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Shopping budgets

walshdon

Active Member
Messages
31
Location
United Kingdom
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I am just trying to weigh up what other diabetics spend on there week/month food shop, me and other half (no kids) have been spending £500 a month not including any alcohol. I would ideally want to spend less as I have just gone part time. Any hints or tips.
 
I shop as an individual, apart from very occasional shared meals with my lodger. I maintain the house supply of spices, cooking oil etc, but all other food is bought individually. I spend about £30 - 40 per week, not including alcohol, which isn't much anyway. I pay for on average 1 cafe / pub / take away sandwich meal per week, which isn't incuded in the £30 - 40. Pub or cafe meal costs around £2.50 [post parkrun bacon butty & coffee at a cafe in south Leeds] - £10 [roast dinner, diet Coke & coffee at a cafe in Tynemouth]; takeaway sandwich meal costs around £3 - £4. I use budget supermarkets [Aldi, as no Lidl nearby] and know when food is reduced in price as it's shortdated - I either eat that day or day after or freeze immediately. As you're catering for 2 people, your costs should be less than double mine.
 

We cater very well, and including any alcohol, we spend much less than that. Do you have many ready meals or prepared things? What sort of stuff are you guys consuming?
 
Mine is difficult to quantify on a weekly basis as I shop and cook for two but I've just started ordering from Ocado and have been very impressed with their prompt service, free delivery and their weekly offers. Last week my bill without alcohol was £60+ (I shopped elsewhere too for other items) but I saved £27.50 on the Ocado shop by selecting their featured offers. A side of salmon was reduced from £25.00 to £12 and has served 4 meals already and half has gone in the freezer.

LCHF is expensive in my opinion but there are ways of making savings

Hope this link works for Ocado. I have a free Smart Pass which entitles me to 3 months of free deliveries. I've just placed this weeks order which comes to £69 but I've saved £21 by choosing their featured products. I also have a weekly delivery from Riverford for veg and salad which comes to around £20. Both deliveries feed 2 , include household cleaning products, but exclude alcohol

https://www.ocado.com/webshop/startWebshop.do?
 
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Do you meal plan Walsh? £500 seems an awful lot of money. We plan our meals weekly, I bought a little kids blackboard and write on that every week, it saves money and is a good reminder.
 
On average ours is about £50 for two excluding alchohol.

Just salad stuff, buying bargain
meats or veg when I spot them and freezing them. Even coffee I bulk purchase 20 when nescafe barista goes to 1/2 price etc.

I do grow a fair bit of own fruit and veg though as well.

Lucky as well as we don't snack inbetween meal(s).
 
Plan your meals for the week, if you have the time by fruit and veg from the local market rather than the supermarket, don't be tempted by supermarket promotions if it's something you don't need, bulk cook and freeze. Lose the premium brands for a week and downshift 1 brand (eg swap heinz beans for the top supermarkets own brand) if you don't like it you can always swap back. Try cheaper cuts of meat and cook them long and slow.
 
I'd like to know what you spend £500 a month on and then we can see where you are going wrong.

Are you an impulse buyer, do you have a shopping list? You might find that ordering online is a cheaper option as you will not see things you want as opposed to what you need. Make a weekly/monthly meal plan and do not deviate from it. You can incorporate a special treat of a more expensive meal perhaps once a fortnight.

I bulk buy most and fish and then freeze it. I plan my weekly meals and cook more than necessary so that there portions to freeze. Soups and stews are easy to cook.

You really need a plan and I would advise to check what you already have in the cupboards, fridge and freezer as if you keep buying the same things and do not use them then you are wasting money.

There are some tips here,

Could you cut your food bill by a third?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zt7syrd
 
There's been a programme on BBc1 for the last 2 weeks i think, called Eat well for less. It's very interesting. They get the families to meal plan but also they swap their food items out of branded packaging and swap some bits to see if they can notice the difference. I'd also recommend a slow cooker for stews and curries, and you can get some individual size tubs to protion up and freeze leftovers. Thats what I do. I live alone and spend £40-50 a week.
 
We spend around 75 per week for hubby and I and I think we eat pretty well. We rarely drink alcohol so that is not a factor.

The most savings I get is by shopping the produce markets, especially late in the day (which is the only time I can get to the markets). I save a ton on veg for stir-fries, side dishes, soups, etc. and berries and other fruit (for hubs).

To the OP: is your 500/month just food or are you including other things typically bought at a supermarket like toilet paper, cleaning products and laundry soap? We buy all those things at Home Bargains and save about 20% there as well compared to Tesco or Morrison's.
 
Head for what my husband calls the sharp elbows section otherwise known as the reduced section Tesco do a veg one I make soup with whatever is available. There is usually. some meat which if I am not going to. use immediately freeze Look for bargains in the bread aisle and freeze that.I also cook batches of things like mince for Bolognese or lasagne .It is cheaper t buy larger joints of meat and cut up to freeze

CAROL
 
In my budget that only covers food no beauty, cleaning items. I really do need to sit down and have a meal plan for the week and look to shop at the market instead of tesco. I do have a chest freezer to make use of.
 
walshdon said:
In my budget that only covers food no beauty, cleaning items. I really do need to sit down and have a meal plan for the week and look to shop at the market instead of tesco. I do have a chest freezer to make use of.
Click to expand...

Glad to see you back with us...
Meal plans are important to keep to a food diary as such.
We have just sat down. Planned our meals for the week and done our shopping list. We also check our freezer and have a list of the food in it that we tale out and put in. Our £50 a week includes everything including toileteries and cleaning but not clothes.
 
Dont be adreaid to look at lifl or aldi. Their food is cheaper for basics. Look at offers. Wsitrose even do **** good offers.
Sounds like we are paupers but we're not we just budget for food/shopping so we can spend that extra money on other things....we could have an extra holiday on a cruise once a year on your spending....
 
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