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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not be able to food shop for cheaper?

448 replies

cheesetriangles · 01/11/2023 19:00

I’ve tried all the supermarkets possible but can’t manage to get our weekly food shop for less than £100.

(£100 is inclusive of all food, toiletries, cleaning products, detergent, vitamins, kitchen/loo roll, tin foil etc)

It’s only two adults eating but we do have to buy some free from products in that. We don’t buy alcohol. I’ve been to all the supermarkets and just can’t do it for cheaper at any. We eat very little meat, maybe the weekly shop includes two meat products that’s it. I wish I could save on this but maybe that’s just not practical with the cost of living? AIBU?

OP posts:
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AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 01/11/2023 20:42

AvengedQuince · 01/11/2023 20:25

Same. I don't get the 'does that include toiletries and cleaning products?' when comparing food budgets. It makes little difference to mine.

I always wonder the same on these threads, what are all these products that need to be bought all the time. Cleaning sprays are less than a £, own brand washing liquid, bleach etc can all be bought for about the same unless you're using Mrs Hinch style quantities how often are you buying stuff?

MonumentalLentil · 01/11/2023 20:45

Two adults here, between £60 - £80 per week. I stock the freezers when I see something at a good price, and buy offers for other things.

I don't buy smelly cleaning stuff or fabric conditioner. Minimum amount of detergent and white vinegar for laundry. Most people use too much stuff. It doesn't get laundry any cleaner, just builds up on the fabric. Run a wash with towels and no detergent and watch the suds appear in the washing machine window. Buy powder and liquid, you can use less.

I buy bulk bottles of bleach for drains, and bulk white vinegar for cleaning/laundry etc. 5 litre bottles of vinegar, body wash, shampoo... Spray vinegar for surfaces and bathroom, it removes limescale too.

Gluten free bread can be replaced with home made almond bread as long as you are OK with nuts. Is quck & easy to make. If you are used to the texture of gluten free this should be OK and is filling.

CSIblonde · 01/11/2023 20:50

Have you tried being chatty with staff & finding the exact times they mark stuff down. Asda do it at 4pm & 9pm where I live. But all the many small & large Tescos do their own thing. My nearest does 7am & 7pm. The regulars know this so if you get there 10mins before , it's full & not been emptied like it will be by 7.15pm. Examples: bags of veg 40p , bread 50p, cooked chicken pieces 80p. Trifle £1.20, Salad bag 30p etc. The ready meals are only knocked down £1 but I dont eat those anyway. Today's bargain was Brussels pate for 60p & a large steak pie for 1.60.

cocksstrideintheevening · 01/11/2023 20:51

EmmaDilemma5 · 01/11/2023 19:24

It's impossible to say without seeing your receipts and knowing your appetites and lifestyle. But I agree, £100 doesn't go far anymore.

I shop for two adults (both WFH so all meals at home) and three young children (one in nappies) and spend an average of £100 a month. More if needing toilet roll, detergent, toiletries, less other times. Nappies and wipes on every shop.

We rarely buy alcohol and are vegetarian. We don't eat meat alternatives, we just eat lots of vegetables, tofu and halloumi etc as alternatives so it's cheaper (and generally healthier).

We buy a shit tonne of fruit each week; mini apples, bananas, grapes, plums and satsumas. I find it's the healthiest and most cost effective snack for the kids. All either the cheapest range or on Tesco clubcard offer.

We don't buy biscuits and snacks much anymore for health reasons. We do buy nuts and occasionally multipacks of crisps that last us a while.

You could definitely cut your shopping by £10 a week I think as there are only two of you. But it may not be fun and I'm sure the free from adds a lot to your bill.

My top tips are:

  1. buy frozen veg
  2. buy in bulk where you can - it's usually quite a bit cheaper
  3. cut out the snacks and convenience food where you can.
  4. think about what's already in your cupboards before you shop. The weeks I spend more is when I haven't checked what I already have in and planned around that.

£100 a month?! Halloumi is £3ish a pack, are you the Borrowers?

pinkspeakers · 01/11/2023 20:52

I think you are being unreasonable, sorry. We spend about £100 a week on two adults and I don't even try to save money really as I don't need to. I spend about £130 every other week at Ocado. A local veggie box every other week and the milkman. Occasional treats from nice local bakery/deli. I could spend less if I wanted to.

pinkspeakers · 01/11/2023 20:53

Oh yes and my husband bulk buys things like flour, seeds for home baking. But I'm still pretty sure it wouldn't come to more than £100 per week unless we are having people round for dinner.

tenpoundpombear · 01/11/2023 20:54

CSIblonde · 01/11/2023 20:50

Have you tried being chatty with staff & finding the exact times they mark stuff down. Asda do it at 4pm & 9pm where I live. But all the many small & large Tescos do their own thing. My nearest does 7am & 7pm. The regulars know this so if you get there 10mins before , it's full & not been emptied like it will be by 7.15pm. Examples: bags of veg 40p , bread 50p, cooked chicken pieces 80p. Trifle £1.20, Salad bag 30p etc. The ready meals are only knocked down £1 but I dont eat those anyway. Today's bargain was Brussels pate for 60p & a large steak pie for 1.60.

