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Original poster

Tesco say we spend 9-10% of our income on food

139 replies

Snog · 06/02/2022 12:26

On the BBC Sunday morning show today the Tesco boss said that people in the UK spend 9-10% of their income on food. My family spends more like 18-20% of our income on food.

Does 9-10% fit with your family spending on food?

OP posts:
FredBair · 06/02/2022 15:22

It depends what you count.
Takeaways? Sandwiches or coffees at work? Drinks? Alcohol? Eating out?
I only buy alcohol out of all those and spend much than 10% of a slightly above average income.

Hercisback · 06/02/2022 15:24

We're about 8% but eat cheaply, don't buy much cleaning stuff and kids are small. They also get fed at school in the day.

User0458832 · 06/02/2022 15:24

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

User0458832 two people earning 31k each are a higher than average income household.
Yes I know but Mr Tesco must have used some statistics to come to this conclusion and that was the only way I could see by using 2 median pay people in the same household, £31.5k is median pay but before tax. He obviously won't be using his own circumstances.
Neverknowinglyunderfed · 06/02/2022 15:25

Around 5%. 2 adults and 2 kids.
We don't buy much booze to have at home though so I'm sure that brings our supermarket bill down a lot compared to some.

User0458832 · 06/02/2022 15:26

I just see that @senua has found where 10% comes from.

badalmond · 06/02/2022 15:26

Tbf he did say that the percentage of income spent on food would be much higher for lower earners. What I found concerning is that he expects an increase from 9-10% to 16% by spring. That's a massive increase in a really short time.

I don't know exactly how much we spend on food but I know that it's a lot. I can't get on top of meal planning and the kids eat lunch at home every day, so I feel like I'm always trying to work out what to feed them at the next meal. We definitely spend more than €100, but I think it's probably around €800 a month all told. Blush. I feel like that's excessive for two adults and two children, but we do eat a lot. I reckon that's about 15% of our net income and more than half of our mortgage payment.

UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 06/02/2022 15:29

User0458832 I see where you're coming from but if he used a two earner household with a combined income of 62k he was way, way off and not talking about an average or median household at all. The median household income is just under 30k in the UK as two full time earners on 31k each is statistically not the median. It might be median full time wage but all the households on benefits, or with only one earner, or part time wages, or retired swings the median household income right down.

paname · 06/02/2022 15:32

7% for us

ihaveonecat · 06/02/2022 15:40

10% of my take home (worked it out monthly)

Tdcp · 06/02/2022 15:42

If I've worked it out right it's about 35% here. And that's cooking from scratch with hardly any extras.

UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 06/02/2022 15:43

badalmond for some people it will be an impossible situation.

Tbh I don't totally understand why prices are going up so dramatically - inflation and oil prices (freight costs, production costs) are part of it, but I see labour costs cited worldwide - prices are rising worldwide, not only in Brexit Britain... I'm confused by how their can be labour shortages as a common international theme rather than as a localised issue...

Can anyone explain that?

BertieBotts · 06/02/2022 15:46

14%

Not including takeaways etc, but including cleaning supplies and toiletries. We are low maintenance so that is standard shampoo, loo roll, shower gel, no moisturisers etc.

BertieBotts · 06/02/2022 15:48

18% if I count takeaways, school lunches etc.

MrsWooster · 06/02/2022 15:49

Between 25% and 30% at least - nearer 30.

TheFlis12345 · 06/02/2022 15:53

Ours is about 5-6% on the weekly shop (including some decent wine and only higher welfare meat) plus an extra couple of % on meals out etc. but we have a good income and it’s just two adults.

Svara · 06/02/2022 15:54

About 13%. £50 a week

WalkingOnSonshine · 06/02/2022 15:54

3.6% for us.

That includes takeaways, eating out and work lunches.

We’re high earners and I’m quite strict about meal planning.

D0lphine · 06/02/2022 15:55

No way I spend 9-10%!!

That would be like £300 per month in food! No way I spend that much.

Svara · 06/02/2022 15:57

Plus 2.5% on cat food

Whatiswrongwithmyknee · 06/02/2022 15:58

I just calculated and we spend about 12% at the supermarket. If you counted school dinners, occasional sandwiches and takeaways then obvs more. I'm surprised the average is lower as I thought we were pretty well off.

carolsforxmas · 06/02/2022 16:01

About 12-13% but only one income for household of 1 adult and 2 teens

fuckfuckfuck2021 · 06/02/2022 16:06

Low earner 2 kids 2 old teens and me around 25% of my income is on grocery shopping. Including toiletries and cleaning. I have cut down recently too 🙈

Opal8 · 06/02/2022 16:09

About 15%
But there are 4 of us including 2 teens
Includes toiletries, cleaning products etc

Macademiamum · 06/02/2022 16:17

We are low income household. Our grocery bill is almost a quarter, bills approximately a quarter, rent a quarter (just over) childcare just under a quarter. Leaving literally pennies out for anything else. I don't know how we will cope with the energy bills rising. I mean the reality is we won't

Macademiamum · 06/02/2022 16:21

Works out £15 a day, for 4 people. So £3.75 a day. I can't seem to make it less than that. I don't know how people on here seem to.