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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WTF have I done?

211 replies

Supermercado · 28/05/2022 20:16

Posting in AIBU for traffic

How much has your supermarket shop cost including top ups, how big is your family and what do you make with it? I've just spent a small fortune on food for one person, which included fresh vegetables, yogurt, cheese, sphagetti, tinned beans and tomatos, and frozen fruit but it amounted to a bit over £60. Shopping in asda. Not including dog food, wine, or toiletries. NO lobster or anything of the sort. A multi pack of tuna. Besides a box of lollies and tea, no treats. It didnt even include the top up milk that I'll have to get and I've forgotten ingredients still. I cant afford to do this every week but is it the price you pay to have a good diet or is it possible for less?

OP posts:
rach2713 · 28/05/2022 21:21

For 2 adults and 4 kids my weekly shop is about £85 and about £30 for top up.

HereIAmBrainTheSizeOfAPlanet · 28/05/2022 21:21

Can you share the receipt?

Original poster
Supermercado · 28/05/2022 21:22

Will share the reciept once ive made dinner

OP posts:
BigChesterDraws · 28/05/2022 21:24

Instead of the OP posting her receipt, how about the low-spenders (£80 for a whole family, etc) post their receipts and also their menu plans. That’s far more constructive than telling OP “should have bought this/do you really need that?”. I’ve noticed on these competitive under-spending threads that people are full of claims of how virtuously low they can get their shopping but don’t show the receipt or post their menus for the week. That’s what OP (and others?) are looking for, not criticisms of their past purchases.

TheGlitterati · 28/05/2022 21:25

I do about £150 a week. Family of four, youngest gets school dinners as in infants. Doesn’t include alcohol, pets.

Ocado. Do have to top up as well.

Harridan1981 · 28/05/2022 21:26

So who normally shops for you? There can be economies of scale sometimes when shopping for more people

Veryverycalmnow · 28/05/2022 21:27

I was just thinking about how expensive my shopping seems to be now- I do buy stuff I don't need but buy on a whim which is expensive. I need to cut back on spending. I don't know know how to buy essentials. I always overspend.

Sortilege · 28/05/2022 21:33

About £100 a week when there are two adults home, £150 when there are three, plus always a picky child, plus dogs.

BUT, two of us have coeliac, and we eat good quality protein two or three times a day plus organic fruit and veg.

WisteriaLodge · 28/05/2022 21:34

I do the bulk of my shopping at Lidl now and it saves us a fortune, however I do still have to go to Sainsburys for cat food as Lady Penelope is very fussy! Seriously though I can spend £60 in Lidl and it buys tons of stuff, the same amount would cost at least £85 in Sainsburys..

bridgetreilly · 28/05/2022 21:34

I think that’s a lot for one person just on food, tbh. I don’t usually spend more than £40 unless I’ve been in the clothes section or need printer ink.

MarmaladeLime · 28/05/2022 21:37

Supermercado · 28/05/2022 20:37

I did my own separate shopping this time. Usually its about £150 including dog food and top ups for four people and a dog

Ahhhh I seeeee... yes it is more expensive for one person than you think when you've been buying for 4. Bit that is down to economy of scale. Not being able to buy massive packs. If you have a freezer then my handy hint is to buy a big pack of mince and add lentils to it and onions to bulk it up a bit. Then make lasagne and chili (I'm guessing this works with quorn).

bridgetreilly · 28/05/2022 21:38

@JinglingHellsBells you need to look at your maths again. £80/week is not £20 per day. It’s £20/person, for 21 meals. It may be possible, but it’s certainly not easy!

MarmaladeLime · 28/05/2022 21:38

Oh and if there's alcohol or sweets in the shop don't buy them as they only lead to you wanting to do the same again next week.

yesterdaytheycame · 28/05/2022 21:42

If you cook from scratch and batch cook and things you can live pretty cheaply still. Bag of lentils, tins of tomatoes, shop around, go online for bulk etc.

Eating healthily means different things to different people. To me it's a plant-based diet. I grow some things, you don't need much space. Cucumber and spinach are easiest.

CharlieBoo · 28/05/2022 21:45

I buy for me and the kids.. age 17 and 13…
i spend about £80 a week.. I shop in Aldi though as it would be well over £100 in Tesco etc x

CrocodilesCry · 28/05/2022 21:49

WTF have I done? Did you mean to call the thread that? It's a little clickbaity.

JinglingHellsBells · 28/05/2022 21:49

My guess is that the high spenders are big meat-eaters, and 'or buy fancy fruit yoghurts and deserts rather than plain yoghurt and adding your own fruit.

You can make very cheap meals from veg and pulses, adding in cheese and eggs, with meat and fish as a once or twice a week.

Chick peas and other beans are cheap as chips, and make great meals like curries, stews, with some vegetables- bag of spinach and some sweet potatoes.
As do eggs and wholewheat pasta or brown rice.

JinglingHellsBells · 28/05/2022 21:52

bridgetreilly · 28/05/2022 21:38

@JinglingHellsBells you need to look at your maths again. £80/week is not £20 per day. It’s £20/person, for 21 meals. It may be possible, but it’s certainly not easy!

You're right. It's late and I'm tired. But it is possible. A lot depends on where you shop, what you buy and, frankly, how big the portions are.

custardbear · 28/05/2022 21:52

I spend about £200 a week for 4. We could cut back but I like to buy lots of fresh fruit, veg and meat. We do buy decent wine which racks cost up a bit.
£60 for 1 isn't crazy IMO

catcurl · 28/05/2022 21:52

I don't think this is a ridiculous amount of money in current times at all.

We spend around £80 per week on two adults, with treats.

I would really recommend the Miguel Barclay series of books- they have a vegan and a vegetarian one too- for healthy, actually nice £1 dinners- I do tend to add some extra ingredients to make them even nicer, or a side, but would recommend.

Eeksteek · 28/05/2022 21:53

It’s quite a lot, but if you have and value it, go for it.

Pre-crisis, I often spent that on food, but as a lone parent I couldn’t go out and do anything adult. Steak and asparagus, a hot bath and a posh gin and tonic was about as much living it up as I could ever do, so I didn’t mind that my shopping and gas bill were higher than average.

Now, Covid has done awful things to my income, I spend £20 a week. It’s not for ever, and to some extent I’m living off things I bought in better times, but I miss my treats.

Camomila · 28/05/2022 21:55

Usually around £85...2 adults, a six year old and a toddler.

Then maybe spend another £20 on top ups of bread/milk/fruit

JinglingHellsBells · 28/05/2022 21:55

Going back to your post @Supermercado I'd say that was a reasonable amount to spend (but the devil is in the detail and we don't have it.)

My very elderly mum spends around £55 a week but also digs into her store cupboard, so there are always things there (dried and tinned stuff) that supplement the fresh food.

Shakeupandwakeup · 28/05/2022 22:00

I can easily spend that in a week per person, though I try not to. But if you focus on fresh veg and fruit, fresh fish and lean meat, the price is high.

BrightYellowDaffodil · 28/05/2022 22:06

I eat pretty well and I spend around £35-£40 a week for one person. That’s partly Aldi, partly Waitrose (all meat and dairy is Waitrose). Meal planning is the key, I’ve found.