Not enough money for groceries ?

[Cupcakejamlover]

Since having a baby i’m a stay at home mum so we are only relying on my husbands income which is getting a bit tough. (I dont even receive maternity pay). Because of our situation, Dh has set a monthly budget of £300 for groceries. This includes all food, drinks, desert, cleaning equipment, sanitary items, baby wipes etc. To give a little back story: its just me, my husband and 6 month old baby at home who is breastfed so only needs nappies and the odd item from the grocery store and minimal food as we are introducing solids now.
We have implemented this budget a few months ago however i fail to stick to it every single month… i always end up going £30-£40 above, and thats TRYING not to.. now i’m wondering is this an unreasonable amount for a couple with baby? Or am i just not planning/ budgeting correctly? Does anyone have any tips as to how to budget? We live near a large sainsburys so tend to do all our shopping there except meat/chicken.
How much do you spend if you are in similar circumstances?

I hope the OP actually comes back, she's had some great advice here.

@GurtBusty

What are these "cleaning supplies" that I see all the time on MN budget discussions. A bottle of bleach a month is less than a quid. What are people buying (and using)?

I always think this too!

I don't think there is anything I'd class as 'cleaning supplies' that I even buy monthly?

I have a bottle of multi-purpose spray, a bottle of anti-bac spray, a bottle of zoflora and that's it . I use cloths which are washed and reused, we have laundry pods which are topped up every 9 weeks I think (subscription). Definitely don't need bin bags every month, especially as most stuff goes in the recycling anyway. A washing up brush which might get replaced after a few months.

Sainsbury's is quite expensive. Shop for all the basics at Aldi or Asda and just get a few luxury bits at Sainsbury's

Generally it comes down to what you’re willing and able to compromise on.

If you’ll meal plan and batch cook, you can feed a family for less.
If you will go to a cheaper supermarket, of course it will be less.
If you eat less meat and less prepared or processed foods, it will cost less.
If you will eat cheaper fruit and vegetables and meats it will cost less.

Lots of people insist on pre-prepared food and value convenience over money. That’s fine as long as you realise it will never be the cheaper option.
People who want to eat duck and salmon and steak, all within the same week, or eat large portions of meat every meal need to realise they could make savings, but if they choose those things, it’s fine.
People who buy 7 different cleaning products which each cost £3-4 and lots of disposable wipes etc will always spend more than someone with one cleaning product or a bottle of white vinegar.
Those who eat ready meals or use jars or prepared meals will always spend more.

Some people have zero choice because budget means only the cheapest option is ever possible. Most people have some degree of flex and have to choose where to spend bigger and where to save. But lots of people don’t realise some simple saves - such as not buying pouch rice but a standard packet of rice which takes 12 mins to cook instead of 2 mins, or buying some loose carrots instead of prepared etc.

I would say the key is planning all your meals and being really organised about what you have in your fridge / freezer / larder. Key things:
Breakfast - porridge oats are really cheap if you buy own brand - and a warming breakfast in winter. You could also have own brand toast with baked beans / peanut butter / jam etc - or scrambled eggs.
Lunch - jacket potato with beans / tuna / cheese etc. Omelettes / homemade soup / leftovers from the night before.
Supper - pasta, risottos (SO cheap and so many different flavours), curries, dishes bulked out with lentils / pulses
Key points - don't be afraid of frozen foods - frozen fruit and veggies are often cheaper and go much further (frozen berries stirred into hot porridge is delicious - could add a dollop of nut butter too). Frozen fish is also good for adding to things like kedgeree or fish pie.
Chopped tomatoes are really versatile and affordable (also reminds me - shakshuka / huevos rancheros with bread is such a cheap and nutritious meal). Lentils are great for plant based protein and can really bulk out dishes - a dahl style soup with flat bread is very warming for lunch. Reduced items - although ALDI and LIDL are undoubtedly the cheapest supermarkets, I find that waitrose, tesco and sainsburys are more generous in their reductions. If you learn where the reduced shelf is, and when they reduce their food, you can pick up some incredible bargains and enjoy food you would not normally be able to afford.

Olio and Too Good to Go - I haven't had much success with these due to our location, but I know others who have enjoyed huge savings / fantastic freebies.

I hope this helps!

