How can we get our food bill down

[worldwidetravel2017]

We have a 50 gbp a week food budget
Female - 38 & pregnant
Male - 35

We shopped at asda 1 week
And lidl the next..

Yet this week hasnt ended yet - & food budget has been spent so eating from what we have

And would ideally like to get it down to 40 gbp a week

We are having pasta 4 tea.
My partner with sausages 4 protein..
I will most likely have fish fingers. .

Thurs i can have soup for lunch, and sardines on toast 4 tea and snack on carrot / strawberries / blue berries / satsumas

I do like / need my 5 a day etc. .

Fri we will use some eggs we have already, we have cheese , cereal etc

Just even shopping in lidl - it soon adds up

We bought lidl own brand choc moose - not dairy milk

Do any of you spend more like 40 gbp a week
And if so - how please

Thank you

We do meat free in the week.
lentils, rice and pasta are good bulkers as are beans.
some cheap meal ideas-
spag bol- get a 750g mince and use it for two meals
jacket potato and chilli (using leftover mince)
tuna pasta
veg and lentil curry and rice
roast chicken , mash and peas
chicken salad (using left over roast chicken)
veg soup and bread (use left over veg)
make a extra portion of meals for lunch next day.
Drink water. If you have tea or coffee get own brand.
own brand toilet roll , tissues etc
for fruit - apples oranges and pears are cheaper

Why is your budget so low?

Do you both work? Has something changed in your incomings and outgoings?

You've had lots of good ideas but trying to cut your food bill like this might not be the best way to solve whatever money issue you're having. If it's debt, you need formal help, and only pay your debts after you've paid your essential living costs, including a proper amount of food.

No to be honest I dont think you can get it down to £40. I think £50 is incredibly tight every week when you are pregnant as well.
I would speak to your midwife about this for advice,because if this is your max budget what will happen when you need to buy nappies and eventually food/milk for baby?

I totally agree but OP on budget and may have limited skills and ingredients, far healthier than the sausages they buy. Adding veg upgrades it though

Im not entitled to that but thanks

Nah - it doesnt include cleaning stuff

Its not a definite - ie it can go over

Its just with the cost of everything etc

Our baby is thriving and measuring on time - we have a consultant led high risk ivf pregnancy
( and i have a complex medical history / lots of health conditions )

Thankyou

I dont drink tea or coffee

Water - filtered tap water
Squash
Occasional juice

I have iron issues / colon issues/ malabsorption issues
So i have to eat a,fair few eggs / iron rich cereal/ broccoli / dried apricots
To keep my iron ok

( ive had iron iv on nhs twice b4 )

Body wont absorb iron from tablets or spa tone etc
But will from food

Hey ,
It doesn't ' have ' to be that low - my partner is quite savy / tight / economical with money
And he feels 2 people should be able to eat on 50 gbp a week
.
Hes very good though re stuff i want / need re pregnancy

Im signed off from working for the high risk pregnancy as i have chronic fatigue syndromme

I have savings and willl get mat allowance
We will be okay

Ive bought loads for baby already - has been a,long journey ( miscarriage history / infertility / pcos)

I don't use tinned lentils or beans. I bulk buy them and cook the amount I need (lentils don't even need soaking!). Works out much cheaper than buying them in tins.

i really don’t think you should reduce your budget unless you really have to.

Food is more important than anything else and should be prioritised. I would cut everything else before food.

Thank you.
I dont drive.
( sold my car when i had cfs diagnosis)
I walk daily :)

My partner feels that 45 - 50 gbp a week should be doable food wise for 2 people
( but i agree - its not a lot in todays world )

So what's he doing about this then?

What ideas does he have? What low cost healthy meals is he making?

Or is it that he's pulled a figure out of the air based on nothing whatsoever, that is well below the amount needed for grocery shopping for a couple and is expecting you to make it work?

Do you go shopping with your partner so he sees the price of everything @worldwidetravel2017?

