How on Earth do you cut down your food bill without buying low quality stuff and when you have 3 hungry kids, a husband and several animals?

[FabIsGoingToBeFabIn2010]

DH just looked through my spending and it is about £800+ a month on food.

Sorry Fab but I'm at how much you're spending on fizzy drinks.

That's a massive proportion of your weekly shop and you must be able to drink something else?

Sainsbury's Basics sparkling water is 10p for 2 litres. You could buy a lemon squash to add to that that would make it much cheaper.

Cat food too - we switched from Felix to Sainsbury's own pouches, and it's roughly £1 cheaper per box. The cats don't know the difference and are just as happy to eat that. And they make a Senior version too.

I also think you're deluding yourself if you think Waitrose as cheap as the other supermarkets. Their Essentials prices are higher than Basics/Value prices!

But good on you for what you've done so far!

Sorry - another picky point - and I don't want to sound mean, but in an effort to help you out (honestly ) - why are you buying pre-prepared cauliflower cheese or sauteed potatoes? It has to be much cheaper (and nicer) if you make your own, surely?

oh come on - even me on a tight budget thinks that £400 a month (which is what she'd spend if she continues to cut her shopping budget down like she has done this week) is quite reasonable for feeding 4 people, and buying the extra bits (like fizzy drinks). (please correct me if I'm wrong fab - but that's how I've understood it - n ot that "we haven't got this money to spend on food - rather "I'd like to spend some of this money on other nice stuff"???)

From what I can gather on the thread it's not that she's spending the money for the gas bill on food - rather that she's realised her food spending is was completely out of control.

Hell if I had £400 a month to spend on food then I'd shop at Waitrose and shove some crap ready made/lazy stuff/fizzy drink/wine.....baileys............ etc etc in as well.

and also she has said that the fizzy drinks will last more than a week - so it's no £11 a week on the fizzy drinks.

True - and I wasn't meaning to sound mean - just pointing out further ways to cut the budget down.

Everyone has things that they won't compromise on. Absolutely. I get that. But from Fab's response, she hadn't appreciated how much she was spending on fizzy drinks relative to the rest of the shop.

and I would hope she's not going to use 18 loo rolls in a week either - and that's £7.50 - again more than a weeks worth

Do you know fab - allowing for the fact that you already had some bits in - if you say £100 a week for shopping then compared to what you have been spending (£160+) you're going to save £3000 a year!

fair enough then with regards to Fab's response to the fizzy drinks - although think it would be useful for her to work out how long that £11 of fizzy drink will last so she knows how much a week she's actually spending on it (rather like the loo roll - £7.50 sounds like a lot.........but how long with 18 loo rolls last her) iykwim.

I haven't read all of this thread but lurked at the beginning as I've slipped into a similar situation.

Sounds like vast improvements have been made, but I wanted to say (in case anyone hasn't already) that if you like Waitrose food, Ocado online shopping is a slightly cheaper way to get it.
And they display the use by dates on all their meat, so you can decide not to buy if the dates aren't long enough for you.

Actually, the reason I've slipped is that I've got out of the habit of doing a weekly online Ocado order with a menu, and it's made a huge difference- plus I hate that feeling of never being sure what's for dinner, and the time wasted schlepping round the aisles three times a week.

But I agree that Lidl and Aldi are the cheapest, and I go to Waitrose in the full knowledge that it costs more than the other supermarkets .

I just make unfussy meals with basic ingredients. Yesterday we had veg soup with bread, cheese. This evening it will be rice with tomato sauce & peas & carrots.

For the week days get pasta, rice, couscous, tomato sauce, cheese, yoghurt, veg & fruit in season. Always have bread, cereal, milk,olive oil, herbs, flour & butter. Can make lots of things with this. At the weekend we have the above with some meat/fish.

BIWI - the fizzy drinks are mainly for DH and they worked out cheaper buying what I did, the same going for the cat food. I priced everything up as a single item and as packs of more than one and it was cheaper to buy what I did. The cauli cheese and saute is for lunch and breakfast as otherwise some days I won't eat. I can't eat bread so can't just do a sandwich - and it was one for each. I do make everything else myself.

TandF - I am feeding 5 people and several animals. And yes, I want to spend less of my allowance on food so there is money for other things like days out at the weekend.

I have a delivery from Ocado coming between 12-1 today and that is because I can not drive but will probably have it delivered more often as well as checking out Lidl and pound shops.

I have been very fussy about the quality of food I give to my kids but I am well aware I could have been spending less and still giving them good food - I just have no one to tell me and therefore have been a brand sucker.

I maintain that Waitrose with a meal plan is cheaper than Asda without one.

Fab - could you post your cheese and potato pie recipe please?

Sounds filling and yum!

oh - thought you were feeding 4 lol - anyhow - I'm feeding 5 and would still think a £400 a month budget to be very reasonable to feed them well, and get extras

Uriel - no recipe, It is literally mashed potato with grated cheese, or philly, and then crisped up the oven.

"I maintain that Waitrose with a meal plan is cheaper than Asda without one"

Absolutely, Fab. But what about ASDA with a meal plan?!

lol this is all getting rather pedantic now

Pedantic? Possibly. Helpful re budget cutting? I hope so. That was my aim.

Apologies, Fab, if I have overstepped the mark.

Don't be hurt.

I find Waitrose food so much nicer but will probably give Asda another go. I guess it will buy me some Waitrose treats sometimes.

Fab - I add fried onion and bacon to my cheese and potato pie...

Have found the Tesco delivery a good middle ground between the Ocado and the Asda btw.

Toccata - my somewhat bizarre pasta comment on that HB thread was from here - the discussion about pasta portion sizes...

I wouldn't use tesco tbh. I find then £££ and they have let us down before - 1 hour notice they weren't coming.

aha domestic - i@ve got you now

agree I've had issues with Tesco delivery before as well - when I do an online shop now it's either Asda or Ocado (how's that for extremes LOL)

Another reason I use Ocado.

I have just made an appointment and forgot about the food coming. I have phoned and they are bringing my shopping early for me.

Well, that sounds easy! Thanks.

Fab - will dig up my seed list for you and post it later today, with some notes on growing care and pot sizes needed! Can work out very well if you grow expensive things and save/swap seeds.

Thank you very much.

I bought a basil and parsley planting set from M&S as a treat but haven't had chance to look at it yet.

"I also have to buy pyjama pants for 2 kids which bugs me no end as I used washables all the way through but can't find a washable that suits them."

Do you mean pull-ups as in nappies?

Lidl do these as well and they are fab, 'Toujours' is the brand and they come in size 4 and 5.

HTH