Overspending. How to stop....

[supercalifragilistic2]

Basically just that. How do I stop overspending? I meal plan and take a list when shopping. I shop in Aldi (cheapest for me). My problem is when I run out of bread, salad, veg bits. Stuff like that doesn't last the full week so I can't get x2 lettuces as one will just go off in the fridge. So I tend to do a top up shop for fresh bread, and any salad bits. I then end up grabbing a few extra bits, so snacks for ds or a few bits for dp. So what should be a shop for less than £5 will end up spending an extra £20 on top of what I should spend every week.

I've tried just withdrawing my monthly food budget from the bank, but found that I was just spending even more because I had a couple of ££ in my purse, so grab a drink from the shop on the way past. Etc. So I would run out midway through the month without realising how much I've spent.

So, what's the best way to stop overspending ?

So how does everyone do it?

When I grew up we ran out of all the nice things way before the end of the week and just waited until the Saturday shop. We still had basic food just not all the nice extras.

I never really understood why but obviously it kept the bills down.

Milk keeps for quite a few days now, and if you use semi skimmed you can freeze a 4-Pinter to tide you over. Or revert to long life for the last couple of days.
Meal plan so that you use all the perishable salad/veg in the first part of the week then revert to frozen for the latter. It's well documented that for some veg frozen is more nutritious anyway, and a couple of days cannot harm. Carrots will keep anyway so good for snacky carrot sticks etc. We start each week eating like kings (prawn and avocado, Finest tomatoes) and end each week on egg and chips. Lovely.
Bread can be frozen, divide into bags of 4/6 slices and fill the gaps in the freezer.
If you're in the south I suspect like all of us your shopping bills are a little out of control just now due to school hols and the very hot weather. We are all adding bits and bobs that we usually wouldn't, extra drinks, ice creams, cooked meats, more extensive salads, dips and dressings etc.
Or leave your purse and cards at home/in the car and only take a £5 note into the shop.

@snog same here - in fact my mum never bought treats, we had a bottle of coke and a bar of galaxy to share on a Saturday night as our treat and that was it! She never bought crisps or cakes. If I wanted a snack I'd make toast or something like that. I never felt like I was deprived or missing out!

I set aside grocery money in cash every 2 weeks and it makes it easier to see what you are spending when you aren't using a debit card.

When I make meals such as lasagna, I always make 2 and freeze one so it keeps me from splurging on takeaways.

I make casseroles and try and use up those left over veggies so there is less waste. I also try and plan what to do with those odd bits that are in my fridge.

For example, left over roast beef, some onions, mushrooms, cheese I would use either tortilla wraps and make quesadillas with the left overs as super quick and easy or I would make some sort of bread or pizzas dough and I always seem to have plenty of tomatoes left so make my own pizza pockets with leftovers.

As for treats, don't buy individual sized crisps and such and buy large bags and package them up in smaller ziplock baggies.

If you don't like freezing bread, pick up a cheap breadmaker as it's always lovely to just smell that fresh bread baking and costs pennies to make. Usually just flour, salt, yeast and a spoonful of oil and you can add seeds/nuts and such. Breadmaker takes the time out of baking and no real mess. Most have fast dough options that I use for making pizza dough and such.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

I've decided to just take out £60 on shopping day and once it's gone it's gone. Just been into town to grab a lettuce and what I couldn't get when I did the weekly shop in Aldi and I was counting up as I went around. Felt very grown up

We tend to use frozen veg anyway. I think it's bad habits that's the issues.

Ds is only 2, don't think I can send him to the shop with a list and strict instructions just yet