ok so I spend £80 on food a week and everyone was shocked. but can't seem to cut down my food costs. anyone help?

[cleoowen]

As the title days. Just did big food shop for new month (our finances run from 16 th to 16th) can anyone tell Me where going wrong. This was a massive shop and would expect it to last longer than a week. I got carried away on yoghurts I know.

Bananas x6 81p
Half cucumber 40p
Peppers x2 packs £1
Spinach 1.75
Grapes 0.670 kg 2.26
Lemons x5 1.50
Broccoli 1
Nectarines family pack 2.00
Frozen mixed fruit for ds 1.39
Pears x4 2.50
Onions x3 1.00
Kiwi for ds 30
Twin sweetcorn 1.00
Streddies 3.39
Frusli bars 1.98
6 frozen salmon 10.00
Frozen prawns 2.50
Card 4.00
Stripes of beef
X2 packs of beef 7.00 each
Wrapping paper 1.20
tesco cereal 1.99
Smoked salmon x 5
Beef 7.00
Tomatoes x3 tinned 0.34 value ones
Red pesto 80p
Bread rolls 70p
12 crumpets 80p
Frozen fish fillets 2
Alpro yoghurt for ds1.25
Milk 1.39
X8 value chicken 6.16
500g beef mince x2 8.00
Soft cheese 1.10
Tomatoes puree 71p
Petits filous x2 pack of 4 2.00
Shortbread tub 2.00 having friends over
Fresh bread 1.60
Frozen mango chunks for ds 1.99
X4 tins of tuna chunks 4.40
Worcester sauce 1.19
5kg potatoes 4.00
Cocoa powder for baking 2.28
Pasta sauce x2 3.00
Pasta 95p
Bacon 16 rashes 4
Flake deserts 4 for 3.00
Pork pies x2 3.00
Finest yoghurts 4 for 3.00
Pesto 80p
Vanilla frosting for baking 2.25
Marshmallow for baking 1.30
Bacon lardons 1.50
Caster sugar 78p
Vanilla essence 99p
Pate 65p
Total 139.95
All Traci value or tesco own apart from yoghurts,pesto,
I know there's lots of yoghurts and lunch stuff as trying to encourage dh to take lunch to work to save money and he's very fussy. Any other savings that could be made?

M
75
Crumbed ham from deli 3.31
Rice chrispies

A tin of sweetcorn is 32p...

A bag is basics pears is £1 in sainsburys.

WetGrass - 'I don't think much of grapes.'

Best line I've read today. I'm picturing you sniffing haughtily, with a cat's bum mouth.

but they are just candy for the lentil weavers - no? If you are on a budget - they contribute nothing to the family's nutrition or happiness compared to (say) own brand chocolate buttons.

I pay £2.50 for bag of five pears and they're Waitrose Organic! So I think your we're ripped off on your pears...

£2.50 for 4 pears is standard in my local shops (we don't have Aldi). I'm really surprised to find that its actually very expensive.

treacle I would expect to see organic or 'finest' pears at this price but not your average bag of pears.

Try Lidl or Aldi, also swear by Iceland. 99p stores can be good for some toiletries and cleaning products. like the others have said Card Factory is great. Also go for own brands, maybe try Smart Price or Everyday Value and personally find frozen veg to be more economical.

Get veg/fruit from the market. You are limited roughly to what's in season but I got loads for £9 yesterday (cherries, strawberries, apricots, 2x cucumber, 2x spring onion bunches, a pineapple, three peppers, tomatoes).

I bought masses of the tin foil containers that the Chinese use, the ones with the carboardy lid. They were from the cash and carry and peanuts. I like them because I can write on the lid, so no more odd things you forgot to label in the bottom of the freezer and you can't remember what they are.

Also they are all the right size for one big adult potion, and they stack really well in the freezer.

i have reduced wastage a lot by meal planning and doing 2 shops per week instead of 1

Your DH needs to step up. It sounds like he's the main problem tbh with his fussiness and lack of budgeting.

Our shop is usually 45-65 pw for exact same family as you. We maybe do a top up shop or two totalling £10 as well. We don't eat meat, shop at Sainsburys and ALDI, and eat pretty well, although we will occasionally have beans on jacket potato or that pre-filled fresh pasta for a quick and cheap dinner.

I never buy brands except hummus and peanut butter, unless of course they're on offer and so cheaper than own brand.

I've started shopping at aldi and I can't believe the prices of Tesco etc now.
We still get the odd thing from other supermarkets that aldi don't sell but apart from that we're saving a fortune.
Saving for a nice holiday next year

Might be worth trying blw with your DS if you fancy it -instead of purees- he can eat the same as you and you'd free up space in the freezer.

I found it worked out well for my DD not too lazy to puree meals

Saves time too