For those that struggle with good shopping/budget.

[Loveduppenguin]

Family of 4- budget 100-120 per week and I try to keep it as low as possible to be honest so under 100 is 🙌. We have one take away most weeks but not every week.
Today I spent 96.44 on food for the week and a few items that will span over a few weeks.
The weeks meal plan is:
Sun- Boiled Ham, cabbage, potatoes and carrots and a white sauce.
Mon- chicken Kiev, wedges and salad.
Tues- cheesy, creamy ham pasta bake
weds- homemade pizzas with salad
thurs- chicken curry with rice, poppadoms and naan.
Fri - take away
sat - sausage casserole
Im going to make a potato and leek soup also for lunches and I’ll make a banana bread tomorrow to have for breakfasts. I like to stew some of the apples and pears for breakfasts too.
boiled ham leftovers wil be used for the pasta bake and a little in a pizza or two.
I already had carrots, lettuce, tomatoes and olives, Greek yoghurt etc
receipts attached and I don’t think I did too badly. I’ll probably buy milk on weds or Thursday again.
Just posted in case anyone was looking to m ram plan budget similarly.

Title should be FOOD not GOOD 😅

Surely the takeaway will add to this?
£40 ish
Where are the full lunches?
A bowl of soup for 7 days?
One banana bread for breakfast?
Apples and pears as the only fruit?

I have peaches still from last week.
my dc have packed lunches- sandwich, yoghurt, fruit, a treat, etc
we already have cereals etc
i bought eggs and rashers too. So plenty for breakfast, toast, eggs, banana bread, yogurt and stewed fruit, cereals. Bacon rashers on a Saturday morning with egg.

take away budget is separate.

Forgot I also have nuts and dried fruit for snacks. Plenty there for everyone.

So you already have salad stuff, peaches, dried fruit and nuts,cereals
You must also have butter/ spread, jam, sandwich filling -not on the list

Also washing powder, washing up liquid, dishwasher stuff, loo roll or toiletries, foil
Chocolate, tea, coffee ?

@CatInspector do you buy those items EVERY SINGLE WEEK? because I don’t know anyone that does.
I buy what we need not a set list…if you see my receipts I bought kitchen sponges and a shower sponge.
The dried mango and almonds are in those receipts
What point are you actually trying to prove here?!

That it’s really easy to look thrifty if you don’t include lunches, breakfasts, the contents of your freezer / cupboards, or a takeaway.

I reckon you’re up at about £200 a week there.

But I did include lunches and everything for breakfast apart from cereal. Who buys cereal every week?

Is this LIDL UK? Some of those prices seem very high to me - the eggs /soft white loaf - both over £4

Just seen it's Euros - Ireland?

Some nice ideas though. Just a bit shocked at some of the prices.

In terms of the herbs etc. - it really is worth having a few plants of the things you use regularly - I have a bay plant in a fairly small pot but it copes well. This year I bought a supermarket basil plant and separated it out immediately into about 8 pots - they have really thrived whereas the crammed one dies within a month.

Yes I’m in Ireland. The soft white loaf is gluten free so that’s why it’s more expensive and why I got it on discount.

That’s going to be my plan eventually to be honest, just a few herbs in pots. But they will last ages.

Out of interest, how much would 12 free range eggs cost in the UK?

Thank you so so much, I will study this later and learn from it- I always love seeing people’s plans but wonder what they’ve bought too because it kind of finishes it off!!

@Loveduppenguin closer to £3 for medium eggs

Thank you. Just trying to be helpful is all. I may be in Ireland but the struggle with feeding a family on a budget is the same everywhere. ❤️

Loveduppenguin

in Ireland too so it’s handy!

Ah lovely 🥰

Prove?
I dont need to prove anything

There are an awful lot things you seem to have already bought so it's not a true reflection of a weekly budget-it's this weeks budget.

yes, items I bought last week or the week before, it all comes back round. Do you buy cereal, fairy liquid, butter, loo roll etc every week?

Sorry but I don't find that to be a particularly healthy or thrifty meal plan. Sugary breakfasts and too much ultra processed food (ready-made chicken kievs and pizza bases) plus ham is not very good for you. I'm sure many people eat a lot worse and it's not terrible and there are some good things in there like cabbage etc but I'm just not sure why you would post this as something to aspire to tbh.

What sugary breakfasts do you see there? The cereals we eat are home made granola, weetabix, bran flakes and porridge. Pizza bases and chicken Kievs aren’t the worst. I use them on our busy evenings. It’s not to everyone’s liking I didn’t expect that. Each to their own…

Banana bread for breakfast - to me that's a dessert food. I agree your meal plan is not the worst but just very average in terms of thriftiness and healthiness, that's all. I could understand if you'd posted asking for advice and I do think you're trying to help. I'm not trying to be unkind, honestly.

No but I buy a huge shop at the beginning of the month with all the cupboard stuff

So budget would be for example
£200 big shop
£100 × 3
= £500

Plus a takeaway £40 X 2
Monthly total is £580 so that's an average of
£145 not £100

And as I said I spend 100-120 per week. 120 is my max budget. I buy things as I go, as and when I need them. Not in bulk at the start of the month. So in all it’s 520 per month if you average it out on the max of 120 per week.