@Cupcakejamlover

Since having a baby i’m a stay at home mum so we are only relying on my husbands income which is getting a bit tough. (I dont even receive maternity pay). Because of our situation, Dh has set a monthly budget of £300 for groceries. This includes all food, drinks, desert, cleaning equipment, sanitary items, baby wipes etc. To give a little back story: its just me, my husband and 6 month old baby at home who is breastfed so only needs nappies and the odd item from the grocery store and minimal food as we are introducing solids now. We have implemented this budget a few months ago however i fail to stick to it every single month… i always end up going £30-£40 above, and thats TRYING not to.. now i’m wondering is this an unreasonable amount for a couple with baby? Or am i just not planning/ budgeting correctly? Does anyone have any tips as to how to budget? We live near a large sainsburys so tend to do all our shopping there except meat/chicken. How much do you spend if you are in similar circumstances?

the easiest way to make you stick on budget is to draw out only the £75 a week is cash, never go shopping without a calculator, dont rely on your phone as someone always calls in the middle of it all and the total amount gets lost! find out when the supermarket reduces the prices each night and freeze what you can, lidl do veg boxes, they cost £1.50 and are more than enough for the 3 of you, again freeze what you can bulk buy when you can and bulk cook and portion food.

washing powder is expensive, make sure you sort the clothes and make sure you only wash a full load, this cuts down amount of powder used.

cleaning products - white vinegar is excellent around the house and its cheap buy it in 5 ltrs and put in a spray bottle

baby wipes - you dont need them! zip lock bag, face cloth and some soap. rinse out as and when you can if your out and about using public loos or pub loos etc

babyfood - boil up some veg, pass thr a sieve, and then freeze in ice cubes

sainburies is expensive you need to be using the like of aldi look at cheaper cuts of meat and slow cook them

go to the libary and get cookbooks on a budget

basically you have £10 a day to live on, doesnt seem much but its quite easy when you put your mind to it,

We spend £250 - £300 a month for two adults and two children under 10. That includes cleaning/laundry stuff.
We meal plan and shop at Aldi. We don’t really drink but the children do have treats. It can be done, but agree probably not at Sains.

Definitely do-able if shopping at Aldi. You'll be surprised at the difference if you've been shopping at Sainsbury's.

What are these "cleaning supplies" that I see all the time on MN budget discussions. A bottle of bleach a month is less than a quid. What are people buying (and using)?

Some people buy different cleaners for the kitchen, bathroom, wooden furniture etcetc. I'm in another country now and can't really remember what the UK brands are, but things like Flash kitchen cleaner are expensive as are things like Windolene - basically anything branded.
It ends up being quite a lot of money and some people do clean A LOT (at least if you go buy some of these Mumsnet threads about cleaning).

If you're only using one multi-purpose cleaner for everything or using bleach, then it is going to be a lot cheaper.
I'm a vinegar and washing-up liquid person for most things.

Also I was quite shocked when I was in the UK a couple of years ago that my relatives were using cleaning wet wipe things to clean everything. I'd never seen them before as I left the UK 13 years ago and they weren't around then (or I can't remember them). We don't have them in the country I'm in.
One family member was cleaning her kitchen with them and used nearly a whole packet while I was there. They are expensive too.

That's why "cleaning supplies" get mentioned in the budgeting threads. The people using things like that could cut them out in order to save a lot of money. But if you're one of the people who just uses bleach and uses cloths which can be washed, then yeah, you might be bamboozled about the big deal made out of "cleaning supplies"

It is doable. I spend on average £70 a week for a family of 5. No baby things to buy, but I do have 2 teenage girls so factor in the amount of shampoo and body spray they seem to get through and sanitary products it probably equals out to almost the amount you spend on nappies.

I don't shop at sainsburys though, its mostly asda and aldi which I think is definitely cheaper.

My advice would be try the following:
Use supermarket own brand nappies and wipes
Try budget products, especially when just general ingredients (tinned toms, pasta, rice, oils, herbs etc)
Meal plan for the whole week before you shop. So you can budget using one ingredient for 2 meals instead of perhaps any going to waste.
A couple of times a week stick to a basic cheap dinner. (along the lines of a jacket potato and beans, homemade soup, pasta dish with no meat, omelette, etc,).
Use less/bulk out with cheaper ingredients. I used to use 750g of mince in bolognaise for us. When I had to really tighten the budget I bought 500g and it was still more than enough when bulked out with another tin of toms or a few extra mushrooms).
Or buy bigger packs which are less £ per kg and split them before freezing which will then do multiple meals. I''ve done this with a pork joint on offer. I cut into pork steaks which made a good 3 meals and was way cheaper than buying pork chops or pork loins seperately for 3 meals.
Don't buy treats or snacky things unless you've any left in the budget
Don''t buy ready made stuff. Try and find recipes online, they usually work out much much cheaper.
If you can, shop online. It really does make you stick to the list and you're not tempted to throw things in which look 'good value' but which you don't need.

