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Original poster

£500 a month on food for just two of us

57 replies

Giraffapuses · 30/04/2021 20:27

Hi we spend loads on the food shop. Is this just the normal amount when your an adult? I remember when I was in my 20s and poor and I could do the whole thing for £80 a month.

OP posts:
IdblowJonSnow · 30/04/2021 20:29

We manage on that as a family of 4!
Easily doable unless you shop at waitrose and drink a lot of alcohol.

Kitkatandcoffee · 30/04/2021 20:37

There is two of us. We spend £50 a week. This is all food shopping and cleaning materials. I shop in Lidl’s, Asda, and home bargains. We eat very well. Only occasionally buy alcohol.

jenn88 · 30/04/2021 20:37

We are a family of 3 and I can easily spend £150 a week on a food shop!!
I'm desperately trying to cut this back....
I've recently started gusto boxes to help with meal planning, less waste etc (I have 50% code of anyone is keen!!)
I can I my say we don't smoke, eat out much etc! We just like food!!!

Luckyelephant1 · 30/04/2021 20:43

That is pretty extortionate, does that include takeaways and meals out too? Alcohol and cigarettes? We probably spend half that for 2 of us, not including takeaways or meals out. We don't smoke or buy alcohol (I'm pregnant and DH rarely drinks at home).

Where do you shop?

VioletCharlotte · 30/04/2021 20:45

Me and 2 young adult DS. I recently added up how much I'm spending on food and was horrified to find it averages £150 a week! DS2 has expensive tastes and is into body building so eats lots of steak, chicken, etc. I'm vegan and find oat milk, yogurts, etc are expensive. This does include all cleaning products and bathroom stuff. I do need to spend less though.

Mumblechum0 · 30/04/2021 20:51

We're similar, I tend to go to Waitrose every 10 days or so and it's usually between £270 and £300 ish for just DH and I so I guess that's around £750 a month.

We do like nice food and wine, tend to buy red wine at around £25 a bottle.

We used to be on a tight budget when DC at home and we had a mortgage. Now we just think WTF, got to spend it on something now there are no long haul holidays etc happening for a while.

grapewine · 30/04/2021 20:51

I spend the equivalent of £150 all in, food and household per month. That's without a lot of meat. No takeaways.

AuntieMarys · 30/04/2021 20:57

We spend about £600 for 2 of us...that includes alcohol and meals out, usually once/twice a week. Shop at Sainsbury's, but also local cheese shop and Booths.

user113424742258631134 · 30/04/2021 20:58

Holy shit. What are you buying?

SpeckledyHen · 30/04/2021 21:18

Is that literally just food OP , or your full grocery shop ?

Ours is about the same , Waitrose, but absolutely everything. All food, lots of fish , booze, household and bath, shampoo stuff . No take aways ever .

CervixHaver · 30/04/2021 21:31

@AuntieMarys

We spend about £600 for 2 of us...that includes alcohol and meals out, usually once/twice a week. Shop at Sainsbury's, but also local cheese shop and Booths.
You have meals out TWICE per week? Shock
ComtesseDeSpair · 30/04/2021 21:36

Can you afford it? Is it a problem? We spend more than that for just two adults - but that includes a lot of alcohol, a lot of meat and fish, a lot of soft fruits and exotic vegetables, and wanky stuff like local bakery artisan bread, farmers market eggs and local deli hummus. It’s “normal” if you really like nice food and alcohol and have the money; not normal if you have a family to feed on a budget.

Forget the £80 years ago, though. When I was a student a decade and a half ago, I remember that not much more than £50 was almost a month’s food and that wasn’t scrimping, it was eating well and it would be several carrier bags full from Sainsbury’s. It would barely be a couple of bags of essentials now. Food prices have inflated massively over the last decade.

ComtesseDeSpair · 30/04/2021 21:37

You have meals out TWICE per week? Shock

Some weeks we eat out most days! One of the joys of being childfree and being able to spend the money you’d otherwise spend on school shoes on fancy dinner!

AuntieMarys · 30/04/2021 21:59

cervix yes!!! We go out and about a lot ( in normal times) and enjoy trying new restaurants or bars.

roxisolerenshaw · 30/04/2021 22:00

I spend at least £400 per month on the food shop for 2 of us which includes cleaning products and alcohol.

AuntieMarys · 30/04/2021 22:02

And we are early 60s, so have done the more frugal years feeding and bringing up children.

nixso29 · 30/04/2021 22:12

2 adults in our house, I spend around £50 per week in Tesco/Lidl on food (both meat eaters and mainly branded foods) and maybe £50 once per month in home bargains on cleaning products,toiletries etc. Not including alcohol/takeaways

midgedude · 30/04/2021 22:13

The uk gov /nhs estimate was just over £ 40 per week per adult for a basic healthy diet

That's 340 month

So 400 doesn't sound horrific especially if that shop includes booze and household stuff

Original poster
Giraffapuses · 30/04/2021 23:28

Thanks for all the comments. Turns out life is just expensive.

A few people asked where we shop and what we buy mix of Aldi and Ocado it's the Pretty Women of fridges.

We don't smoke or buy alcohol but it does include everything except takeaways and meals out. With takeaways and meals out we probably spend approx. £700.

OP posts:
LindaEllen · 30/04/2021 23:29

There's 3 of us and I spend £80 by getting what I want without really thinking about it. If I planned meals like an actual adult I'd spend much less than that.

Original poster
Giraffapuses · 30/04/2021 23:33

For what it's worth, I should also say I see a lot of comments from people who are shopping on a budget. I have been there and remember it. I hope my privileged question doesn't make me sound like an awful person. If you are struggling you are not alone and it's not your fault. Society is astonishingly unsupportive and judgmental when often, people have few choices available.

OP posts:
BackforGood · 30/04/2021 23:38

Is this just the normal amount when your an adult?

Thing is, there is no 'universal' normal.

For many that would be an unimaginable amount, but for others, it is no issue.
The point is, if you have the income and aren't trying to save up for a house deposit or work on your house or a new car or to take some maternity leave or to retire early or a fab holiday or whatever else it might be, then what does it matter ?

I suspect if you were somehow able to capture the spending of all couples without dc living with them, across the country, you'd be at the higher end of the line, but does that matter if you are both happy with that spending ?

YukiCarrot · 30/04/2021 23:42

I think it sounds about right. If you enjoy good food, don't have to stick to a budget, what else is there really to enjoy and spend money on in lockdown if you're a foodie? Grin

We've been spending a similar amount just on groveries, just the two of us, no kids, we'd usually spend it on meals out or travelling and trying nice food abroad.

Spend what makes you happy.

Lollypop4 · 30/04/2021 23:47

2adults, 4 dc (2teens 2under 5)
We spend £450 pm inc alcohol, cleaning product, we eat v.well & shop at Aldi.

ComtesseDeSpair · 30/04/2021 23:52

@Giraffapuses

Thanks for all the comments. Turns out life is just expensive.

A few people asked where we shop and what we buy mix of Aldi and Ocado it's the Pretty Women of fridges.

We don't smoke or buy alcohol but it does include everything except takeaways and meals out. With takeaways and meals out we probably spend approx. £700.

See actually, this is a bit of a game changer. Over £500 on groceries but no alcohol? What are you buying??

We order a large Hawksmoor steak box most months, plus a Smiths fish box and aforementioned exotic fruit and veg and artisan wankery - but without the couple of hundred pounds of supermarket alcohol we buy, we’d not be close to £500 a month.

Not judging, just interested Grin