To spend this much

[Cookeveryday]

DH wants to spend appx 6% of our household income on groceries (2 adults, 1 toddler & BF baby). It's really tight. I'd prefer to spend 10%. That would make meal planning, shopping & cooking everyday so much easier.

AIBU?

And, if you don't mind sharing, appx what % of household income do you spend on groceries?

It's useful to think of it in % terms just for your family, especially if your income is low.

You would expect that as people's incomes rise, the % spent on food, generally fall. We all need to eat but have a limited capacity, so most people as their income rises don't really eat more, just more expensive foods.

Thinking if it in % terms I think we spend about 5-6% too on food - but that's of a pretty decent income. I just include supermarket shopping there - not eating out.

I don't know but I'd think 10-20% might be the average % of net income (after tax) spent on food??

Have no clue % wise but for dh, me, 1dc8 and dog we prob spend 600 a month, including alcohol

I spend about 12% of my income on food.

DH id going to trial spending 6% of our income on groceries and do the cooking and meal planning as he wants to do this and thinks it is possible. I am going to spend my time watching him doing this and seeing if it impacts his health and wellbeing because I am not a weak minded lady bot who needs Mumsnet to tell me whether this is a good idea or not.

In current circumstances ie not going out we are spending about 300 a week
Earnings £7k per month net
About 17% ?
Seems ok
Not prepared to scrimp and save too much

No clue

Also a lot of food is based around convenience, yes there is only so much food a family can eat but there's a huge difference in price between say a big bag of rice v microwaveable rice or veg v organic veg. The difference comes down to convenience, quality and all those little treats that we can do without but if you can afford them and want them then why deprive yourself of them?

I am sorry it turns out that there's no such things as McCoy's lunch spirits. I was wondering if I should get some

My STBXH wanted to spend £300 on 2 x adults and 2 x children. I asked to up it to £350 once. He got pissy and barely spoke to me for nearly 2 days. His annual income alone was 6 figures.

We’re probably spending about £400 a month on lockdown, £300 otherwise and our income is less than half of yours! Where’s all your money going that he’s begrudging you an extra £160 a month to spend on flipping food?

OP you realise this is the perfect opportunity for you?

"DH, seeing as you are so certain it will be enough, go for it. Shopping, meal planning and cooking is now your domain. If you can do it for 240pcm for 3 months then I'll concur"

Leave him to it. Do NOT shop for a thing.

You bring home £4k a month yet your husband only wants to spend £240 on groceries? What a miserable existence for no reason.

Are you saving for something in particular OP? Paying off debts that have a high interest rate? We spend 200 a week on groceries (2 adults and two primary age children) plus takeaways plus wine/beer (although we don't drink much so this is 10 a week at the very most). We could definitely cut down and draw up meal plans and stick to them if we put our minds to it.

But if you don't need to save, then I'm a bit lost as to why he wants to spend so little.

It’s a strange way to budget for food. I’ve always based spending on priority:
mortgage/rent
Utilities
Other bills
Food
Clothes
Entertainment
Holidays

When we didn’t earn much our spending on food was very low and anything lower on the list didn’t happen. These days there is no mortgage or rent and the children have left home. Our income has reduced in retirement but our % spent on food is higher and income stretches to cover the full list. It totally depends on the stage of life you are at, your income and other outgoings.

Percentage is not really that relevant when you're talking about something like food, which is a relatively stable cost across most people's needs. You could earn a million a month. Spending 15% on food would be difficult...

I’ve read more of the thread now & agree, you need to send your partner shopping or let him do the online order. He needs a dose of reality.

Well not knowing or wanting to know your income, the percentage thing is weird - it could be anything from nowhere near enough to far too much. But if you both want to do it.that way the obvious thing is to meet halfway.

Just seen the figures, it would be hard to manage on that. Our weekly shop is about that, never mind the top up shops! Send him out to try it!!

Don't get why % helps, but we spend £400 on food & cleaning products, which is 8%. Family of 3.

Does he control the family money in other ways?

Look, if it's not a controlling or abusive trait, then it's because he doesn't understand.

How often is he the one responsible for the meal planning, shopping and cooking without zero input from you? My bet is never. So, either he's abusive and your just having your eyes opened to it, or you need to change roles. Let him do it for 240 pcm. If he does other household tasks, swap.

One thing is though, it needs to be long enough for the house to start running low on stuff. So I don't buy everything every week. Some weeks I need washing powder, shampoo, toothpaste, some weeks I don't.

Hand over the baton.

If he's not abusive, is he always this fucking miserable?

Yanbu. Our household income very slightly higher to yours and we spent £500-£600 a month on food

50€/person per week or there's about. Including toiletries and cleaning products.

Your DH is tight...we spend more than £240 and there is only 2 of us

£80 a week roughly 10% but think that’s a weird way of looking at it, if my income went up my food shop probably wouldn’t do it would be lower