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Food Spending is ridiculous and I can't seem to reduce this.

163 replies

spababe · 19/10/2014 11:26

Ok so I cut back last month and had to have a big shop on 1st Oct but so far this month I have spent £400 on groceries and have £30 to last me until the end of the month. I also have spent £80 on school lunches.
I vary my shops between Lidl and Tesco online (where I can track what I spend as I order)
I have 2 teenage sons and DH so 4 of us but the milk bill alone is £30 a month as they get through 4 pints a day.
We do not eat meat or much processed food. We live rurally so no takeaways.
I do meal plan.
I do have quite a bit in the freezer to get us through the next week but then we will have to survive on the last £30 through half term - tricky.
It's ridiculous really but I have no idea how to reduce this.

OP posts:
Ultracrepidarian · 19/10/2014 19:29

Have you tried looking on approved food I use them and they're ok. You can't always get the same things and delivery takes over a week which is annoying but I buy all my monthly basics and it saves me quite a lot.
My 4 dc drink a lot of milk but I've started rationing it, they're only allowed a cup in the morning and one at bedtime.
I also only cook one full meal a day, the other meal is soup and bread or toast and spreads.
I think you can only get your shopping so low, I'm annoyed I can't go lower but it's not possible.

smashboxmashbox · 19/10/2014 19:29

If you're going to stick to Quorn and free range eggs then you are, to a certain extent, going to have to suck up the cost of the groceries.

How badly do you need to get costs down?

(Sorry if that seems cheeky but when I was proper skint I just could NOT have afforded free range eggs)

blodynmawr · 19/10/2014 19:32

Exactly what Badvoc said - Aldi etc
Also making bread in my breadmaker, inc the electricity cost, is approx 45p a loaf.

OnIlkleyMoorBahTwat · 19/10/2014 19:34

Has anyone mentioned instant noodles as teenage boy filling snacks? Value brands cost pennies.

Jacket potatoes got mentioned, but with concerns about the cost of the oven. If you start them in the microwave (5 mins or so) they only need 10 mins in the oven on high.

Branded cleaning products are really expensive so try to buy cheaper alternatives.

spababe · 19/10/2014 19:36

Actually, I did an experiment a few months ago. I wrote down all our 'Favourites' from Tesco then went to Lidl and costed it all up
Cheaper at Lidl:
4 pack baked beans
Tinned chopped tomatoes and plum tomatoes
Kidney beans
stock cubes
olive oil
tom puree
pesto
pasta bake sauce
Heinz ketchup
Mayo
Sliced beetroot
bread flour
sugar (all kinds except icing)
paracetamol and ibuprofen
tissues
cling film
freezer bags
foil
compost bin liners
butter
eggs
milk
cheddar
parmesan equivalent
salmon
baguttes
tortilla wraps
frozen peas
frozen sweetcorn
fish fingers
marmalade

Cheaper at Tesco or not sold at Lidl:
loo roll
baking paper
cannelini beans
SR and plain flour (value)
value penne pasta
spaghetti (value)
value oats
yeast
golden syrup
choc chips
cocoa
icing sugar
cad drinking choc (hate other brands and won't drink them)
honey
oven chips Mccains

These dynamics can change though when Tesco do offers.

OP posts:
Badvoc123 · 19/10/2014 19:38

We drive 15 mins to aldi and 15 mins to asda so that's normal for us. We have a co op locally and I to like it but it's £££
I get free range eggs from aldi.
I also get my baking stuff from there too.
Things like frozen veg are cheaper and tbh are better nutrient wise.
I have frozen spinach and butternut squash which are handy to have
I can get 6 cartons of uht milk for under £3 from aldi

BananaramaLlama · 19/10/2014 19:40

Do you get the mixed size box of eggs? We eat lots too and get the boxes of 15 free range mixed sizes, is a bit cheaper.

smashboxmashbox · 19/10/2014 19:43

None of that looks outrageous but it depends on the brands you're buying.

And, as I said, it depends on how badly you want to cut back.

