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Stretching your budget? Share tips and advice to discuss budgeting and energy saving here. For the latest deals and discounts, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Original poster

Grocery budget

49 replies

Rainie130 · 13/01/2019 19:29

I feel that I am overspeding on my food shop. Myself hubby and teenage son, average spend £120 per week.(Including toiletries and cleaning products).
I did a meal plan this week, headed off to the supermarket, stuck to my list and still manged to spend £100.
I do like some branded things (cereals, beans) but am happy to use supermarket brands too.
I don't know where I'm going wrong.

OP posts:
Jackshouse · 13/01/2019 19:32

What is your meal plan for the week?
Definitely reduce the branded things they are not better but sometimes taste different. For beans I would switch to supermarkets own low salt and sugar and stick to them for a while and you will get used to it. Supermarket cleaning products are fine too.
If you physically go to a shop then try Aldi.

BackforGood · 13/01/2019 19:39

My starting point, if there is one near you, would be to go to Aldi.
I would also look at what food you throw away each week.
I spend about £46 a week on me, dh, one 17 yr old, and a 22 yr old who admittedly isn't here that much - probably count him as about 1/2 a week / 1/2 a person.

Difficult for us to know "where you are going wrong" if we don't know what you are spending Grin

Does it include alcohol ?
Pet stuff ?
Lots of 'snacky' things ?
Are you having to cater for a particular diet ?
Is that everything you buy or do you pay out separately for your lunches, maybe have a takeaway or eat out each week, etc ?

Original poster
Rainie130 · 13/01/2019 20:17

Going through the receipt I have spent approx £30 on fresh meat, £7 on dog food, £10 on cleaning products. No alcohol, all lunches catered for; no extra spend required. No take aways or eating out, decided to only do this on special occasions. The rest has gone on fruit & veg, tinned products and a few snacks.

OP posts:
Original poster
Rainie130 · 13/01/2019 20:32

My meal plan for the week is :-
Sunday .. roast beef + trimmings.
Monday .. Co au Vincent, mash & green veg.
Tuesday .. Gammon steaks, potatoes, sweetcorn & peas.
Wednesday ... Spaghetti Go log naive & garlic bread.
Thursday ... bacon & egg quiche (homemade) salad & coleslaw.
Friday ... battered fish, chips & mushy peas.
Saturday ... Beef& Mushrooms in black bean sauce & rice (home made)

Breakfast is usually cereals or toast, bacon buns on a Saturday.
Leftover beef is used fo DHL & DS sandwiches. Leftover chicken used for wraps. They always have a bag of crisps or popcorn, a biscuit and some fruit.
I will have salad & cooked meats or a jacket potato or soup.
I udually buy supermarket cleaning products except for wash liquid, always are or peril, which ever is on offer.

OP posts:
Lollyice · 13/01/2019 20:37

Online shopping is the easiest way to spend less. My online shop is £85 a week, family of 4. When I go in the store I spend £100.
Have a look at the special offers before you meal plan and only buy treats that are on offer.

Bluearsedfly36 · 13/01/2019 20:44

I go to Aldi and spend £120 a week and there's 6 of us. I would try Aldi. I sometimes do Tesco online, that's usually £140ish for us. I usually buy stuff we don't get in Aldi though xx

Anonalongadingdong123 · 13/01/2019 20:50

Switch to Aldi, stock up on veg & pulses and cut back on meat.

Oly4 · 13/01/2019 22:12

I spend £145 a week for two adults and kids aged 7,4 and 1. Loads of fresh fruit and veg. I think you’re doing quite well OP!! However, if you can eat more veggie you would save cash

Babygrey7 · 13/01/2019 22:16

I spend exactly the same, for me DH two teenagers and a dog

It seems to be what it costs to eat well

I have some more frugal days as well, if needed, my cheapo meals are egg/veg fried rice or smokey paprika lentil stew

Proper meat/fish every days is what pushes the price up imo

crimsonlake · 13/01/2019 22:32

I would say £30 on meat seems a lot. Are you buying snacks, biscuits, crisps, fizzy drinks? If so drop those. I always used to say if anyone wanted to snack have some toast or cereal.

MiniMum97 · 13/01/2019 22:53

I don't think £100 is too bad. I meal plan and cater for special diets. I don't generally buy cleaning products from the supermarket as I like non toxic products so buy online or make my own. My husband buys lunches out so only buy lunches for me.

