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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How much do you spend ?

144 replies

Justmeandthem · 18/09/2023 20:15

Just has this conversation with a friend we both have 2 children
and a dog.
our food shopping bills are miles apart
I do small weekly shops and a big quarterly shop.
but averaging it out monthly I spend around 400-450month
this includes
cleaning supplies / dog supplies / treats / hair / soap
basically everything.

OP posts:
Clingy · 18/09/2023 21:21

I think £5 a day pp is reasonable @ChristmasCrumpet.

I probably spend £5 pp on dinner three times a week, we eat quite a bit of fish which is expensive these days.

Also cook from scratch.

No alcoholic drinks either - I rarely drink and teen isn’t bothered much.

genesis92 · 18/09/2023 21:24

toddlermom99 · 18/09/2023 20:32

2 adults and a 3 year old - average around £70-80 per week

Do you live on toast?

sweetiepie33 · 18/09/2023 21:25

2 adults £200 a month then maybe 20/30 extra on top for top ups, then for 2 cats it's around 50 a month

Greengagesnfennel · 18/09/2023 21:25

£170- 200 pw. Includes toiletries, cleaning products, booze and soft drinks.
2 adults 2 teens
Cook from scratch and buy meat and nice fruit so I think that's why we're the higher end.

randomuser2019 · 18/09/2023 21:26

This reply has been withdrawn

Removed at poster's request due to privacy concerns.

WetBandits · 18/09/2023 21:26

Two adults, three cats and a dog. Planning on adding a small human to the mix next year.

Human food: £60 a week ish. I batch cook and freeze, mostly. We don’t eat much meat (and only chicken and fish when we do), I make a lot of stuff with beans in it. Amazing how many different varieties of chilli one can create when you have about 30 tins of every kind of bean in the cupboard 😂
Cat food: £20 a week for pre portioned raw food (I bulk-buy as it’s cheaper - they probably eat better than we do!)
Dog food: £6 a week (he also eats raw but I buy in bulk to bring down the weekly cost)

We do the odd top-up shop through the week.

canonlydoblue · 18/09/2023 21:27

At least £200/week but that's for 2 adults and 6 children.

londonrach · 18/09/2023 21:29

Around £50-100 depending if I run out of cupboard stuff...two adults, one child...no pets. Mixture of Lidl, Tesco and Morrisons... I buy shops own of everything. The shops own cereal is good...my daughter loves the shops own wetabix.

Applesaarenttheonlyfruit · 18/09/2023 21:32

I can’t believe how low some peoples shops are. I always cook and we barely eat any meat and I’m spending £180p/w. It includes toiletries and cleaning/washing stuff.

Mintearo7 · 18/09/2023 21:33

About £350/month. Eat meat/fish about half our meals, wine at the weekend. Weekly Lidl shop with Costco shop every few months. 2 adults, 2 small children.

Fuckthatguy · 18/09/2023 21:34

Where is everyone shopping - not @cruffinsmuffin as it seems we are neighbours 😝 and what do you do with said groceries.

Abfab63 · 18/09/2023 21:34

2 kids, 2 dogs £150 per week avg

ChristmasCrumpet · 18/09/2023 21:35

Clingy · 18/09/2023 21:21

I think £5 a day pp is reasonable @ChristmasCrumpet.

I probably spend £5 pp on dinner three times a week, we eat quite a bit of fish which is expensive these days.

Also cook from scratch.

No alcoholic drinks either - I rarely drink and teen isn’t bothered much.

I think £5pp p/day sounds entirely reasonable. It sounds a lot more as £180 a week.

I'm baffled by people like the poster who is providing for 5 adults for £100 a week. I see this sort of thing a lot, and it always seems to come with a "well, if you know how to cook, it's not that difficult" and I think, well, actually I do know. In fact I can cook better than most.