For eg, choc chips are desperately expensive. Tesco do a bar of value chocolate for 30p. I buy that and chop it with a knife.

smashboxmashbox · 19/10/2014 19:50

If that was my shopping list and I wanted to cut costs :

4 pack baked beans - el cheapo whatever the cheapest was
Tinned chopped tomatoes and plum tomatoes - not chopped, just ordinary and el cheapo fresh toms, not plums
Kidney beans - use dried and soak
stock cubes - my tesco value ones are cheaper than my lidl
olive oil - don't buy
tom puree
pesto
pasta bake sauce
Heinz ketchup
Mayo
Sliced beetroot
bread flour
sugar (all kinds except icing) - only ever buy granulated and icing. Caster is granulated with a whizz in the processor
paracetamol and ibuprofen
tissues
cling film
freezer bags
foil
compost bin liners - I'd use the bin and wash it out
butter
eggs - sorry but I'd have battery
milk
cheddar - el rubbero
parmesan equivalent - wouldn't buy
salmon
baguttes - wouldn't buy
tortilla wraps
frozen peas
frozen sweetcorn
fish fingers - value cheapies if at all
marmalade

Cheaper at Tesco or not sold at Lidl:
loo roll - Lidl do loo roll
baking paper - buy release baco foil and reuse it. Or butter and flour.
cannelini beans - use dried and soak
SR and plain flour (value)
value penne pasta
spaghetti (value)
value oats
yeast
golden syrup - my lidl do golden syrup
choc chips - chocolate block and chop it
cocoa
icing sugar
cad drinking choc (hate other brands and won't drink them) - I would use the cocoa
honey
oven chips Mccains - el cheapo chips or make wedgies with potatoes.

misshoohaa · 19/10/2014 20:03

Do you do top up basket shops?
I've found the downfall for us was popping in to the mini supermarket to get cheese and then is end up with 3 or 4 other things as I think they might be running low, spending £15 that I really didn't need to.
Now if we run out of of things like cheese, yogurt, biscuits - tough titties. It goes on the list for the next shop.

Then when I think we need to go shopping I reevaluate the cupboards and try and make do for one or two more days, even if that means anchovies on pasta or something really simple for dinner, if you can push back the shopping for 1 or two days a couple of times a month you'll help stretch the budget.

Nosy67 · 19/10/2014 20:04

Sorry, OP, my teenager lunch bill is still half of yours. FWIW, I don't think your total bill is that high, teens are expensive to feed.

" nosy, how do you go without bin bags? Do you have to wash out your bins all the time? "

We save clean plastic bags of all sizes (people gave us something in the bag or we bought some food item in bag like porridge), & reuse. This sort, especially? Though I have no idea why anyone buys plastic bags of any type for ordinary domestic purposes. I guess I'm a freak about reusing bags , but the amount of further unnecessary waste makes me shudder to think about.

Bins in house take carrier bags or even food bags, like loaf-of-bread bags. I try to Double bag any rubbish bag before goes in outside bin. So outside bin shouldn't get dirty, but maybe once every 2 yrs I use rainbutt water & a bit of detergent to scrub it out. Sometimes the inside bin needs a paper towel wipe. We have wood burner or compost which gets rid of paper towels & soggy rubbish. That helps.

*I tell a lie... DD had a big party for 45 people & we filled one bin bag worth of true rubbish (bin bag we had lying around the house for yrs.).

Bunched up Clean plastic bags can be padding for sending fragile items thru post, btw (bubble wrap not required).

I Never buy foil: not even sure what people use that for!! Never buy cling film (can reuse other plastic bags as described).

We get thru a lot of loo roll, mind, that's teenagers for you. (grind teeth).

Pensionerpeep · 19/10/2014 20:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Nosy67 · 19/10/2014 20:10

Ooh! Compost bin liners, okay DH uses otherwise waste paper to line ours, if item is truly soggy it has to be taken straight outside to heap, but most compost stuff is only slightly damp if that so doesn't need a semi-plastic bag. He gets the paper from...

25 kg Potato bags
slightly used paper towels
Primark bags (brown paper!)
Anything packaged in a brown paper bag... mushrooms? Pasties, etc.

I'm going to be known forever more on MN as the bag lady, aren't I?!

smashboxmashbox · 19/10/2014 20:10

I do one big shop a week. Even milk. It goes in the freezer. So does butter. And bread. And at the start of the week we have "soft" veg and fruit that won't keep and by the end of the week it's spuds and apples.

