12.5.14

Reducing my Grocery Spending Update


For the last five months I've been trying in earnest to keep our grocery shopping (which includes all household, personal hygiene products and the occasional bottle of wine) at well under £100 a week for our family of 2 adults and 1 or sometimes 2 teenage boys. I posted in detail about the new habits I've adopted to keep my grocery spending in check here. I know this figure is higher than other frugal bloggers and readers out there but I am pleased with my reduced spending. If it ever hits below £50 a week I will let you know! Anyhow, it's definitely heading in the right direction. 

A quick stock-take of my cupboards, fridge and freezer and I have a menu plan for the next seven days. This is a fairly typical week. It's also a week of using up left-overs, eating mainly veggie meals and also cooking from scratch - our youngest son has volunteered to cook on Friday night!

Monday - spicy beanburgers, chips and sweetcorn (hamburger for our son)

Tuesday - fishcakes (shop bought), left-over mash (from weekend), veg (pre-prepared at weekend)
Wednesday - pasta, homemade sauce (from freezer) and ciabatta bread (yellow stickered)
Thursday - homemade pizza and salad 
Friday - tbc
Saturday - veg curry, easy tarka dhal and shop bought naan breads
Sunday - quorn sausages (+ meat version for our son), potato gratin and veg

I'm hoping that posting the occasional menu plan will help keep my grocery spending on track! I enjoy reading other people's menu plans online just like I can't help surveying other shopper's trolleys and baskets in the supermarket. Are you the same?




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4 comments

  1. I love taking sneaky peaks in other peoples shopping trolleys. Some I admire and others seem to be full of just junk food. I also like sneaky peaks in other peoples kitchens xxx

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  2. I have also been trying to reduce my grocery bills over the last few months, I have done all the usual, stocktake, meal planning etc, I find that If I go shopping once a week, and if I haven't got something tough I have to do without,it saves me a huge amount of money. If I pop into the supermarket after work to pick up one thing, I end up spending a lot more and picking up much more than I intended. I am a vegetarian but my partner isn't, for the cost of a couple of his meals, I can feed myself for a week!! So more veggie meals is the way to go if you want to save money. And no, I can't resist a sneaky peek

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  3. HI, recently discovered your blog and am really enjoying it. I also do a weekly meal plan, but keep flexible if there are good value seasonal items at my local veg shop and roll meals over if necessary. I too try new recipes regularly to keep things fresh. My top tip is I use a loose leaf binder and write down my favourite recipes and new ones that we have road tested and make the grade, so I know where they are and don't have to hunt through cook books looking for them. It is also really useful to flick through when I need a bit of inspiration deciding on the menu plan for the week, I always find thinking of what to have is the most difficult thing! Hope this helps
    Jane

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  4. I do enjoy seeing what others are buying. I do occasionly get some good ideas or a new item to try. We find eating mainly vegetarian does keep the cost down and we also have so very tasty meals. I am interested in other food plans particularly good when you are stuck for ideas. Sarah x

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Thanks for reading and leaving your comments. Keep in touch xo

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