Is £100 a week really seen as a lot to spend on food a week?

[sweetkitty]

Honestly was looking at "that" thread and the OP was being slated for spending £100 on food.

I have nowhere near that amount of income but still spend £95 a week on an online shop and top up during the week fruit etc of about £10, I am always looking for ways of reducing it.

I have me, DP, DD1 4, DD2 3 and DD3 4 months so one in night nappies, one in full nappies, oh 3 cats that need food and cat litter a week.

I use Tesco own label wherever possible including nappies and wipes
I have stopped buying Organic chicken (£9 for a chicken) but buy one £3.79 chicken but it does DP and the DDs 2 dinners
I'm veggie
I BF so no formula
I buy all own label cleaning products and use sparingly
we buy 20 pints of milk a week and 4 loaves of bread thats about £10 in itself
DP takes sandwiches to work so already saves money that way
fruit is a big one for eg we each have a banana a day thats 28 bananas a week!!
I usually have to back through the Tesco order and take things off so that it stays at £95 and the cupboards are empty on the day before Tesco arrives

So I guess I'm asking AIBU in thinking thats not really a lot for 5 people?

Really, Twinklemegan? Is that because they are a high-yield variety, do you suppose? I have to admit I gave up eating toms about 5 years ago (and since it means I now very rarely get IBS or acid reflux I am very happy with that decision!) but my Dad still grows his own. I shall have to warn him off the Moneymakers.

Thanks TD - you are lovely, you know.

sorry- I agree with treedelivery re rubbish fruit- oops

Yes that's exactly it thumbwitch. High yield generally means flavour bred out.
When I used to have the space (and climate) to grow fruit and veg I always used to try and grow crops/varieties that I couldn't get in the shops. It's much more rewarding that way.

Aw thanks thumbwitch!

Been a right miserable beached whale last 24 hours even started an AIBU thread. Talked myself into fact that I am though so back to trying to be jolly.

manic

lets all move to Australia. Tomato to die for and sunshine to bleach our washable nappies. Its the way forward.

oh ha-de-ha - Australia underwater at the mo according to MIL - raining lots in NSW. And then there's the cyclones in Q'land... lucky for my friend she didn't lose her roof , unlike some of her colleagues.

"Interesting" weather point - it snowed in October - in Canberra AND in London. Bizarre.

Really?

Shouldn't it be spring summer? Crap!

I'm willing to risk it although they can keep the cyclones.

Bet they still have better fruit though. Tut.

I went through a bank statement yesterday and added up the grocery bills for the month(October)and it came to just pennies under £100 ~ for the month! 1 toddler with a good appetite and a 10yo that can eat his weight in food daily! and me with a few meals a week for Dp.

That was brave Solo. I should do that but I don't dare!

TD - yes, it should but it seems that their weather systems are copping it too. In the 3 weeks we were there (NSW) in October, it was the coldest it had been since winter, and the hottest day for 16m, plus mahoosive thunderstorms and horizontal rain/ high winds. And the occasional nice day!

Agree about the fruit mostly but have to watch it with bananas - all grown in Q'land and have been known to suffer from cyclone devastation --> to massive increase in banana prices.

yanbu

we shop frugally nd i estimate 175 -200 a week all said

3 teens
3 youngs
2 adults

respect to Solo, btw.

Im going to go to bed. However I know I'm going to lie awake adding up my grocery bill and thinking of cunning ways of saving 50p.

Poor boring, rich better.

Hey Ho. Least banana prices remain stable.

Awww! thanks thumbwitch

yes solo well done you

dp and i used to frequently do once monthly shops with top ups ...we still get shopping about tri weekly or more

trips to the shop frequently deffo add up

I spend £50 per week on me, DH and DD 2 - every 3 weeks. Every 4th week I spent around £75, with all the domestics bought. In addition we buy bread, milk throughout the week as needed.

I have cut this down from around £75 everage.

I do not buy extravegances, although I do get the odd treat (bottle of wine, nice ice cream, fancy shampoo, some nice cheese), but not weekly. I buy own brand for the most part, BUT I do buy organic meat. We hardly eat it (only DH eats red ,meat, neither DD or I do - me out of choice DD does not like it) so it does not add much to the bill, we get thighs and drumstick chicken to keep down costs.

So, no, I do not think that £100 per week for 5 people in a family is too much. Especially if you want to actually take any kind of pleasure in life.

I could reduce our bill by perhaps a tenner or so a week, and food would be very dull.

Interesting re the bananas in Aus thumbwitch. I was there the other day and bought a bunch-my eyes popped out of my head when the woman serving me said '$7'. That made it $1 a banana.

I know, jobschmob - I was there 2 years ago after the banana crops were devastated by a hurricane and we went to a cafe where smoothies were on the menu - I ordered a banana one (on the menu) and was told "sorry, luv, banana smoothies are off, we can't afford the bananas!"

Ours is about £170 a week but we're quite well off. That includes all washing, cleaning, hair care, soap etc too and drinks and usually no top up shop at all but doesn't include milk delivered to the door. That's for 3 adults and 2 children.

We spend around £100.00 -£130 a week on food, thats for me and dp, 3 children (1 in nappies) and a dog.

YANBU

oh, and that includes a couple of bottles of mid priced wine too

No, it's not a lot. Eating properly is an expensive business these days

Not read entire thread, but we spend £50 a week on groceries, this includes cat food and litter, and wipes and nappy bags for DS.

There is me, DP and DS live here, 4 mindees eat here mon-fri and my two step sons each weekend.

We eat well too, fruit, veg, cooked lunches and dinners, so yes, I do think £100 a week is a lot.

Not read entire thread, but we spend £50 a week on groceries, this includes cat food and litter, and wipes and nappy bags for DS.

There is me, DP and DS live here, 4 mindees eat here mon-fri and my two step sons each weekend.

We eat well too, fruit, veg, cooked lunches and dinners, so yes, I do think £100 a week is a lot.

I think £100 is a lot if only on food. If it includes other things like alcohol/nappies/kitchen roll/toilet rolls/cleaning products etc then not a lot. All relative to where you live and where you shop tho. Our butcher's bill seems quite high, but then we don't need to add much to it to make really good meals. So need to see breakdown of people's food bills to be able to comment sensibly IMO.