Once it runs out it runs out.

Doesn't take them long to learn :) But then I talk to my teens about budget and income and how much I have to pay out every month and what's left. Have you done that OP?

ChocolateWombat · 19/10/2014 20:13

And with the 'luxury' items, only buy them every 2 or three weeks not every week.
Buy cheapo value biscuits.
Look at your list and see where there are cheaper alternatives - the choc chips example above is a good one.....a cheapo choc bar instead will do just as well.

When you use meat in cooking, cook stews etc and use less meat and add more cheap veg. It is less obvious in a stew.

And is there any sense of rationing what your teenagers eat or can they riad the fridge anytime they like? I would make clear what is a free for all anytime, and which things need to be left. And if they eat all of the snacks etc very quickly,don't replace until the following week.
Yes to making clear what is a lunch item and what is for a main meal, so they aren't effectively having 2 main meals a day. Yes I expect they eat loadss, but do t need 2 main meals a day.

How about cooking up a huge load of something like pasta sauce with veggies which will do a couple of days of meals?

How about value soups as a cheap lunch if they are at home?

The thing is, you have to really want to do it. Rather than making excuses and saying 'we must have X,Y and Z' you have to be willing to try without.

Another way to do it would to go the supermarket with say £80 in cash and no cards. Shop with a calculator. You simply won't be able to overspend and once you go over £80 you will put back what you don't really need, or swap it for cheaper goods.

If you do this, you may find there is less choice that week or less treats. There maybe a bit of moaning but you won't starve.

And finally, tell the whole family a cut-back is going on. Tell them you need them on board to help and point out something positive as a result...ie there will be more money for X. How about asking each family member to nominate just 1 thing from the weekly list that they could do without.
I think its hard if you are trying to buy for a family and cut back without anyone else being involved. They need to buy into the idea.

Notmadeofrib · 19/10/2014 20:18

smashbox has it down Grin

smashboxmashbox · 19/10/2014 20:21

I was a single parent student. Living on student loan. With three kids at home. Two of whom were teenaged boys. And two of their friends who seemed to loiter with intent at dinner time Grin

But at the end of the day, it all comes down to how much/how badly you want to / have to cut down.

smashboxmashbox · 19/10/2014 20:30

I did an Asda shop once a week back then. It came on a Wednesday night when they were at their dad's. I took special requests from each of them on a weekly rotation. Eg one loves coco pops. The rule was the request couldn't be more than a fiver. And I hid chocolate biscuits (wrapped ones for lunches) one packet a week (usually in the bottom of my wardrobe). And, we didn't starve. No one went hungry. They knew what I had coming in and going out, they knew the budget and they were more than welcome (the boys anyway - DD wasn't old enough) to do the shopping themselves if they didn't like what they were getting offered.

Notmadeofrib · 19/10/2014 20:35

Well that would def sharpen your skills!

smashboxmashbox · 19/10/2014 20:37

You know what - it was grand. Really. It made me think about groceries, and I have kept a lot of the habits from those days - still don't buy caster sugar or choc chips Grin. And I still do one big shop and when it's gone it's gone.

but there's a difference between "I am proper skint what on earth can I do to get this bill down or we won't have a house and I won't have the money to get to uni or heat the house" and "well my bill is a bit high but I'd like to get it a bit lower" - and I suspect the OP is on the latter, and doesn't want to make the changes that she would have to to get the bill lower.