The cheapest way I used to shop was to check prices and shop around getting different things from different shops - my supermarket is a good comparison website. Used to save a fair bit but can't do that now due to ill health so just shop from Tesco. Food prices have gone up over the last year so now find I am spending £60 - £100 each week depending on how much store cupboard stuff we need for two of us (although it doesn't vary that much when my son is home really, maybe £10-20pw more). We also eat higher welfare meat. We don't generally buy alcohol which would obviously bump this up a fair bit.

To cut costs, you could shop at Aldi or Lidl, shop around more, reduce the amount of meat you buy. Don't buy treats.

anniehm · 13/01/2019 23:08

Cook veggie food twice a week, switch to supermarket own brands, online shopping (Morrison's cake out as best priced) helps as you have a running total, but dog food monthly / every two months online (no idea of dog type but we buy 15kg bags that last 2 months rather than expensive wet food.)

Littlelambpeep · 13/01/2019 23:13

I think it's not too bad (meals sound lovely)

10 on cleaning products is quite a lot.
Cut back on expensive dinners if you can - say pasta and sauce on night (do they have to have meat?)

Littlelambpeep · 13/01/2019 23:14

83 pound when you take out dog food and cleaning products isn't bad really

brokenhead · 13/01/2019 23:16

We spend about 200 - 220

Life is expensive

A lot of meat is my only comment

Mamahen2 · 13/01/2019 23:21

I would say online is the way to go and personally I'm finding the best one is Sainsburys as you can sign up with new email address each time and get £20 off your first shop. Driver told me to do this

FelixTitling · 13/01/2019 23:35

I go to Sainsburys and co-op and spend less than 75 per week (on average).

Do you meal plan around what's already in your cupboards?

I also amend the mealplan as I go along to make the most of the leftovers.

Carlyrichards · 13/01/2019 23:43

Love the autocorrect from Vin to Vincent. Your meal plan sounds great.

BackforGood · 13/01/2019 23:52

Presumably the £10 on cleaning products isn't a weekly event ? That would last for weeks or more likely months here.
£30 on meat sounds a lot to me too.

In terms of snacks - I guess it depends. If your budget (or your family's diet ?) means you need to cut down, then 'snacks' is an obvious place to cut back. If you have the money, and the family use up the energy, then why 'deprive' yourselves.?

HandsOffMyRights · 13/01/2019 23:58

I spend £60 per week on Tesco online and around £30-40 on bits for a family of four with two teenagers.
The meat sounds quite high.

summersoonplease · 14/01/2019 00:07

Watching this thread, could have been my own... I'm trying to cut my weekly bill down , please be kind what meals can I make a few times a week that don't involve meat , It's the meat that shoots mine up.

livingthegoodlife · 14/01/2019 21:59

do you buy the three for £10 meat? i only buy this, or less, then veg and spread it out over the week. on sunday we had coq au vin with chicken thigh portions, tonight it was stirfry with shredded chicken from two spare portions, tomorrow night is jacket potato & bean & cheese, then meatballs and chips, then pasta, then pizza.

im sure your menu is lovely and probably healthy but my menu is one to save money....

summersoonplease · 14/01/2019 23:03

@livingthegoodlife thank you yours sounds lovely so mine is roughly roast dinner , lasagna, curry , meat balls or spaghetti Bol, chicken drums salad n jackets, gammon egg n chips ... I'm intrigued what to make with just veg and pulses I've never used pulses I wouldn't have a clue Blush

AHawkins · 15/01/2019 00:15

I find that shopping online really helps keep costs down. We can see exactly what we are spending and we don't impulse buy anything as we dont walk past it!

Notreallyhappy · 15/01/2019 14:24

I hear exactly where your coming from.
This week I have got it down to £85 For 3 grown ups, this as you includes breakfast dinner & tea 12 toilet rolls washing powder soap & toothpaste.
I made my menu then made a comprehensive list so I don't get top up shops. We have meat or fish everyday.
This weeks menu is...salmon veg & potatoes
1/2 bbq chicken
Steak pie.
Faggots & peas
Chorizo & prawn pasta
Sirloin steak
Roast pork & beef....the sirloin is left from Christmas but would of bought it so can add £10 to the cost.
With a little tweaking you could save a few £££s but your doing well. I shopped at aldi & tesco.