What am I doing wrong?!

[TheDetective]

I want to cry, stamp my feet, and shout. Todays Aldi shop came to £100, then the bits we can't get at Aldi came to £37 in Asda. We will need £5-10 worth of fresh fruit, salad items and bread midweek also.

I just added up the previous 2 weeks shopping bills. It averaged £200! I can't justify this cost! It's insane!

We have 2 adults, one 12 year old, and a 1 year old. 1 year old is on a dairy/soya free diet. Cat and large dog also.

I'm guessing it doesn't help that me and DP have been doing slimming world for a year. So we sometimes have to get the more expensive non aldi item such as frylight, which there is no alternative for at Aldi. Add to that the seperate toddler food we often have to do as low fat meals which aren't dairy free just aren't suitable for him. Older DS eats the same meals as us however.

I'm happy to spend £110 a week. £100 main shop, £10 top up. So, any advice?

We meal plan, take a list and completely stick to list by the way.

We're a slimming world couple, we've lost 7 stone between us. We usually spend 50 per week on shopping but just a 3 month old and no pets. Here's some thoughts:

Don't give up slimming world, it obviously works for you and you've done really well so keep going.

I use 3 to 4 sprays of frylight, I really don't understand how you could use so much to be honest. You can have oil as a healthy extra so if those aren't getting used up maybe it'd be a good swap?

I would recommend buying some slimming world books, namely the food directory and the low syn snack guide and look up what's free and low syn in aldi and meal plan from that rather than having to supplement at asda because aldi doesn't have the right brands.

Just thought of a specific example, one of the things you buy at asda is Pepsi Max. Aldi have sugar free ZX which is very similar and 39p for 2ltrs.

Ofcourse its what shes asking! If, say, she eats twice the amount I eat (not at all saying that!), then herfood bill will be twice mine, wont it?

I spend less than that and Im feeding five, and in a more expensive country.

Please look at the ingredients for the syn free things; funny they seem to be branded!