still from sainsbury's and local butchers but we realised we were wasting food. We had a large chest freezer full of meat and cooked meals that we had forgotten about so we meal plan and actually use up the food in the freezer. We do lots of home cooked food using herbs spices, fresh meat etc and a few frozen convenient foods for the kids when they are busy. So I'm assuming you are buying the chef in with the food shop too? No?

Around £70- £80 per week.
2 adults 2 kids. Nappies, household cleaning and toiletries included.
I Have my 2 nephews twice a week for tea and cook Sunday dinner for 7 adults and 2 kids each week.

Floor cleaner I was suppose to add- maybe once every 2/3 months

We're in ireland but a family of 3 adults and a 2 year old (who eats a lot) and €120 a week in tesco delivered and then a few top ups of bread/milk maybe if needed

@ClientQueen because, aside from things being discontinued, there will ALWAYS be another offer...it’s not like offers only occur once a year (then I might understand it!) offers are what consumerism is built on...and I don’t buy into it unfortunately.

@Mamabear144 I’m in Ireland too.... I find tesco to be very expensive though!! I always shop at lidl.

Family of 6 (2 adults and 4 children) 2 are in nappies. I cook fresh from scratch most of the time. We spend on average between £120 and £140 a week. No top ups. That's for meals, pack lunch for 2 children and nappies, cleaning products and toiletries and we shop at Tesco online the majority of the time. I set a budget and stick to it though

I also order online so I can edit my basket accordingly and track the budget

@Lipperfromchipper oh yes I mean I don't buy EVERY time it's on offer or I would need a storage unit
But if I'm halfway down a conditioner bottle and my fave is BOGOF, then I'll buy it

Funnily enough buying one bottle of shampoo or kitchen cleaner once in a while doesn't put my shopping bill.up.to £400.
I certainly don't need to buy lots from that list every week who does?
i buy on offer or when needed and its certainly not every week. Think you are desperately trying to convince yourself we must all be lying Freakstar

Neither do I, one or two though most weeks, but how does a tube of toothpaste last 2 months?

OP could cut her bill a lot! I agree! My shopping is only about £100 a week for food- but can't see how I could halve that and still eat as well! I meal plan, and although I'm not too frugal I'm not extravagant either. I like quality, yes, and I could shave about another tenner or so off by choosing cheaper versions of some things but I don't think I could get it down to £50 a week like some on here without missing out on things. (not that I want or really need to either )

By using the recommended pea size portion I reckon. Also my kids use a kids toothpaste so we’re not all using the same one.

I just stated it seems ridiculous that good food costs that much, read the original post!

But you didn’t say that, did you? You said nothing about the cost of food, just that it’s ridiculous your weekly food shop costs £400. So lots of people posted that they agree you that £400 is ridiculous and you get all offended!

As I posted before, I really can’t see the point of this thread.

@Lipperfromchipper I buy nappies/wipes/washing tablets/dishwasher tablets all in bulk when they're on offer which is usually all at different times so only need to buy them maybe once every 2 months which is worth it, I think tesco always has great deals on and it's so handy getting it delivered, ds is wild and climbs out of the trolley every 2 minutes so no thank you!

@Ellatreetop I'm very similar to you in spend although we have a smaller family and live in the states. It is dreadfully expensive here and for a family of 5 (2 adults & 3 small children) we spend the equivalent of about 2000£ per month. We do entertain quite a bit though and that certainly jumps the bill higher. But I would love if it was cheaper. I don't shop in the expensive shop but if I did we would easily spend double that amount. The first month we lived here I was finding my feet so just went to the most obvious shop and bought here and there and the month ended up costing 4grand. It is mind boggling. I think your spend is far more justified than mine tbh. I have 3 boys and even though they are not teenagers we are already going through gallons of milk and cereal weekly. Fruit is also expensive despite the climate. I am always jealous when I read these threads, about how little people can get by with spending on their shops!

@PickwickThePlockingDodo that was me! Reading this post with fascination. It's the equivalent of watching those home or country programmes where their pool houses are bigger than my flat!

@Mamabear144 I understand the wild dc scenario!! Mine do that too!! I try to go on my own as much as possible...much easier to think straight!👍

Cheapish meals
Chickpea and spinach curry
Jacket potatoes, beans and cheese
Tomato and roasted veg pasta
Toad in the hole
Homemade pizza
Pasta carbonara
Roast chicken
Risotto
Pitta pizzas
Homemade falafel
Carnitas
Catfish goujons and pineapple salsa
Mac and cheese
Homemade quiche
Bean burgers (30p a serving)
Fish finger sandwiches
Frito misto
Homemade ramen
Chilli beef salad

It's not budget food, it's knowing how to cook and find a bargain.

It's all relative really. To me with a family of 4 and doesn't even earn £1600 a month, it sounds like a huge amount. If you can afford it and aren't duly concerned then it probably isn't so much.
Maybe have a go at shopping elsewhere and being a bit more relaxed about stuff being organic. You should be able to eat just as well and save yourself a bit of money.