Is 200 quid for shopping enough for a couple?

[Katie198565]

Exactly that. Just done our budget and with our new energy costs & trying to pay a bit more now to stockpile ‘energy credit’ for winter, we have about 200 for food for the two of us. Seems like enough to me. DP is not so sure given cost increases. It won’t include cleaning supplies as they are budgeted for separately as we order smol and have a laundry egg that’ll last for at least a few more months.

Oh, this is for the month.

For a month?

Yes if you're careful & don't drink.

Wouldn't be enough for us, but I imagine it's doable if it's as much as you have.

For 3 meals a day 7 days a week this could be very tight and will need strict meal plans I would think.

It’s for meals 5 days a week. Sorry for the drip feed. At the weekends we’ll usually eat breakfast at home, just toast and eggs or something like that and eat out in the day from our leisure spending.

I think it can be done but it will be tight and pretty dull.

We can do £50 a week easy - it's not the most fun meals and obviously no booze, but it is doable.

It really depends. Are you expecting meat at 2/3 meals a day?

Are you going to cooking from scratch? Are either of you picky or got allergies or Ceoliac? Lots of things will tip it from yes to no.

I think it's doable if you really have to but I think you will probably compromise on quality/quantity a lot. I think even £280 might give a bit more freedom. But if all you can afford is £200 then I'm sure it's liveable on.

Perfectly doable, but you will have to check the price of absolutely everything and go for the most economical options (within reason).

I have spent that this month for 2 in lidl but do have a store cupboard with all the basics for cooking. I will need a Tesco at some point to top the freezer and cupboard up with stuff lidl don't sell.

It wouldn’t be enough for us but if you’re really careful then you could probably stretch it

Perfectly doable. But i suspect you'd have more fun overall if your weekend meals include (day) sandwhiches made at home and taken with you, rather than eating out, so you can boost the shopping budget.

It's doable if you eat frugally, but personally I would rather eat better food at home than have meals out (every weekend???) as part of 'leisure spending'. For the cost of a restaurant meal you could probably eat far nicer meals all week.

Definitely doable with no alcohol and low/no meat.

Also consider making double portions, so 2x Bolognese, one for spaghetti, one with chilli for jacket potatoes etc. Buy mostly frozen veg.

Get some good cooking staples; balsamic vinegar, worcestershire sauce, red wine, honey, spices etc. That last a while.

Then go cheap weekly on the rice, pasta, veggies. Cheap Greek yoghurt is a great one to buy. Cheap tins.

It can definitely be done with good thought and a shopping list.

We could do it easily but we’re not great meat eaters, cook everything including bread from scratch and we don’t drink.

Yes it's doable. Shop at Aldi or Lidl. No booze. No treats (one treat) .
3 cheap quick meals each week (jacket potatoes / omelette/ egg on toast with beans /soup and bread) then two more exciting options! Pasta and sauce too (no meat or cheese). This is enough for me but dh might have Couple slices of bread if still hungry as he does sport and is slim.

Breakfast is toast or cereal. You just have to limit choice and be strict. Drinks are squash or tap water (we have the Aldi cola if you cola it os a good option!)

Good luck! Not to hard of having treats at weekend!

No

I'd scrap eating out upto 4 times at the weekends, and top up the food shopping budget. I think an average of £46 a week shopping would be doable but repetitive.

Doable but I doubt it would be very enjoyable

It's definitely doable, especially if you meal plan. But it also depends on where you shop and the kind of food you typically eat I suppose.

I think it's fine. You won't be able to afford booze on that or fillet steak every night but it's definitely doable.

Just take sandwiches and flasks of coffee out at weekends and you'll have much more money to play with.