If you make everything from scratch you have a very doable budget

Just have 1 pack of baby wipes in the changing bag for when you are out. At home use cotton wool and a little bowl of warm water. (This is what the midwife told me to do as it’s cheaper and kinder on your babies skin.

It's doable but you need to plan meals and ideally batch cook a bit. I spend around £60 a week myself for 2 adults

Can we stop with the abbreviations of Sainsbury’s please. Sainos/sainsbos fills me with visceral disgust and horror, almost on a par with the verb ‘to boob’, which I’ve also endured today.

Hello retail nerd here!

According to Which - Aldi is the cheapest and Waitrose is the most expensive.

The difference in price between the cheapest 4 supermarkets - Aldi, Lidl, Asda and Sainsburys - in this piece of research, is only £3.29.

So you need to work out is it 'worth' your time and effort going to further away supermarkets or multiple supermarkets for a small amount of savings.

Also if you have a bigger supermarket, there will be more promotions open to you - particularly on baby products.

Own label is usually cheaper than branded (although brands do deeper cut promotions).
Tinned and frozen food usually cheaper than fresh - and often nutritionally on a par.

Food price inflation will definitely continue - cost price increases are coming in from suppliers all over the place.

www.which.co.uk/news/2021/05/which-was-the-cheapest-supermarket-in-april-2021/

Definitely remove the nappies from the budget so you can see what you are left with food wise.

If your Dh thinks is doable as the setter of the budget then he shops it instead of you. However, prices have hiked up.

Meal plan so you are utilising all the food you buy and not throwing any of it away.

Going in person to the shop all the time whilst breastfeeding with a baby and a toddler is going to be really good fun isn't it?
(Not)
Don't be silly.

@eeek88

Can we stop with the abbreviations of Sainsbury’s please. Sainos/sainsbos fills me with visceral disgust and horror, almost on a par with the verb ‘to boob’, which I’ve also endured today.

How do you feel about 'The Sainsbury's'? Competitor to 'The Asda', 'The Morrison's' and 'The Aldi'?

Everyone is saying Sainsbury’s is expensive but I find the nectar points stack up very quickly - which you can use as money off your weekly shop. That offsets any saving I could get doing my shop at Asda.

@Squiz81

Everyone is saying Sainsbury’s is expensive but I find the nectar points stack up very quickly - which you can use as money off your weekly shop. That offsets any saving I could get doing my shop at Asda.

I have the Lidl plus app...you get a £2 voucher if you spend £100 in a month and if you spend £200, you get a £10 voucher...£10 goes quite a long way at Lidl!

First of all, I think it is great that you guys have a budget and keep track of things. That's a great start. I know I need to save but we still don't really keep track of expenses.

Weaning added some costs for us as we bought some of those pre packs. But just up the veggie purchases and mash your own stuff should be fine and save you money.

I live near a Sainsbury's and I feel no matter what I intend to buy I always walk away having paid around 29 pounds. I try to go to Tesco (especially as they have larger meat packs) but its just so convenient.

For me, with a kid it is easier to do lots of quick shops but they are not always well planned so I end up spending a bit more.

It is doable but it will be very basic.

I suggest your husband does the monthly shop for say 2 months. If he thinks £300 is plenty then he needs to know what 300 gets.

"I don't think there is anything I'd class as 'cleaning supplies' that I even buy monthly?
I have a bottle of multi-purpose spray, a bottle of anti-bac spray, a bottle of zoflora and that's it"

On top of that I have glass cleaner, used to have furniture polish, but know don't have wooden furniture. Oven cleaner and then scourers, sponges etc.

@Cocomarine

I’m getting ⚠️ vibes from you saying that your husband set the budget. Why? It’s a joint budget. On what basis did he set it? What can you actually afford?

This could be:

• a low amount but all you can afford and yes, do-able
• a disgraceful example of financial abuse

Or quite a few things in between.

£300 is enough if it’s all you’ve got, it’s not enough if you can afford more.

a disgraceful example of financial abuse

How did you get to that??????

" I'd prefer to get a bar job one evening a week, leave the baby with their dad, and spend more on food."

Yeah they exist everywhere and are really practical when breastfeeding.