To ask what your weekly shop consists of?

[WANTMYHATBACK]

And how much it costs?

About £200 per week. Includes everything for a big family, all meals, wine, most toiletries.

I cook virtually everything from scratch, grow lots of fresh stuff, keep chickens and make our bread/cakes etc., buy local farm meat AND have a vegetable delivery on top of that. We need to cut down. I have a go at reducing the weekly bill every now and then, but it always creeps up again.

We are quite passionate about our food, mind

DH and I would finish a bottle of whiskey over the weekend and a couple of drinks mid week.

Half a bottle of whiskey each a weekend? That is a lot. This seems like a place you could easily cut back.

No one has a sweet tooth in our house so no sweets, biscuits, chocolate or smoothies, we very occasionally have scones with clotted cream and jam though.

I buy certain items in bulk, I visit a Chinese food store every couple of months. I buy rice, soy sauce and noodles in bulk there. Plus other items such as wontons and dumpling wrappers as and when plus frozen bao buns, I can make them but these frozen ones are quite good. Also canned water chestnuts and bamboo shoots.

I buy pork, chicken and fish every week, duck when it’s on offer and mincemeat sometimes. I make English and Italian food as well. We have pasta once a week, I buy sacks of pasta. In the winter I do a roast on Sundays and make noodle soup with leftover meat for Monday. I buy peppers, onions, broccoli, cabbage both red and white, tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions, courgettes, mushrooms, avocado, kale, carrots, salad leaves every week plus any other veg on offer. I buy frozen spinach, peas and again what’s on offer.

We eat huge amounts of vegetables, a little meat and smallish to medium amounts of carbs. We seem to eat a lot less carbs than our English friends. I just don't get the biscuit and cake thing but I was nit raised with it. We do eat crisps sometimes.

When I cook I often make too much for deliberate left overs for lunch the next day which DS and I like. DH likes to have a salad every day for lunch without fail.

Thoughts @WANTMYHATBACK:

2 cucumbers per week is a lot?
So is 2 melons! 😆
Nix the smoothies
Do you need garlic and ginger every week? Switch to granules or lazy garlic and see how you get on
2 tubes of tomato purée every week seems a lot?
You don't need fajita kits - buy wraps from the bread aisle, own brand salsa from the crisps aisle, and make your seasoning from paprika, cumin, garlic granules, and salt (you can add other things - have a Google - but this will give you a base)
Swap fresh fusilli for dried
Nix the parmesan
Switch to own brand Nutella (if it's needed at all?)
Nix the croissants and pancakes. Make your own pancakes (use the 321 rule to make the thin English ones - 300ml milk, 2 eggs, 100g flour)
Get own brand cereal bars
Swap Fairy liquid for own brand
You don't need ice cream every week
Swap chicken breasts for thighs
Swap Method cleaning spray for own brand (also don't need every week?)
Instead of buying treats maybe make your own cake at the weekend and eat for afters in the week

Not over the weekend, over the week. Just mainly at the weekend. But you are right and it’s something we are discussing! We don’t drink wine.

2 melons and 2 cucumbers is a lot! My children would live off fruit if I allowed them!

The purée can’t be cut back on as ds has ‘pizza toast’ for school almost every day. We don’t need 2 packets of ham but one would spoil over the course of a week.

All helpful advice though, thank you!

2 adults, 1 toddler, 1 dog full time
My mom 1 full day + 1-2 nights a week (probably 4 meals) per week
Nanny 3 full days (I would guess she has 2.5 meals per day, so 6-8 meals) per week

We spend about $150 (usd) a week on the "fresh shop" and about the same every 4 weeks on household items, and things our hippie grocery delivery service doesn't have. So around $750 a month plus a few takeaways yikes! We do have a well stocked pantry and freezer and could get by for several weeks without shopping.