momb · 19/10/2014 20:40

We have 5DC, 4 are teens (though girls) and I feel your pain, but am not prepared to spend your budget. I am meticulous about their RDA of nutrients and then bulk with carbs if necessary. One thing about the teen carby diet is they tend to crash and get starving when they really shouldn't be hungry. If only we could moderate their blood sugar but I've tried and failed with mine so I guess you are in the same boat.
Quality protein you don't seem to be tapping much: eggs, prawns, frozen fish other than fingers and salmon, tinned fish (sardines etc). Remember than a matchbox of cheese is enough nutritionally so buy the strongest you can and it will be enough to flavour whatever you use it for.
Do not throw anything away. Do a 'one off' plastic box shop from a bargain store next time you are near one and never (well hardly ever) use plastic bags again. Before you serve any meal put one portion into a box for the freezer. When they are desperate for a snack they have a ready meal..ready! Quorn isn't great for this and another good reason to swap it out.
Use sauce to dress pasta, not to sit in a huge puddle in the middle.
Make up cheese sandwiches with sliced tomato and onion and freeze: excellent snack food if you have a toastie maker.
Any recipe with TVP or quorn mince can be bulked with oats.
At Tesco Mediterranean veg is v expensive compared to aldi/lidl. If you are having a lean month have native foods: onions, carrots, cabbage etc.
Consider frozen to limit waste if you are using it for lasagne etc: the texture isn't the same as fresh if you are going to eat it without sauce except peas. beans and corn.
Buy sacks of potatoes: if they are going a bit soft towards the bottom cook and mash (don't cream) them for the freezer. You can whizz them up with butter/oil/milk/whatever and they will be fine.
More pulses.

I think that by making some strategic substitutions and simplifying a bit you will be able to save quite a bit. Your menus look lovely by the way, just a little out of kilter (veg-wise) for cheap eating at this time of year.

Breakfasts are toast or porridge. I buy aldi or Tesco value oats and the 75p sliced batch loaves.
Lunches:portion size dependent on age: sliced bread sandwiches or wraps on offer with protein (egg, sardines, ham, leftovers) and lots of simple iceberg/cucumber/tomato salad. A hard boiled egg most days: with a paper twist of salt if I'm feeling retro. A piece of cake if I've made one or a 'ten wrapped cakes for a pound' bargain lunchbox cake from the supermarket. Two or three pieces of fruit. By month end this may be half a tin of sliced peaches in a pot and an apple. Very often the teens get crisps too: out of a multibox, usually less than 20g.
Our recent dinners for info (not veggie but easily so):
salmon kedgeree, side salad of iceberg, kale, spinach and tomato with coriander.
spag bol with bread
cottage pie with savoy cabbage
French onion soup with cheese and baguettes (like the ones you get).
fish pie with corn, peas, eggs and pasta in the bottom as well as moderate amounts of white fish, salmon, smoked fish and prawns, served with leeks.
vegetable biryani with dhal instead of a curry sauce.
spaghetti arrabiata with prawns: I had bread on standby but not needed.
minted pea soup (ham stock, tinned value mushy peas(actually cheaper than dried!) and dried mint cooked down and blitzed) with ham rolls.
If I buy a big bag of anything (eg rolls) I use one each and freeze the rest: if it's not there it won't be eaten and there are always available foods/permitted snacks they can make quickly. It certainly pays to keep an eye on 'fridge hoovering'.
I make a big traybake or cake every week. There are always frozen bananas for ice cream or cheapy lollies in the freezer for sweet treat emergencies.

I shop at aldi, bargain shops if I'm passing: that really expensive loo cleaner was in the 99p store recently so stocked up on that, a good value town centre butcher and the asian grocer for herbs and spices. Occasionally Tesco on line because as you say, sometimes it is cheaper than a special trip if I have no reason to go to town.

Fluffycloudland77 · 19/10/2014 21:30

It doesn't matter if op needs to reduce spending out of need or because she's shocked at prices.

She's asked how we do it & we've said.

Adapting how you shop & cook takes time. I used to think I was frugal spending £60-70 a week in sainsburys. I genuinely thought I was being frugal.

Worse still I drove by an aldi to get to sainsburys.

smashboxmashbox · 19/10/2014 21:36

True Fluffycloudland77, but the drive to do it is stronger when you're skinter.

It is the difference between being willing to compromise and having to compromise.

ChocolateWombat · 20/10/2014 07:24

Try the taking £80 cash and no cards.
It's enough money to ensure you get a good trolley full and don't starve. However it will stop you going over.
Whether you are yelling to do this, is also a good test of how much you want to cut back.

spababe · 20/10/2014 14:36

Thanks for all the tips. I will be doing some of them. I am not desperate to cut back but I want to cut back because I think the total bill is just wasted money really.
By shopping online I do go back and amend my basket to get the cost down to my set amount.
Will be shopping more at Lidl and taking onboard lots of the tips
Keep them coming!

OP posts: