Families of 4 – how much do you spend on groceries per month?

[ScarlettCrossbones]

Am realising that we're spending between £500-£600 per month in supermarkets, sometimes more, and just wondering if this is reasonable or at the top end? Definitely looking to reduce that if possible! We don't buy any ready meals or anything like that ... Thx x

Sorry wrong button should have been £500

I reckon somewhere around £400-£500 a month? Two adults and two gannets pre-teens!

I do a couple of big shops at Asda or Tesco's and a couple of smaller ones each month. All the meat comes from the butchers and fish from the fish-man.

We eat alot of fresh fruit and veg which bumps it up.

We spend about £175 a week on food so that is about £700. That said I write a list out do menu plans and DH does the Tesco run. Every week without fail there will be 'extras' on. Oh well at least the Clubcard points are adding up!!!

(we've acquired an extra teenager though, a big male one, I blame him)

wow we are 3 afults(one of which with hollow legs) and three children and dont spend that much

but then I would love to be able to
I would love to eat more fish, fruit and fresh veg and quality meat

I spend about £100 a week with tescos for 2 adults, 2 pre schoolers
Plus about £80 a month on the milk bill!!

same here OP. its a nightmare.

Ivy DS1 has something for afters too he has just got hollow legs, I really don't know where he puts it.

We also go through tons and tons of fruit.

Crazy what on earth do you manage to buy?

I spend approx £300 a month (4 weekly shops at £75). There are two adults and 2 DDs (6 and 3).

I have found that swapping to Ocado has actually reduced my food bill - partly because I'm not putting in crap that I see in the toy / magazine aisle any more and partly because I used to buy brands at Tesco, but buy more own brand stuff at Ocado.

The other major factors are that we are vegetarian, so no expensive cuts of meat, we eat the same foods week in week out (Jacket Potatoes on Tuesdays and so on...) and I have my milk delivered, so I guess that is an extra cost. It does include packed lunches for 3 of us though.

On average - probably £70 - 80 pw and with the run up to Xmas, approx £90 - £100 pw with the extra food/alcohol for visitors over the hols. We do have cupboards full of food so we can probably cut down without trying too hard merely by eating down our mini stockpile.

I got a shock when I realised we were spending £600pcm too. Also family of 4, DS 7, DD 23mnths. We dont have a freezer so can't do batch cooking and DP is a vege so we hardly ever all eat the same meal. There's probably a fair bit of non-food spending in there too.
Also spend £10-£20 pwk eating out and DS has school dinners @ £1.15pd.
And DP gets free meals at work!

We're probably around the £400-£500 mark too which is shocking and I meal plan and cook the biggest majority of our food from scratch( healthy eating for weight loss)!!!!

I do buy from costco though as this goes further ie: mince, chicken breasts, soap powder, fabric softner- have also been known to grab apples, bananas and satsumas there too- breads VERY reasonable priced at £1.22 for 2 loaves.

Buy most shopping from local asda although trying to convert to tesco as hubby gets 10% discount there although have to say that even with his discount added at times asda is still cheaper!!

Our local food co-op is where I get my fruit n veg weekly- unless it looks ok in asda( tesco fruit n veg bleurghhhh)

Do have stock in freezers for kids on occassion when I can feed them fast if they are going to clubs etc and always stuff in the cupboards

Suppose really I should deplete my cupboards from their contents then shop

We're a family of 5 ( 2 adults 3 kids, 1 @ 8 and 5 yr old twins) probably spend around the £400-£500 mark too which is shocking and I meal plan and cook the biggest majority of our food from scratch( healthy eating for weight loss)!!!!

I do buy from costco though as this goes further ie: mince, chicken breasts, soap powder, fabric softner- have also been known to grab apples, bananas and satsumas there too- breads VERY reasonable priced at £1.22 for 2 loaves.

Buy most shopping from local asda although trying to convert to tesco as hubby gets 10% discount there although have to say that even with his discount added at times asda is still cheaper!!

Our local food co-op is where I get my fruit n veg weekly- unless it looks ok in asda( tesco fruit n veg bleurghhhh)

Do have stock in freezers for kids on occassion when I can feed them fast if they are going to clubs etc and always stuff in the cupboards

Suppose really I should deplete my cupboards from their contents then shop

I also do packed lunches for us all too for school/work/college

oops double post sorry

£200 a month(ie £50ish per week); we seem to manage ok; thats just for one adult and 2 ravenous children.

i dont know how some of you can spend £175 per week? What are you doing - buying a whole cow?!!

What a great thread. We're at the top end, avg £170 a week - 2 adults plus 9 and 6 yr old DCs. It gets me down as we can't really afford it. I blame DH's desire for a proper dinner every night. Not 3 courses or anything, but always meat - and a chicken lasts us 1 meal, no leftovers. What do other people eat for tea? Me and the kids would be quite happy with cheesy jacket pots once a week, or omelette, but while nothing would actually be said, the chill wind of displeasure would be felt...

We are on a debt management plan and the max amount they allow you to have for your food budget for a family of 5 is £85 per week.

I have 3 preschoolers who want to eat continously.

This includes buying nappies, wipes and all our household stuff. All milk and soya milk as 2 dd's are allergic to cow's milk.

If I meal plan then it is fairly doable. IF not then it creeps up towards £100pw.

It does mean doing a lot of things like chilli/spag bol and eeking it out over a few nights. Jacket pot with tuna mayo, salad and pasta bake etc.

I would prefer to spend more as I think our meals would be healthier- more fish, white meat and more salads.

Haven't got a clue, as I never count it up. But every Tesco bill seems to be £100, and we got to Tesco several times a day month. We have two DCs and no pets to blame. However, we do at least not live near an M&S Simply Food, so I feel vaguely sure that we are spending less than we did when we lived near one and went there every other day.

£85 per week to include everything? Blimey. Food for thought.

same as OP

Do you buy alcohol?

We don't. 2 adult DCs, 3 young children, 1 cat (I order her food online because we are in a rural area and there's only one vet that charges loads for it).

About £90/week for everything (only one in nappies.

I don't meal plan, but have a well-stocked cupboard and we eat vegetarian dinners 3x/week.

I also make nearly all goodies.