I wonder if it's just down to what is acceptable as a meal in each household. If I was serving cheese and broccoli pasta on a regular basis, my brood would be seriously unimpressed. I think you have to find a balance between eating well, and eating cheaply. We don't have fillet steak every night, but we do have a roast every Sunday, lasagne, stroganoff, ragu, shepherds pie, carbonara, that kind of thing.

LindorDoubleChoc · 18/09/2023 21:35

YABU. Wtf is this even about?

Applesaarenttheonlyfruit · 18/09/2023 21:36

Fuckthatguy · 18/09/2023 21:34

Where is everyone shopping - not @cruffinsmuffin as it seems we are neighbours 😝 and what do you do with said groceries.

Same place as you two!

Goldmember · 18/09/2023 21:40

2 adults + 2 DC, we avg £420pm on food. Just food. A couple of years ago it was £350pm. Cleaning/ Alcohol/ Toiletries not included in this budget.

Teats4twins · 18/09/2023 21:41

A fortune, 2 adults and twin girls, four dogs. Big weekly shop at least 150+ organic veggies and meat for the girls another 20/30 a week. It just keeps going up!

florisse · 18/09/2023 21:42

A fortune tbh. 2 adults, 2 kids (one educated at home and one adult WFH so all meals at home ) 2 cats and a dog. Prob about £1k Inc food and snacks while out and about.

One child autistic so a lot of eating difficulties which means buying specific brands and waste when foods are deemed "unsafe".

Ineedwinenow · 18/09/2023 21:43

We spend about 350-400 per month, 2 adults and a dog and that’s everything from shopping to eating out.

We now work from home so that’s helped curb spending, I don’t eat lunch out anymore nor do I meet friends in the pub after work! Gutted but saving hundreds Grin

BHRK · 18/09/2023 21:46

£200-£250 per week, family of 5

SamAndEIIa · 18/09/2023 21:46

@ChristmasCrumpet what nonsense.

It’s not about what an “acceptable meal” is, it’s about people having different budgets and different priorities. And also different tastes! You don’t need to find any sort of “balance” of your budget doesn’t allow it.

We spend roughly £100 per week, 2ad, a primary school aged child, a toddler and a dog. We could afford to spend significantly more than that; we buy what we want/need each week and we are fortunate in that we know there is enough money to cover it.

And yes, if you know how to cook well you can often be more economical with what you buy and make “nice” meals out of very little; however that in itself is a privilege to have the time, skill level, health and energy, and also the money for gas/electric to cook with, a well stocked spice rack, and some equipment to use.

it’s not just about expecting poor people to be happy with cheese and broccoli pasta 🙄

Breakingpoint1961 · 18/09/2023 21:47

Intrigues me when people say 'includes toiletries' surely you don't buy toiletries every week?!

Cupofteafortwo · 18/09/2023 21:47

3 adults (1 leaving for university Saturday)Just done a small shop for delivery tomorrow £93. Have one booked for next Friday, £130 so far.

Food shopping is so expensive.

Cupofteafortwo · 18/09/2023 21:48

Cupofteafortwo · 18/09/2023 21:47

3 adults (1 leaving for university Saturday)Just done a small shop for delivery tomorrow £93. Have one booked for next Friday, £130 so far.

Food shopping is so expensive.

And that’s without toiletries, washing up liquid, capsules etc

ASGIRC · 18/09/2023 21:50

TigerRag · 18/09/2023 21:20

Just me. Usually £40-60 every other week. And usually £5-10 because I've ran low on stuff. (Bread and bananas generally!)

About the same for me.
I do rent a room in my house, so 2 adults, and we share buying cleaning supplies and toilet paper, but really... we buy 1 pack of toilet paper every few weeks.
Cleaning supplies are even less frequent. So the impact isnt massive, even if I was buying it all myself.

When people mention toiletries and cleasning supplies in their weekly/monthly shop I am honestly surprised. How much are you going through?!

I cant tally it now, cause Im pregnant and eating weirdly/not cooking and not buying any alcohol, but before pregnancy I was spending around 120 a month!
Im spending a lot less now, as I havent bought meat in ages and obviously no alcohol!