Does it work out cheaper if you...

[mamadiva]

Do your grocery shopping monthly? Obviously topping up on milk/fruit/veg etc. But for the main things.

Is it cheaper to buy meat from supemarket or butcher?

We've tried doing monthly shops before but it never works for us. If you have a strict meal plan it probably would.

Meat seems to be expensive anywhere these days, though I would hazzard a guess that supermarket meat is cheaper than a butchers, unless you have one of the the old fashioned type butchers that you know well and they give you stuff for 'free'

I have written down 28 meals and will just mix n match over the month. It's just that my DS and DP are very fussy so TBH the 28 meals are probably all they will eat every month although I will say they are mainly very nutritious so not that bad I guess.

I do one bulk shop per month for the big ticket items such as washing powder, tinned goods, clingfilm etc.
That is done online so that i don't "browse"

I then bulk buy dry goods such as pulses, oats, flour from my local asian shop. I pay around £2.50 for a sack of rice that will last us just over two months. (2 adults and 2 kids)

I use a local butcher when i can, meat isn't any cheaper but it tends toi be a better quality and i bulk out meals with lots of veg etc.
Also things like a chicken will make several meals. Risotto, roast, pie etc.
A lamb shoulder joint would do 1 roast, 1 shepherds pie or rissoles.

Milk and bread i buy from the supermarket.

Veg i buy from the local outdoor market, it's cheaper and tends to be better quality. Also i meal plan so don't over buy if you see what i mean.
IE, as i buy from the market i don't buy packets of carrots, i just buy however many i need for that particular week.

I also grow some veg in pots in the garden. All our salad came from the garden this year.

butcher is often cheaper for meat, but you need to choose your butcher and your meat. ditto greengrocer.

staying out of the supermarket must be a good moneysaver - less temptation from offers and yummy things!

oh Moneysupermarket.com and martinsmoneytips are great for price comparisons in supermarkets and cheap shopping tips

tend to do fortnightly online shops for things like nappies/wipes/washing powder/tins/frozen veg etc

2 or 3 times a week we go to morrisons for milk/bread/fruit

We usually spend in the region of £30 a week top-ups and £100 a fortnight online. So £260 a month on food.

We have just started menu planning again though so are seeing some reductions.

Thanks all.

I do my shopping weekly at the moment and the least I have ever spent is £40 but my DP does eat alot of crap, he won't touch veg! So it's just me and DS but TBH DS only really eats toast etc because he is very very fussy but I try as hard as I can with us trying to make sure the foods are as healthy as I can make them.

And yes I guess if I did stay out of the supermarrket I probably would buy less crap.

We have a few butchers so will see but I can't afford to buy great quality meat I know that but I get the best I can. We also have a local farm shop I don't think there is a market here which sells fruit etc though.

Hi,

value mince is fine, alittle more fatty but easily strained.
Value belly pork is fine as well. You can do an easy roast with the strips or do a cheap sticky ribs type meal.

Value stewing steak is also fine as is value casserole pork pieces.

I can give you some recipes if you want?