Here's this week's list
Cherry tomatoes
Green onions
Avocados x4
Bunch celery
Zucchini x2
Pears x2
Apples 1lb
Fennel 1 bulb
Blueberries half pint
Kiwis 1lb
String cheese 1lb
Ground chicken 1lb
Frozen shrimp 1lb
Italian chicken sausage 4ct
Pimento cheese 6oz
Havarti cheese 1/2 lb
Moroccan tofu cubes 8oz
Dairy free chocolate pudding 3ct
Dairy free rice pudding 3ct
Can chickpeas
Can black beans
Can cannelini beans
Flour 2lb
Oatmeal cup 3ct
1/2 gallon milk
2lbs macaroni pasta
4 cases sparkling water

We use Ocado so not the cheapest. DH and I are on diets but DD(16) eats like a horse, mostly vegetarian though. DH does the shopping. Enough for 7 dinners, snacks for DD, Fruit, milk, eggs, microwave porridge (mostly) tassimo pods, sometimes cleaning stuff, sundry herbs and spices, wraps, and squash or fizzy drinks. Depends on what we need, but anything between £80-120. Because DD is veggie DH will buy a four pack of chicken or similar and freeze half, so we get two dinners out of it.

Oh, and we have a cat, so litter, food, Dreamies, Webbox treats and the odd new wand adds to the cost.

We eat the vast majority or our meals at home I. E. kids have packed lunch every day and me and DH WFH so eat lunch at home almost every day.

I usually make a massive pan of soup to have for lunches with sandwiches. Also do extra portions of dinner to eat the day after. Recently this has been shepherds pie, pasta bake, chilli, chicken casserole. I have porridge for brekkie, kids have toast, fruit.

Kids have the same thing in their lunches pretty much every day - sandwich, yog, fruit, biscuits etc.

We usually have 2/3 bottles wine per week.

It gets repetitive but it's healthy and we have been saving tons on fancy lunches out!

For 3 adults, milk, butter, eggs, cheese, pork, fish, ham, bacon, steak, chicken, duck, dauphinoise potatoes, veg, salad, tinned tomatoes, frozen peas, a couple of ready meals, chocolate, cans of pop, bottled water, fruit juice, rice, herbs, jars of cooking sauces, shower gel, shampoo, toilet rolls, cleaning products, laundry products. Bill of around £200 to last about 2 weeks.

I try really hard to keep it under £20 for me and DD(12, and eats like a bird. But a really picky one!). Very little meat, more dairy than I should. Eggs come mainly from a friend with chickens in exchange for looking after them when she is away. I do batch cook, so we eat a lot from the freezer, and there’s just two of us so something like porridge oats will last months. I grow veg, so less of that than most and I buy some things like flour, sugar and olive oil in bulk. Tomorrow’s shop will be….

2 loaves of half and half bread
crumpets

box of breakfast bars
multi pack of crisps
multi pack of chocolate bars

tin of beans
tin of hot dog sausages
box of rice crispies
Pack of biscuits

punnet of grapes
butternut squash
bag of sweet potatoes
bag of parsnips

8 pints of milk
block of cheddar
2 balls of mozzarella

butter

That’ll be £19.28. I must get a tin of custard, too (she doesn’t like Aldi’s)

Breakfasts: porridge or biscuits and coffee for me, eggs, porridge or cereal for DD.

DD has a brunch bar for breaktimes

Lunch: I don’t eat lunch, usually. DD has a jam or chocolate spread sandwich, chocolate bar, bag of crisps, and grapes.

Afterschool snack - crumpets, eggs or cereal. Cheese and fruit, and home made frozen smoothie or juice pops. I’ll often have tea and biscuits with her.

dinners

F - homemade pizza, home made cookies
S - pancakes for breakfast, Hot dogs, beans, salad and potato wedges
S - meatless roast for me. Leftover
hot dogs, mash and beans for DD. Apple crumble and custard
M - garlic and herb roasted veg (squash, parsnips, sweet potatoes and carrots) with leftover mozzarella for me. Beans on toast for DD
T - macaroni cheese with sweet potato and butternut squash for both of us
W - spaghetti bolognese for both of us
T - sweet potato and corn chowder with fresh bread rolls. Either beans on toast or mash beans and cheese for DD

