Just gone through my outgoings. Feel sick.

[Geordieminx]

So I'm a single parent but earn a good wage.

Bills = just less than half my income.

Always seem to be overdrawn so thought I would see where the money is going.

£550 to tesco and sainsburys last month. I actually feel sick. There is just ds and I. He has school dinners. He has breakfast and dinner at my mums during the week. Every other weekend he is at his dads. I'm on a diet and don't eat much. £550. It's obscene.

Added to that £150 on meals out.

It needs to stop. Honestly I should be comfortable. I would love a new car as mine is becoming a money pit, but I don't think I can afford it as there is never any money at the end of the month.. No fucking wonder.

I'm actually ashamed of myself

^ going to sainsburys so OFTEN

Not read all the posts above but my big recommendation is to use tesco online shopping. My situation is very similar to yours. It works as you just book the delivery and have to plan the week's food. I have gone from similar levels to £40-50 a week. And no extra spending as we just eat what is in. Honestly try it.

Moneysavingexpert can get a bit scary. So can MN with the competitive how-many-meals-out-of-a-chicken.

For two of you, you should be able to eat plenty of nice things at much less than that - you don't have to cut down to £30 a week, just down from the £150-a-week that you are currently spending.

You don't have to go straight to lentils and porridge-with-water.

OP- it's good you have identified an area to save money. Check out the Aldi/Lidl threads on here. We swapped from Tesco last week and are saving £35 per week. We currently spend about £80 per week for a family of 4.
Also menu planning is a really good idea.

You could quite easily cut your Sainsbury's bill down massively. Get your shopping from the very cheapest place three weeks out of the four and then one week get the treat stuff from M & S Waitrose Sainsbury's or whatever. One meal out a month. Till you get back on track. For more expensive things like washing powder stock up when the really good offers are on.

The jump in food/household product prices is ridiculous.

I spent £250 ... £250 in sainsburys the other day. It was a shock.

I need to start budgeting, which I haven't had a need to in the past. Prices are going through the roof.

Lunchtime is the unrecognised killer on the budget- if you get a take away sandwich/drink/fruit etc it can be easliy £5+ per day whereas for about £10 per week you can make your own and eat more healthily too. Soup is a great idea- filling nutritious and cheap.

Don't be ashamed! Use this as a starting point.

Sit down with DS and decide what you'd like for dinner that week, fill up an online basket and voila!

I do this and spend £80 a week for 5 of us.