the hefty price tag of feeding a family of 4 in France

[ginzagirl]

I've been in France for 5 years now and my friends are horrified back home (and so am I...) when they hear I spend over 800 euros / month on food for my family of 4. And I DO buy supermarket brands and try and economise where possible. Having done a few shopping trips to the UK over Xmas, I refuse to buy anything apart from food now but the locals here still seem content to spend 9 euros for a pack of felt tips (my latest gripe...). Price fixing is rife between the supermarkets so there's no competition unf'y unlike in the UK where there's BOGOF offers everywhere! Still, it makes the UK seem more 'attractive' than it did a few years ago where I wasn't bothered about going over.

How do you do it scouser?
Please, please, can I have some menu samples?

Like Capn Nancy, when we last did a France/UK comparison (more than 10 years ago, when we living in the UK), the only thing we could find on our shopping list that was cheaper in the UK was dental floss!

I have no idea how prices compare to the UK now because we don't shop there apart from the odd jar of marmite and baked beans.

But although we definitely spend more than Scouser, I don't find groceries excessively expensive over here and don't spend anywhere near the 800 euros per month in the OP, even including the school canteen and DH's work canteen.

Can I join in? I am also shocked at the price of food in France. Also, 12 euros for a packet of nappies??

Whenever I go back to the UK I head straight to Waitrose and shop with impunity.

For example:

Carrefour minced beef is around ?9/kg
UK is around £3.89/kg

Whole free range chickens are around ?8/9 per kg and in UK are £4/kg

Stuff like this.

The only things I think are cheaper in France are wine, fags, diesel and coffee.

Even AOC creme fraiche is cheaper in the UK than France!

Do remember that VAT/TVA makes up some of the difference ie you are paying it on food in France (20%?, 22%?). Also the rise in the euro over the past 2 years makes it look rather more expensive compared to the UK. Neither of these factors are the fault of the shops. Nevertheless I do have the impression that there have been some serious price hikes in French and Belgian supermarkets over the last, say, five years. Ditto restaurants.

Like Kreecher, I live in Switzerland and head over to France to stock up because it is even more expensive here. I do buy meat in Switzerland, because I find the quality is better and we only eat meat two to three times a week.

Clearly you have better butchers in Geneva Mme . When I go abroad for my shopping I invariably buy cleaning stuff too. My main thing though is the meat and butter with salt in it. You know how elusive it is, or maybe it is just the German speakers who don't like it.
And alcohol

We can get salted butter, but at twice the price for half the size.

I admit I buy meat in Manor, expensive but worth it. If they have a special offer on meat of any kind, I stock up for the freezer.