(before anyone points out the inconsistencies, I know some things don’t appear on the list. I made Bolognese last week, and there is loads on the freezer, but the macaroni cheese will make at least ten portions for us. The soup four. I won’t use all the sweet potatoes or squash, either. Carrots, onions, apples, plums, potatoes, broccoli, kale and salads come from the allotment at the moment. I make the jam. My kid chooses to have beans on toast so often, I don’t make her. She could have bolognese or another frozen meal if she wanted. Loads of things last us weeks. Like the smoothie I have to freeze because she has so little (by choice) I only only buy it once a month. Somethings like oats I hardly ever buy, though we eat them often. The cookies I make and freeze the dough in balls, and just bake her three for a treat, so they go a long way. No, it’s not the healthiest diet, but given her preference restrictions and my budget restrictions, it’s not half bad. I choose not to eat lunch, because I’m not particularly hungry at lunchtime, if I am, there is always extra soup and rolls in the freezer. I used to be able to always stick under £19. Now I find I can’t always manage under £20 if I need loo roll, shampoo or dishwasher tablets. Yes, I know it’s not a full budget, because of not buying the eggs, fruit and veg, sugar, flour and oil from it. I’m not claiming it is,
although they are either very cheap or I use very little, so it can’t be that much over. I do feed my dogs, but I buy their food separately).

It usually comes to £85 - £100 a week. If we get laundry/toiletries/cleaning supplies, it’s on the end of the scale. That’s usually once a month though.

Aldi mainly with top ups from Tesco or Lidl.

I only really meal plan for tea time & like to cook 2-3 new recipes each week (I use the Gusto recipes or instagram for ideas) so I make a note of any new ingredients I might need to get.The rest are the same basics that we get every week, bread, buns, milk, cheese, potatoes, fruit and veg, pasta, frozen goods etc. I do like to stock up on tinned things like tomatoes/beans/mixed beans, as well as herbs and spices, but I don’t buy them every week.

Porridge lasts ages in our house, I get a big bag every month. We don’t eat loads of meat, I usually get chicken breasts or beef and some salmon. I know it’s not the cheapest of fish but we all really enjoy it, so it stays on the list.

We go through alot of fruit & veg. That’s what we top up on. Our toddler dd loves her tomatoes & cucumbers & we easily get through 2 cucumbers and 2 packets of tomatoes a week, same with satsumas and blueberries.

We don’t drink, so don’t buy alcohol.

I’m a sahm, so we have most of our meals in the house & we take a packed lunch when we are out during the week. Dh has a packed lunch a few days a week too but often gets freebies for lunch when he’s out & about at work!

This blows my mind. You’re seriously impressive to be able to manage a budget of £20.

I spend about £50 a week for 2 adults - usually mostly fruit and vegetables (whatever is in season / on offer), a couple of packs of meat or fish, milk, oat milk, cereal, dried pasta, cheese, tins of pulses, yoghurt. Get cleaning and laundry products from a refill shop. That doesn’t include alcohol.
I don’t buy kitchen roll, we don’t have any drinks apart from orange squash (and tea and coffee), have limited snacks. Very rarely throw anything away, as I don’t check dates. Usually shop at Lidl plus a veg box every fortnight

Oh and i plan for 1-2 less meals then we eat something from the freezer or from leftover food

I’ve just looked at Apple Pay and totted up what I’ve spent since Sunday and it’s not actually as bad this week (€165). I’ll need milk and bread tomorrow but I think that’s it for the week.

Our main weekly shop tends to be around £90 from Tesco delivery.

Normally:

Veg: broccoli, kale, salad, cucumber, tomatoes, onions, celery, garlic.

Fruit: apples, grapes, bananas, strawberries, blueberries

Meat: ham, bacon, either a couple of packs of mince or large thing of chicken breasts. Maybe a whole piece of meat.

Dairy: butter, cheese, mozzarella, big tub of Greek yogurt.

Cupboard: Weetabix, Cheerios, oats, tinned toms, wraps, brioche rolls, plain crisps, packet of biscuits. Apple juice. Pizza bases.

Frozen: peas, mixed fruit for smoothies.

Maybe a bottle of wine?

Any household stuff, washing up liquid etc, toiletries.

We get milk, eggs from milkman. Washing powder, dishwasher tabs on subscription.

We tend to then spend between 20 and 40 on other bits through the week.

Asda £80 online for me and 17 year ds. I eat nearly all vegetarian and d's does but just half the week. The other half he likes chicken nuggets and wedges. We also buy red kidney beans and black beans which are very cheap. Vegetables potatoes. Radishes raspberries apples. Asda Weetabix. D's like Apple and mango juice. I like light soya milk which is Alpro so very pricey.3 loaves of bread. Heinz beans and ketchup. Branston baked beans.