I also do this, DH says I'm like a yellow sticker sleuth but some of the bargains are ridiculous! Especially Tesco when they mark down some of the meat produce.

tenpoundpombear · 01/11/2023 20:58

@cocksstrideintheevening I just bought halloumi from Aldi and it was £2.15 (am not a borrower but depending on the meal 1 block can feed a family of 5, like in halloumi fajitas)

cocksstrideintheevening · 01/11/2023 21:02

@tenpoundpombear is the equivalent of a Mumsnet chicken😂 we'd eat at least two packs between four of us if it was the main part
Of the meal.

OnAir · 01/11/2023 21:02

I just don't eat breakfast or lunch I stick to one meal a day.

FredintheShed · 01/11/2023 21:03

I don’t buy the cheaper convenience foods as I try not to eat as much ultra processed where possible and have weight to lose. My shopping bill is bigger due to this but I am aware it’s a sacrifice. I will only buy frozen fish though the cost of fish is just a crime! I only buy minimal cleaning products nowadays and own brand shop stuff like laundry detergent. I don’t even buy snacks but because I want to eat good quality food it does end up costing more. It depends what you want to eat. You can buy pizzas for £1.50 and frozen chips for £2 but I don’t want to eat that stuff. I do eat out of tins though at times like beans, veg, tuna etc. I have almost stopped eating meat now apart from 5% fat minced beef and fish, as chicken is too expensive! My fridge is always virtually half empty as I buy it frozen or tinned. I buy the cheaper fruit like apples, satsumas and bananas and peppers, cucumbers but I don’t buy much else fresh now either so it doesn’t go off. A lot of things have short dates on them I’ve found

Daveismyhero · 01/11/2023 21:05

We are 2 adults plus 1 cat and we spend between 45-60 a week, that includes Toiletries, cat food and cleaning products.
We buy seasonal fruit and veg and try to do cook once, eat twice so will make things like pasta/chilli etc that will last us 2 meals. We also make a big soup at the beginning of the week and have that for our lunches throughout the week. We also plan our meals based on what deals and offers are on and don't buy loafs of snacks and treats

Saz12 · 01/11/2023 21:06

It depends a bit on wether you WANT to spend less or if you NEED to spend less.

If you've no option, then porridge for breakfast, batch cooked lentil soup at lunch, and beans on toast for dinner (or chickpea & potato curry, or tinned tomatoes on pasta), only drinking water...would cut the grocery bill a lot. You might not want to eat that every day, but most people could if they needed to (obviously health issues etc aside) even if it would be miserable.

Catacapa · 01/11/2023 21:13

EmpressSoleil · 01/11/2023 20:36

I'm with you OP. I also struggle to get my shopping bill down. Its all very well saying switch from kitchen roll to a cloth but the things that push up my shop are washing powder, bin and recycling bags (yes we have to bag ours) loo roll, bleach (for the loo!) Shower gel, dishwasher tablets, toothpaste, etc etc. Yes not every single thing is needed every week but there's always something.

I actually spend very little on food, around £25-£30 for myself. Never eat lunch. But all those extras plus 2 cats who need food and litter and it's a struggle. I also genuinely don't see how I could get cheaper.

I literally never buy bin bags - just use the charity bags that come through the door. I brush my teeth 2 or 3 times a day but really don't think I buy toothpaste often! I really doubt I spend more than a tenner a month on the stuff you list and we're a family of 4 with one person working exclusively from home.

sadeyedladyofthelowlandsea · 01/11/2023 21:34

On a very strict budget, so I do have to watch every penny - the thing that's made a huge difference is buying frozen fruit, weirdly. 500g of frozen berries for £2 makes a huge difference to our spending because I can give it to the kids on its own, mixed in with yoghurt, in porridge, etc. No wastage, it's just as healthy, and a lot more convenient. DC actually prefer the frozen fruit because it never goes mushy.
Also, don't be a snob about some tinned food. Things like stewed steak, chicken in white sauce, boiled potatoes etc. are really good. They look DEEPLY unappetising when you open the tin, but once you cook them, they're just as good as the fresh version. One of my cheapest dinners is sardine pasta - I think it works out as £1.50 to feed three of us - pasta, 2 tins of sardines in tomato sauce (47p a tin from Tesco), handful of frozen peas & sweetcorn, dollop of mayo. Carrot & lentil soup is also a doddle, and super cheap.

DumboHimalayan · 01/11/2023 22:03

When I was diagnosed coeliac my shopping bill shot up, and it's not just the obvious headline stuff like GF pasta and bread being more expensive.

Firstly, there were an awful lot of ordinary things that, before coeliac disease, I wouldn't have realised I'd have to buy the usually much pricier Free From version of. Pretty much every breakfast cereal, oatcakes, porridge oats, condiments, lots of stuff.

