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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To food shop twice a week in the hope it works out cheaper?

44 replies

Sunshineismyfriend · 12/04/2023 18:01

Has anyone tried this? I’m thinking with everything getting more expensive it may be cheaper in the hope there’s less waste. Just buying what’s needed for a few days rather than thinking about the whole week. Be interested if anyone has found this successful.

OP posts:
TheFlis12345 · 12/04/2023 18:02

Surely just meal planning and monitoring what you have would be easier? I would definitely spend more if i went shopping more often.

shadowchancesassy · 12/04/2023 18:03

I shop every 2/3 days because if I dog a big weekly shop the kids will eat it all after day 2 🤦🏻‍♀️ so yeah works out cheaper here.

Bookaholic73 · 12/04/2023 18:04

I think it’s worth a try, especially if you keep a look out for reduced food.

mackthepony · 12/04/2023 18:04

Well, it depends what shops you have access to, and when.

If you work in X town on a Wednesday, which is close to a Lidl, for example, then you could get half your shopping there and it'd be cheaper???

Dacadactyl · 12/04/2023 18:04

I go only once a week but meal plan meticulously. No waste at all.

Capitulatingpanda · 12/04/2023 18:05

I've just changed from twice a week to once a week and finding it cheaper that way round.

Dacadactyl · 12/04/2023 18:06

Do you currently meal plan OP? I'd try that first rather than trying to go twice a week.

SootspriteSearcher · 12/04/2023 18:07

It could work out cheaper but you would have to not get tempted by offers.

I dont have a set food shopping day, I go when we need something. I meal plan a few days ahead at a time. Our food shopping bill is really low, last month was £260 for 2 adults, 2 children and 2 cats Inc some toiletries and cleaning stuff.

GalileoHumpkins · 12/04/2023 18:08

It wouldn't work for me, we shop at Lidl or Aldi and I'd be too tempted by all the 'bargains' in the middle aisles.

Umbellifer · 12/04/2023 18:11

I am managing - just about - by having a set shopping budget each week (£60 for me and DC) and editing my shopping list until I get down to that. When our favourites are on offer I bulk buy.

I miss some things of course, but we’re still eating well and not feeling hard-done-by.

megletthesecond · 12/04/2023 18:12

I shop most days thanks to a tiny fridge, teenagers and living in a town centre.

Chasingsquirrels · 12/04/2023 18:13

GalileoHumpkins · 12/04/2023 18:08

It wouldn't work for me, we shop at Lidl or Aldi and I'd be too tempted by all the 'bargains' in the middle aisles.

Indeed!

I got 2 lilac planters from my local Aldi last Tuesday, and went to the one on my way home from work today and got 2 willow green ones 🤣

Nowthatlovehasperished · 12/04/2023 18:15

We shop twice a week because we are a big family. I do a main shop and a top up shop. It's definitely cheaper if I do it online as I don't get sucked into buying anything we don't need.

WishIwasElsa · 12/04/2023 18:18

I've tried shopping weekly instead of every 10 or so days with the odd top up in the hope of this and I'm afraid it doesn't seem to have made any difference to me although I suppose it's hard to know with everything going up so often.
I think it's like when I have a bright idea to rearrange the house and it will look tidier etc the new way and it's just futile 😂

EdHelpPls · 12/04/2023 18:20

I always do two deliveries a week and it stops me overbuying and only ever 2-3 days wait means if I realise I'm low on something I can usually make do til next delivery rather than "just nip to the shop for...." Also found a lot of fruit like berries really need eaten within 24 hours of delivery.
I use Tesco clubcard vouchers to buy the delivery saver plan so it's "free"

Lcb123 · 12/04/2023 18:21

i find the opposite - the less I go to shops, the less I spend. I strictly meal plan, freeze a lot, and never have any waste

Dyslexicwonder · 12/04/2023 18:24

Dacadactyl · 12/04/2023 18:04

I go only once a week but meal plan meticulously. No waste at all.

I think it really depends who you are feeding, with toddlers or primary school age children I think this is true. With my hollow legged 19 yo the eggs/ ice cream/ chicken will be gone in 3 days so may as well only buy as much as I consider reasonable to consume in that time.

BellaJuno · 12/04/2023 18:24

I do this and it does help, I just buy what I think we’ll need for a few days then see what’s leftover and work around that. So if I have one chicken breast left, I’ll buy bits for a stir fry to use it up, whereas if I planned the stir fry in a weekly shop, I’d probably buy the protein for that plus the same amount of chicken (hope that makes sense!). I definitely waste less food this way.

EscapeRoomToTheSun · 12/04/2023 18:25

SootspriteSearcher · 12/04/2023 18:07

It could work out cheaper but you would have to not get tempted by offers.

I dont have a set food shopping day, I go when we need something. I meal plan a few days ahead at a time. Our food shopping bill is really low, last month was £260 for 2 adults, 2 children and 2 cats Inc some toiletries and cleaning stuff.

Tell us your secrets!

Original poster
Sunshineismyfriend · 12/04/2023 18:27

I may give it a go and see. It’s just the time factor really but sure I can squeeze it in.

I do meal plan but I guess I could be more particular about it. I may try that first. I have a teen and pre teen and they both seem to be having growth spurts which doesn’t help.

OP posts:
Postapocalypticcowgirl · 12/04/2023 18:29

I think if you have a teen who helps themselves, then buying less snacks etc each time, and if they get used up, saying they only have to wait 2-3 days for you to get more may help?

Whereas if you normally food shop e.g. on a Friday, and the snacks are gone by Monday, then it can be tempting to pop out and buy more?

Do you currently do any top up shops if you run out of milk etc?

Original poster
Sunshineismyfriend · 12/04/2023 18:30

Occasional top up shops but not regularly.

OP posts:
Badbudgeter · 12/04/2023 18:31

I shop a couple of times a week at the right time for the yellow stickers. Sometimes you get lucky and can fill the freezer.

Dacadactyl · 12/04/2023 18:32

Dyslexicwonder · 12/04/2023 18:24

I think it really depends who you are feeding, with toddlers or primary school age children I think this is true. With my hollow legged 19 yo the eggs/ ice cream/ chicken will be gone in 3 days so may as well only buy as much as I consider reasonable to consume in that time.

Show quote history

Yeah I suppose that's true and also on your family set up.

My kids are DD16 and DS10.

DS10 definitely eats more than DD but if he started eating stuff that I'd earmarked and I thought he was being unreasonable with the amounts, then he'd have to start paying towards the food bill tbh.

Dacadactyl · 12/04/2023 18:34

Goes without saying that I mean when he is in a job. Not as a 10 year old having to pay for food from his pocket money!