We did try Asd a baked beans but omg so rank. Asda diet rice pudding. Bacon. Asda tin stewing steak. Spices. Light cream cheese triangles.

Ham we get from Tesco Express. Cleaning supplies Savers or Home Bargains including kitchen roll and toilet roll. Max £20 on top of Asd a delivery which includes crisps from Iceland Snickers etc for ds

No booze no vices lol. How does anybody afford them!

I'm guessing you're in Ireland, due to talking about Euros? Can you get to a cheaper supermarket at all, rather than shopping online? I know you have Aldi there, not sure about Lidl, but they're a bit cheaper than larger supermarkets so you could save around 20% at least that way.

Obviously requirements for autistic DS might have to stay, but buy whatever fruit is on offer if you can manage it, rather than always the same type, that might save a bit. Could you try making your own smoothies, perhaps with some frozen fruit? If you're buying innocent, it tells you what's in them, which is mostly apples, grapes and bananas usually, with only a token amount of the 'named' fruit like mango or strawberry.

In the UK you can get cubes of prepared garlic and ginger that work out much cheaper than buying fresh, but that might not be something you can get, unless you look in a Tesco in a city.

Buy your canned goods on offer and/or in 4 packs, much cheaper than single cans. Same for snacks, toilet paper, toiletries and cleaning products. Don't buy the same things at full price every week, always get whatever is on offer.

Look at getting a pack of wraps and your own spices as should be cheaper than a fajita kit.

People have mentioned the whiskey, and I assume that the cola and ginger is to go with that, so you could also save there if you manage to cut that down.

You're eating quite a lot of meat, so you could save a lot by switching to vegetarian meals 2/3 days a week, or making meals that are a mixture, eg a chicken and chick pea curry with one chicken breast and some chick peas instead of 2 chicken breasts.

If you're buying bleach and cleaning spray every week, you're using far more than you need, so use less, costs less, better for the environment too.

I feel you op! I’m also spending around €200 per week including top ups - 2 adults , 2 children in school - we don’t get school meals here

Generally get through same every week

butchers - mince , chicken fillets

tesco /dunnes

strawberries- 2 punnets / sometimes 3
rasperries
grapes
apples
bananas
oranges
melon
peppers
onions
tomstoes
potatoes
carrots
broccoli
parsnips
celery
milk
bread
crossiants/pancakes
smoothies- 2 boxes
yogurts
frubes/yollys
block of cheese
mozzeralla
billy roll
ham
salami
spagetti hoops
noodles
veg stock
passata
tin tomatoes
wraps
popcorn
fresh juice
cordial
ritz crackers
cordial
jam
peanut butter
butter
multi pack choc/ crisps
ice pops
rice cakes
panini
pesto

these are weekly items , drink bought separately. Would love to get it down !

I forgot some other regular stuff we buy eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and olives every week, plus shampoo, cat litter and cat food, cereal and cleaning products get ordered in bulk and delivered directly to the house. I appreciate buying in bulk is a brief bigger outlay and you need the storage space.

People especially children like fruit because it’s sweet, it’s the reason diabetics are not supposed to eat a lot of fruit.

Yes I’m in Ireland! Food is very expensive here!

I’m lucky to have Tesco, aldi and lidl close by, so I do shop between them. I do one online shop from Dunnes (Irish supermarket) which is about €70 and the rest is from the others.

I do buy prepared garlic and ginger, still get through a tube each a week! And unfortunately the kids will not drink homemade smoothies. They have a healthy eating policy at school and are not allowed home made snacks (other than sandwiches) because of allergies.

You are right about the meat! I’m sure we could cut down there. I buy lidl’s own brand cola and ginger. I used to drink cans of Diet Coke but obviously that was very expensive! The ginger is to go with the whiskey, a bottle of whiskey costs €22, which is minimum pricing here in Ireland. I would like to cut that out.

It’s hard isn’t it? Your weekly shop sounds very similar. School lunches are a huge chunk!

This is what I mean by frozen garlic:

www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/265761689

But unless you have a World Foods section in your Tesco, might not be available in Ireland?