I think that needs to be done ASAP and then you can work together to figure out what you can spend.

He is a good egg

He did me boiled eggs with b fast this morning
Hes supportive

He uses garlic / spices so he eats cheap lunches like rice - veg - spices / herbs with some frozen protein

( i only have frozen saus like once a week if that as dont really like them )

He does the majority of cooking - he makes a nice chicken curry.

He eats a lot of veg but he doesnt like fruit ( neurodivergent / texture thing )

Whereas he buys me a lot of fruit etc.

I have tuna once / twice a week as i love it - whereas he cant stand it etc.

He cooks a chicken dinner at wkend 4us etc

I’m not married now, but if my ex came home after a full days work and had to have beans on toast it simply would not fill him up.

Yeah - we tend to go to lidl or asda on a monday eve with food budget in mind etc.

I just bought babies pushchair and car seat bundle - off an app called Bounty - which has good discounts for well known brands.
My parents are paying half the cost as a gift as they did that with my sibling

Its just with inflation / cost of living - i guess id set food budget more at 70 gbp - tbh we tend to go over the 50 gbp atm anyway

( we have old stuff listed on Ebay / vinted and usually have sales - we get by)

With pregnancy / cravings - i didnt always know what i wanted to eat

Whereas now 2nd trimester - less nausea, etc

Tell him to do the shopping then

If its not for financial need and just to be tight why are you agreeing to live like this. Foods important

OP, I'm on the same budget for two adults. I allow 50p for breakfasts, £1 for lunches and £2 per serving for suppers.

Breakfast is porridge or toast with fruit, and coffee.

This week, lunches have been home made veggie soup with wholemeal bread at about 50p per serving, Add lentils or beans for protein. Or home made tsatsiki and warm wholemeal pittas. Or a cheese or sardine salad. In cold weather chunky soup is best, take it to work in a flask.

This week's suppers

• Spaghetti with meatballs & home made tomato sauce
• Breaded frozen cod, oven chips & frozen peas/sweetcorn
• Red peppers stuffed with sausage meat (strip the casings off sausages) served with garlic bread
• Chicken legs cooked with cannellini beans, garlic, tinned tomatoes, onions (sort of cassoulet)
• Pork shoulder steaks served with herby couscous & veg
• Haggis, jacket potatoes and mashed swede
• 3-egg omelettes with cheddar, mushrooms, or any other filling, and oven chips or bread & butter.

Fruit - this week, apples, pears, kiwis, plums, anything seasonal. Berries are too expensive

I shop in Tesco, buy own brand.

He might feel people ‘should’ be able to manage on a £50 a week food budget but if you don’t have to and you’re pregnant, especially clearly a much loved and longed for pregnancy after a difficult time, why on earth isn’t he happy for the budget to be (for example) £10 more to allow for some extra nutrients and goodness for his pregnant wife?

I find it quite disturbing that if you’re not on a shoestring budget he’s making you worry about this at such a vulnerable time tbh.

Apologies, I forgot to say congratulations on your pregnancy @worldwidetravel2017

He has a car loan that he pays 110 gbp a month for , he gives money for my private pension whilst im not working due to pregnancy etc

In his eyes hes just trying to budget / managing the load

Im not mega stressed re it - we are okay - i just felt there would be some ways we could be more economical etc - and was curious to hear ideas / suggestions

Thank you

I often find yellow stickers are the way if you are passing. I got a sourdough loaf for 40p yesterday and bacon at 60p a pack. Today I’m making a big pot of lentil and bacon soup. I’ll do extra crispy bacon to sprinkle on top. Lentils, carrots, garlic and onion bit of stock maybe £2? I’ll freeze lots though maybe 30p a bowl?

To be honest - i have more savings than he does so i guess he also feels vulnerable re just being careful

His parents divorced when he was young - his background/ life means hes always been careful.. its just how he is..

( not that it mega,matters but i think some people said wife , we are partners. Not married )