Food Budget out of control. How to reduce?

[Laseine]

Hi,

I have a serious problem controlling my food budget. I always had whatever my level of income. I tend to order lots of (healthy) takeaways because I don't like to cook, plus I keep buying food that expires before I think to use it. I also buy so many random things on impulse. In the past my monthly shop would be around 800 - 1000 inc nappies, formula, toiletries, makeup. But I heard some people manage to get this down to £100 a month. Like how??

My circumstances have seriously changed and I'm on a much reduced income while I study. But it's hard to change bad habits.

How do you shop in a way that covers all your (healthy) needs on a small budget? It's just me and a toddler who likes to eat most foods. I'm willing to cook more, I just find it hard to organise myself.

I honestly have no other personal extravagent spending. I wear the same three jumpers since lockdowns started. I own two pairs of shoes. Just my grocery shop is out of control.

Can I ask how much of what you spend is alcohol/ baby stuff etc?

Before lockdown I was in the habit of shopping several times a week and spending a fortune and wasting food. I've done a lot better having a weekly click and collect shop as it has meant I have had to plan.

Something that has helped me is having whiteboards on the side of the fridge and freezer with the contents and their use by dates.

What types of things do you like to eat? Where do you shop?

I batch cook. It's not for everyone but living alone it's just what I do
So when I make cottage pie or pasta bake or anything really, I make 4-6 portions and freeze some. I have weeks then when I can just eat out the freezer and only need to buy fresh stuff
Trick is to rotate what you make so you don't end up with a million portions of pasta!
Swapping to Lidl for 3 weeks out of 4 has cut mine. I use sainsburys once a month to stock up on stuff I can't get at Lidl (which isn't much TBH)
Cleaning products I use b&m or Wilko
Buy when stuff is on offer. I love marmite rice cakes but I never pay full price. If they're on offer, I buy 6. If they're cheaper on Amazon I buy there. Never have to pay full price as I have backups, and I do that with everything from peanut butter to toilet roll to washing up liquid

I'd see if you can get a copy of this cookbook as well. It's a toddler friendly family cookbook so there should be lots of recipes to choose from and you could freeze 2 portions each tome you cook.

I plan what I'm having for breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks every day for the week ahead then only buy the ingredients for those meals.

I spend about £40-50 a week for 2.

I also find ordering online stops you impulse buying

nobody is born knowing these skills!

Buy a freezer. Buy PLASTIC containers (yes, I know, but with the amount of food you have been wasting this will be better), batch cook (chilli, bolognese, whatever) and then freeze the extra portions. Microwave from frozen, dinner is there with low effort.

frozen veg are just as good as fresh, you can cook only what you need and it keeps forever so no waste. Serve only what the child will eat, they can always have more; untouched leftovers can be reheated but not once they have been on a plate/floor.

buy no toiletries or makeup until you have totally run out of the latter and are very low on the former. That should break the habit.