Shopping Bills

[Chinchilla]

Long story, but dh and I are having to make cut backs in our monthly expenditure. We realised that I was spending far too much while shopping, because I make several trips to various supermarkets, and get a few extra things that can sometimes add up to £30 a time, on top of the weekly shop. OK, so we decided to stop having take-aways at the weekend, going out for pizza, and for me to make only one visit to the supermarket, unless I need milk or bread (and then I must only buy those items). No problem there, and last week, I managed to spend 'only' £75 in two trips (one for milk only!) However, today I went for the weekly shop, and managed to spend £110. Before you all gasp in horror, I have ds's 2nd birthday party next Monday, and a lot of the shop involved fizzy drinks, wine, squash etc. Also, there were a lot of toiletries involved this week. In addition, wherever possible, I bought BOGOF items and 'two for £xxx' offers.

If you have a Lidl and a Primark nearby, don't hold your breath for a Pizza Express or branch of Whistles. Lidl is quite exciting actually. Never know what you're going to come out with. At christmas they have lovely German spice biscuits. Yum.

If you have a Lidl and a Primark nearby, don't hold your breath for a Pizza Express or branch of Whistles. Lidl is quite exciting actually. Never know what you're going to come out with. At christmas they have lovely German spice biscuits. Yum.

message withdrawn

Yup - he's a control freak! When he comes shopping with me, he whizzes me round, and we spend £40. He congratulates himself on how much he has saved us, and then I spend another £40 during the week on all the things that he said we didn't need, but we did!!

Chinchilla, how did you do? Did you manage to save? And what did your DH say?

The first month we went from £800 to £600 (still £200 too high). This month, I have managed to spend 'only' £400!!! (With the help of £25 off my Tesco on-line bill!) Still mucho bettero though, so I expect praise from dh, and a big bar of choc. Won't get either, but hey ho.

MESSAGE FOR JASPER Managed to visit THREE branches of Lidl whilst in France! And they're bigger and brighter and better than ours! Still only about 2 people in the shops. Missed the broken windows though

Lidl Tennessee choc chip cookies are fab - 39p for 8 cookies = 150g compared to the luxury brand/Boasters in Tesco 200g for 98p this week.

I know this is a Lidl thread but we found Aldi in Cala D'Or, Majorca And this week I picked up some superb magazine files at Aldi. They have helped transform my study shelves - hoping they'll be some left tomorrow.

I got a very nice 5-tray filing thing at Lidl the other week (should have been one with drawers there too but wasn't)

SueW, thanks for the heads-up re choc chip cookies - need to go this week so will look out for them.

Tinker, did you find the Lidl's in France didn't have the same stuff? We were v disappointed in Spain not to find the lovely pressed apple juice there (Spanish apple juice v poor). (They do have the beans+sausages though - found empty tins at a picnic site )

Hope you're not weighwatching! We actually bought more because they were cheaper - DD and I munched our way through three packs this week LOL.

Jan - didn't notice what they didn't have but did buy a litre of freshly pressed orange juice for 0.74 Euros (about 55p?). The type that is about £3 in Tescos. Still had lots of trousers for sale as seen by German men sporting mullets - all baggy with Jackson Pollock designs all over them. Nice - bought 3 pairs.

WHOA TINKER! I'm off to check my passport is up to date....

Chinchilla, my Dad goes with the flow more oftan than not but every few months when we come back from Sainsbury's he moans that "...a lot of money is missing from the bank and only a little shopping has replaced it" Next week Mum shops Saturday instead of Friday and Dad gets draggged along. If he is still moaning Dad has to do the shopping the following week, Mum gives him a shopping list of essentials and he has to do the shopping. He spends between £25 and £30 more than Mum. It keeps him quiet for the next 5-6 months.
Oh and for the record I shop once a month in Costco bulk buying nappies and wipes, dog food toilet roll mince, etc and spend about £300 (most things last 2 months but I haven't got enough room to store everything so buy in 2 monthly shifts) and about £20-30 per week in Sainsbury's on milk, bread, fruit, veg. Mum does all her shopping in Sainsbury's and spends £110-120 per week. My family consists of 5, 2 adults 3 children. Mum shops for 3 adults.

I recently recalculated our weekly average spend on food (food alone, but includes take away meals, etc.) the other day: £61.50. I tell DH who say that's "a lot". Then I tell him that his cousin, who is famous in the family for only spending £6/week for food while at Univ. 12 years ago, reckons she probably spends more for food than we do to feed her family of five (3 kids under 5).

His response? He reckons that cousin has fallen into prolifligate habit of convenience foods!

Bah, humbug.