How long can will this go on for?

[Bigmummaof2]

Long time lurker, new poster!

Hi all, hope you're well.

I know this topic has been massively discussed especially lately, but I honestly can't get over how much the prices have went up in Asda. We have always done our shops here, with the odd trip to Aldi.

Went and got the ingredients this afternoon for 2 dinners & breakfast just to do a couple of days and I was £47. The other day got us Ingredients to make our own subway as wanted to save money and didn't want to order in, £26!!!

Thought it was just me, and asked my sister who shops at Aldi for her family of 5 ( 3 small kids & 2 adults) and she's now over £100 a week!

Is everyone experiencing the same issue I imagine? Do most people just batch cook and freeze and this saves them money? This isn't something I usually do, but interested in hear in how other people are managing.

Thanks 😊

Apologies for the title error!!!

That's a lot of sandwiches for £26!

There is no limit

Haven't found that much difference with Asda prices, been shopping with them for years

It's the out of sticks that I've found have increased

I batch cook and freeze. Only do one shop a week and try and stretch it to 8 or 9 days
Eat the soft fruit/salad first, end of the week is frozen veg or carrots/onions etc
Aldi do metro rolls which are subway copies and I get those quite a lot

Use a list and don't deviate unless something is out of stock, I have a running list on my phone for the next time I shop

I'm no economist OP, but inflation is due to gradually reduce this year, so hopefully at some point in 2023. I hear you on the price rises - they are insane. I used to be able to fill my trolley for about £40 in Aldi ... no longer.

Aldi do metro rolls which are subway copies and I get those quite a lot

Yes, these are great! They even fill up my sporty and always hungry 15-year-old boy.

Inflation is the rate of price growth, so even when inflation goes down the high prices will stay. I wouldn't bank on food getting cheap again in the near future.

And in the medium-long term, the climate crisis will bring additional pressures to bear on food production, reducing supply and therefore increasing price.

Prices are astronomical now. I've found that shopping first at farm foods is best for me. Their stock varies massively from week to week and you get some brilliant bargains. This week the magnum ice cream tubs were 99p in mine, 250g of butter was £1.29 and I got 3 kg of catering quality southern fried breast strips for £10.99. Two xl beer battered fish for £1.79. Four Napolina passata for £1. 6 tinned tomatoes for £1. Posh Ice cream toppings (raspberry coulis and salted caramel) for 29p each . 4litres of vanilla icecream for £2. 8 faggots for £1. Various frozen veg bags 5 for £4. I bought all my bulk soap powder, loo rolls etc and used vouchers to get £9 off my total spend. This meant I only paid £7 for a 3kg leg of lamb and that made a huge roast dinner, packed lunch wraps and tonight's curry. Which I packed out with the tinned tomatoes and frozen Peppers.

I buy Springvale sausages (£1.19) and a kilo of thick cut bacon from home bargains £3.99). The bacon does a weekend fry up (1/2) then 1/4 is used for carbonara and 1/4 for a sausage and bacon casserole . I just try to stretch things as far as possible. Lots of pasta and a simple passata sauce with extra flavour from frying smoked diced sausage, onions etc. More soups/toasties.

Hahaha you would think so!

I got lucky in the reduced section at lidl today. It will go in the freezer so I can cook for the another day
a whole chicken, a chicken crown, diced lamb. £1.50 each. Chicken breasts and lean lamb mince 90p each. Turkey mince 90p. Full price it would have come to around £20 if not more as the chicken was £5 on it’s own.
lamb is a big treat!

i’ve never seen the reduced section so full, but I partly think it’s because meat has become so expensive people can’t afford to purchase as much as they used to at full price. I certainly can’t!

I like this crash course in inflation.

I’ve managed to get our food bill to £350 a month for me DP and toddler DS. Batch cooking and ruthless meal planning - if it ain’t on the plan, we don’t eat it. I take my food to work and DP works mostly from home so that’s literally all our food (DS eats at nursery 3x per week tho).

We do a monthly big shop on Asda near pay day that’s usually about £120-£150, includes all meat/fish for the month, cleaning products toiletries etc. plus nappies and all tinned/dried stuff. I then get 10% off with blue light card.

Then top up with Lidl shops weekly that are about £50-£60. Plus then the odd bit in Morrisons but it generally works out about £350. I keep an eye on the joint account every few days to make sure we’re not overspending as does DP.

It takes a stupid amount of mental energy that I don’t really have but you’re right OP, prices are just mental. And they ain’t coming down 🤷🏻‍♀️just got to figure out how to manage. I don’t know how people on low incomes are doing it though I really don’t. I donate to a food bank when I can.

They had sold out this week and I did a full on sulk in the bread aisle
Got tiger rolls instead which are still nice

What do you cook on a normal basis? £47 for 2 days sounds a lot, but does it even out over the course of a week? Do you do cheaper meals such as omelettes/jacket spuds/pasta, alongside more expensive meals?

£47 for 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts? Blimey what are you eating? I buy Aldi's porridge sachets, 10 for 97p, add milk and honey and my breakfast costs less than 20p!

I average £50 for me and a teen a week, no takeaways and that includes a few quid on non food items. £47 for a couple of days is a lot!

Exactly. The human population is growing, hence competition for potable water, food, fuel will continue to escalate. As they say, "you ain't seen nothin' yet."

You don't seem to be shopping very economically to be honest. I got a weeks shopping for 2 for 60 pounds which included 4 types of meat for OH and a good stock up of tins and fresh veg. I can't imagine 47 pounds for two meals.

Interested in what you bought for the £47!

for 5 people working on £100 a week for 105 meals is under a £1 a meal

making two breakfast and two diners for £47 for 5 people is 4 meals each person, so 20 meals at £47 is £2.35 each meal

if you're buy a long list of new ingredients, then the price will be higher.

Im feeding 6 of us next week and will be meal planning recipes that I know will not cost a large amount. My cottage pie has been requested, so i'll get carrots and mince meat, along with potato. The herbs, stock etc will already be in the cupboard. I' ll make spaghetti as can double up on the mince meat and add in tomato, bacon and again I will have the rest in the cupboard. Chicken curry for Wednesday night as again I have rice in the cupboard, and a curry paste - so chicken, tinned tomato. So for 3 days of 6 people to feed will cost around £40 including porridge and fruit for breakfast so 36 meals as lunch not included. Thats £1.11 each meal

2 dinners & breakfast just to do a couple of days and I was £47

That does seem high-what did you actually buy, though?

Farm Foods sounds amazing. Sadly we don't have one near us.

I love Iceland but they have got more expensive lately.

In January I spent £375 on food for 6. Not lunches for three kids term time included as they eat at school. We used to have the odd frozen processed meal like battered fish or kievs but not bought anything like that for ages. I make one pot meals from scratch. I don't have much choice. Chicken and bacon cheesy pasta tonight with pancakes and homemade soup. I have also totally changed my shopping habits. I go twice a week and spend £20-£40 as I need ingredients. It sucks really. We are living off pasta and rice.

Prices are going up and up. I find batch cooking helps, or at least cooking double the quantity needed and adding a meal to the freezer. This does use less energy and having a meal prepped and ready means I am less likely to go to a shop and spend. We are also using less meat, so adding lentils or oats to mince based meals or bulking out with veg. Also some meat free meals, meal planning and tring not to waste any food. Most products are also own brand.

OP, another who'd be interested to know what you bought for £47 (hope you enjoyed it though). £50 does two of us for 21 meals, snacks, coffee and tea a week, so it's really possible to cut back if £47 is too much for amount of meals you intended.