Secondly, my shopping choices across the price range are vastly reduced. Maybe, for example, there's bulk bags of dry ingredients super cheap — pulses, rice, dried fruit, nut/grain flours, whatever — but when I scrutinise the back it's got a "may contain" warning, or a gluteny minor ingredient (like suet being coated in wheat flour). So I don't risk it, and buy a pricier little brand-name bag with no warnings instead. Sometimes, the brand that happens to be cheapest or the bulk bag also happens to be one without gluten in it, but sometimes not. Repeat this for almost every item in the supermarket that's not an actual vegetable or lump of meat. I have to buy whichever one won't make me ill, not the one that's best value.

Thirdly, dropping down a range can be more difficult. Sometimes, you get one option and that's it e.g. there's one brand of oatcakes — buy it or don't. And when there are options the quality drop in GF foods can be much greater IMO —for example, going from ordinary branded white sliced bread to own-brand wouldn't have been a massive difference to me, but going from branded GF white sliced bread to (some) own-brand GF white sliced can get you something with a texture like a 70s sanitary towel.

And very often, when you see a product that's been made gluten-free, like a muesli bar or something, it's also bundled in with other premium-priced features like plant-based, paleo, nut-free, or luxury options (like how premium sausages tend to be gluten free), pushing the price up.

I also end up making more of my own stuff at home due to lack of (or inadequacy of) commercial GF versions, which usually isn't cheaper than buying ready-made things, especially since all the above applies to all the ingredients. GF flours that don't have "may contain" warnings are usually expensive, then there's things like the cheapie baking powder being bulked out with wheat flour. And the person upthread who recommended baking bread with almond flour, I'm just 🤯 at the idea that you could save money doing that.

Reduced sections are harder to take advantage of, too, unless it's plain meat and veg, or the occasional glorious packet of ultra-cheap GF treats Grin

Then, for me at least, there's a psychological aspect — the extra time and mental energy that shopping takes me (especially since I have other medical dietary needs) means that I have fewer mental resources left for focusing on money-saving. And after having to put back lots of things because they're not safe for me, I'm more likely to say, "Oh sod it, I'll treat myself" when I see something I like that I can safely eat.

I guess if I really had to save money, I would, though. I know all the things I've mentioned sound like wimpy excuses, but put together they've had a real impact on my shopping bill… Even so, though, it's definitely possible to spend less than I do. I could avoid GF bread and breakfast cereals, eat more rice and potatoes. DP could go back to gluteny versions of things like pasta and bread (though our setup means the cross-contamination risk is hard to manage). And even though the cheapest GF porridge oats in Tesco are more than four times the price of the cheapest ordinary oats, porridge is still a pretty affordable meal.

But it's a lot trickier to keep costs down than I'd ever have realised before.

gotomomo · 01/11/2023 22:08

I'm feeding 3-4 adults for £80-90 a week, this week was £52 for main shop plus £34 across 2 top ups

gotomomo · 01/11/2023 22:10

We don't buy free from products but both dsd and i are gluten intolerant so I cook a lot of potatoes and rice, leftovers for lunches.

TheFormidableMrsC · 01/11/2023 22:27

I spend on average £55 a week. That is for me and my almost teen DS (who is a compulsive but fussy eater due to SN). I don't need to buy cleaning/washing products weekly (except for bleach) or indeed foil or kitchen roll (don't buy that at all). I also don't buy vitamins as quite honestly they are a waste of money. You are better off spending that money on extra veg. I shop at Aldi.

TheFormidableMrsC · 01/11/2023 22:30

I didn't include alcohol in that but I try and limit that to Saturdays only so no more than a tenner a week, usually less. I don't buy it with my weekly shop.

ThereIbledit · 01/11/2023 22:43

I don't think you're unreasonable spending what you spend, but if it helps, I rarely buy free from bread etc - I just err towards meals that are naturally GF. Sainsburys FF oats for Porridge is the cheapest breakfast cereal I have found.

Saz12 · 02/11/2023 20:51

@DumboHimalayan , Im glad you posted. Because Im not cealiac, I dont have to look at the "free from" ranges, so wasnt aware of the huge difference in cost, nor am I particularly tuned in to what products are gluten-contaminated.

Coffeerum · 02/11/2023 21:10

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 01/11/2023 20:42

I always wonder the same on these threads, what are all these products that need to be bought all the time. Cleaning sprays are less than a £, own brand washing liquid, bleach etc can all be bought for about the same unless you're using Mrs Hinch style quantities how often are you buying stuff?

Misc toiletries and household cleaning always adds at least £10 to each food shop
for me. I’m not buying the same thing weekly obviously but between toilet roll and fairy liquid one week, laundry detergent and dishwasher tablets and sprays the next, shampoo, condition, toothpaste the following etc.

AvengedQuince · 02/11/2023 21:22

Coffeerum · 02/11/2023 21:10

Misc toiletries and household cleaning always adds at least £10 to each food shop
for me. I’m not buying the same thing weekly obviously but between toilet roll and fairy liquid one week, laundry detergent and dishwasher tablets and sprays the next, shampoo, condition, toothpaste the following etc.

Many of those are only about a quid. A box of laundry detergent says 40 washes, but lasts me at least double that.

raffegiraffe · 02/11/2023 21:47

Have you tried Tesco big shop? Costs £7.99 a month then you get two 10% vouchers to use per month. I think I save about £30 a month with this. I do two very big shops a month and only buy expensive items on these shops

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