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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Has your grocery bill increased since covid started?

36 replies

shivawn · 07/04/2021 17:41

Its just my husband and I in our house. Pre-covid we got by happily on 60 a week for groceries most weeks including cleaning supplies, no alcohol. Now its 100 a week and rising.

I honestly don't know whats caused it as we're still eating out as much as ever. My husband is working from home but he used to always bring a packed lunch so that shouldn't have made too much of a difference and I'm still going out to work as normal.

Has anyone else noticed a dramatic increase in grocery bills since the pandemic started?

OP posts:
IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 07/04/2021 17:46

Maybe a little as fewer offers but not much. Saved on school lunches when they were closed as much cheaper to make lunch at home. No takeaways or eating out so we have bought nice extras to replicate that.

isseys4xmastinselcats · 07/04/2021 17:50

yes mainly breakfast stuff as on a normal time when im at work i start early in the morning so dont have breakfast before i go to work, being at home we are both having a breakfast as in cooked stuff bacon eggs etc so these have added to my food bill but on the other hand im not buying food outside as i have two jobs and get food on the way from one job to the other,

Alma2021 · 07/04/2021 17:53

Yes dramatically. A function of more people to feed at home, more meals and significant inflation (also a consequence of Brexit).

SpeedRunParent · 07/04/2021 17:54

Definitely. I shop for me and three teens and I am spending upwards of 15% more. I can't quite figure out where it's going. It's been long e Pugh that they've been back at school now and I am still maxing out a budget I used to do quite comfortably on.

CombatBarbie · 07/04/2021 17:57

We've gone from 60ish to 95ish 2 adults 2 kids, besides some more snack stuff £5 or so nothing has changed. And that's Aldi.

soupey1 · 07/04/2021 17:57

Yes, prices for some things have increased significantly - one example something at 65p a year ago now 90p, a lot of things have just gone up. There are only two of us and our eating pattern hasn’t changed but we are spending way more!

CongealedCrags · 07/04/2021 17:57

I notice it because I am doing 1 big shop for £££ whereas before I'd nip in for a few bits a few times a week for £ and then do a big shop for ££ but never "see" the total. But also, there was a long period of fewer offers and some things have gone up as well.

Chickenlickeninthepot · 07/04/2021 17:58

Yes - probably about £20 more every shop (usually every 10-14 days) but that's due to eating in the house every day rather than going out for 3-5 meals per week. We use to eat out every weekend lunch and even though it would only be a cafe lunch it does mount up.

I do think there are fewer offers in the supermarket though.

ElsieMc · 07/04/2021 18:06

I spend more because I am buying more, probably more than I need. Its because I hate going to the supermarket and try to restrict my visits. But we are not going overdrawn during the month because we are spending far less on other things. I am spending more than pp's per week for four of us and two dogs but I buy a lot of wine.

Also I buy from the local butchers and since covid, they have had no decent offers on. For example if you bought 2 lb steak mine, you would get a third for free, same with sausage etc. All offers appear gone now. Fewer offers all round.

Potpourriandpennysweets · 07/04/2021 18:10

Yes by about 20%

CoRhona · 07/04/2021 18:10

Yes and I notice it even more when eldest teen is home from uni.

zzizzer · 07/04/2021 18:12

Yes we've gone from £60 max to £90-100ish, and that's with similar shopping baskets over the year as we're creatures of habit. Can't work it out.

DareIask · 07/04/2021 18:20

Our food shopping is definitely more but overall we are spending less...

poppycat10 · 07/04/2021 18:40

I would think so, but perhaps not to the extent of other families, as I worked from home anyway and DH tended to take sandwiches to work.

Although we've missed out on going out for some meals, but then we'd spend far more money on a restaurant meal than we would on a home meal, so I am pretty sure we are in credit.

FizzyPink · 07/04/2021 18:43

Ours did initially. However, I used to wander around Tesco on an empty stomach every Saturday morning and easily spend £100

Now I religiously meal plan and we spend around £40 a week. I also like that it’s a lot easier to see all the offers online

optimistic40 · 07/04/2021 18:44

Yep! Home more so eat here more. Also, not as much spending on other things so can afford a bit more on the food.

mindutopia · 07/04/2021 18:51

I think ours has probably decreased overall as we only do one shop a week now instead of two, so probably more thoughtful about making sure we get exactly what we need in that one. But I'm thinking more about overall food costs and they have definitely decreased, as we don't eat out really at all anymore. I used to take breakfast/lunch/dinner to work (yes, three meals a day, because that's how long I'm at work), but sometimes I was just exhausted or too busy to sort all that food for the next day, so a few times a week I'd buy lunch or dinner, maybe a drink for the train here and there or an extra coffee if I wasn't in the office to make my own. So overall spend less on food now, but food shopping probably same ish, give or take. Definitely spent a lot more on alcohol the first lockdown though!

Itawapuddytat · 07/04/2021 18:52

Yes, by about 20% - DH and I WFH at least half of the time and we have all been eating more meals at home (especially while schools were shut); I have to say that since we don't eat out anymore, we've spent more money on "treats stuff" and "nice things" (and we've spent a bit more on alcohol as well Wink ) But on the other hand, we spent less on other things, and not sending DD to afterschool saved us money too, so altogether it all balances itself out.

Original poster
shivawn · 07/04/2021 18:56

Thanks for all the replies, glad it's not just me! I wonder will it go back down when things get back to normal? I somehow doubt it.

OP posts:
Darbs76 · 07/04/2021 18:58

Yep £75 a week to £100-110 (1 adult 2 teens)

moochingtothepub · 07/04/2021 19:01

Yes but they not because uni students arrived to visit and stayed and we aren't eating out. Overall we are spending less because wine at home costs less than in restaurants

Carpedimum · 07/04/2021 19:05

Yes, mine has gone from £85pw to £130. There’s a couple of reasons, we’re all at home all the time, especially DP, as he used to be away at our other home a lot & probably survived on just beer while there! Also, because we’re not going out, I’ve bought a wider range of more ‘interesting’ ingredients, to try to alleviate the hamster wheel existence. That said, the price of some items has increased a lot (dare I say, post Brexit).

Titsywoo · 07/04/2021 19:06

No, the opposite here. I go to the supermarket far less so don't end up buying more than I need. I am much better at meal plannning now.

megletthesecond · 07/04/2021 19:07

Yes. Mainly because I prefer going to Waitrose now as it's calmer in there.

Dinosaursdontgrowontrees · 07/04/2021 19:08

Yep we’ve gone from 70 to struggling to get it in under 100 (2 adults 2 kids)

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