Single person weekly food bill on a budget

[Googleboxfan]

I am interested to know how much single people spend on food per week on a budget?
Thank you

Could you give us some context first? For instance whether you’re trying to work out a budget for yourself / someone you know, whether you’re a journalist doing a feature….

I may be living on my own very soon and I am looking at what my outgoings would be. I am on a small salary and trying to forecast spends.

Perhaps start by telling us what you yourself spend?

I think allow between £30 and £40 a week.

@SeaShoreGalore

Perhaps start by telling us what you yourself spend?

At the moment I am still living with my family, but may be living on my own soon. It would be irrelevant if I posted my current spend with a family of 3 😁

I spend around 40-50 if I'm eating in for all meals. More normally I'm out a lot so it's nearer 150

Will you have starter stores from family and friends? When people state their weekly spend, they already have food in their cupboards and fridge. You have to have (I would, anyway) salt, pepper, spices, oil, vinegar etc, but you won't buy them every week.

My daughter and I spend the same when we shop. She is feeding herself and a five year old. I am feeding four adults. I cook from scratch, bake and buy seasonally. She buys what she likes, buys brands and convenience foods, snacks etc.

The cheapest way to eat is to cook yourself and plan carefully. But if you work long hours, don't have cooking skills or facilities or have caring responsibilities, you may have to factor in spending for convenience.

When I lived alone I spent £25 a week roughly. That was two years ago.

@Googleboxfan

I am interested to know how much single people spend on food per week on a budget? Thank you

Depends what the budget is.

When I moved into my first flat, I didn't have much money, so it was more a case of "how can I eat as well as I can, for the money I have to spend", whereas I know quite a few folk who have a comfortable amount of money, and spend vastly differently from when I started out.

When students move into halls and start self catering for the first time, you'll find a lot of parents set them up with a first shop, including all the things you don't buy very often, otherwise the first couple of times you shop gets very front loaded. eg a bottle of washing up liquid or a box of washing powder will last you for weeks, but you can't wait until the 8th week to buy it - you need it as you move in. Ditto a box of teabags or a bottle or ketchup, spices etc etc.

Once you have all those things, then it can settle down, but it depends which shop you shop in; if you are a 'snacker'; if you like fresh fruit; if you are snobby about brands; if you have strong views about 'organic products/ ethically produced products; if you have freezer space ; how good your cooking skills are ; how much time you have, etc. etc

All that said, on a weekly basis, my 19 yr old spends up to £20.

It also depends if you eat meat, fish or you are vegetarian or vegan. If you have any dietary needs.

It depends if you have time to go to more than one shop as some of the larger companies sell some products like washing up liquid very cheaply.
If you are going to be a student some individual shops like greengrocers may sell marked fruit and veg cheaper to students. It is sometimes worth going regularly to these shops.
Checker what day time they mark down food can be worth going then especially if you have a freezer.

'm a member of a group called feed yourself for £1 a day on Facebook. It is possible to feed yourself that cheaply but it's pretty grim.

I'm in the same position as you, I'm going to have to cut my food spend back soon.

I'm going to aim for £25 a week, I'll be able to eat well and have a jar of coffee every week for that.

Pat's food is the companion website to the FB group and has a lot of low budget ideas.

My ds who began work recently and cooked all his meals..not eating out ...was spending about 30 a week. He likes to eat well and possibly has larger dinners than you. His first shop, as said, was more expensive. He was fairly strict about lists and only bought exactly what he needed and isn't into desserts/ snacks or fizzy drinks. He also shopped at Lidl.

I wouldn't spend any more than £20 a week, personally. I don't eat meat though I do eat fish. I'm not a foodie though, I'm happy eating things like beans on toast. The main thing is to get my 5 a day which you can do quite cheaply.

It really depends what you want to eat. I don’t think cooking everything from scratch is actually the cheapest way for one, certainly not if you are just setting up for the first time because getting all the stuff you need to do that is really expensive. I have all the basics, herbs and spices etc and cook some things in batches for the freezer. Even then, I think it works out roughly the same as just getting ready meals or pre-prepared mains and adding veg and a carb.

But if you are happy to have omelettes, jacket potatoes, something on toast etc, you can get by very cheaply. If you had a subsidised canteen at work, that’s the dream for a single person

I'm veggie, eat a lot of pasta & batch cook roughly once a month using vegetables from the local market - about £25 a week. But as other posters have said, I've already got the basic herbs, spices etc.

£25-30 is doable but expect to spend £60-80 the first week buying cupboard items you only replace every few months- I spent £35 yesterday on starter items and tins for my dd for university eg oils, herbs and spices, chopped tomatoes, canned mixed beans, dried lentils, bleach, shampoo, soap, loo rolls. Will buy fresh things on arrival at her university town.