Food Bills

Former Member

How much do you spend for yourself (just the 1 person) in a week for food?? i know some weeks will be more expensive than others (i.e. il buy ketchup, for example, on week 1 and not again for a few weeks)...but im just after a rough figure.
Also, any tips on saving £ on food bills?? thanx!
L+C

Former Member

I reckon I've been spending about £30 a week on food at uni.

The obvious ways to save are to buy things in bigger packets and freeze the extra to use later, and do the work yourself. So buy a whole lettuce rather than a bag of prepared salad, buy chicken and some seasoning rather than ready made chicken in sauce type things.

Meat wise there are the less posh cuts which are much cheaper, generally stuff with skin and bones works out much cheaper than the pretty skinned boned and trimmed chicken breasts.

You can also make things like bolognaise, chilli, shepherds pie filling with mince, and then tinned tomatoes and chopped veg. Tastes better than the ones that are just mince and suace and uses less mince which is the expensive part.

Former Member

You can keep the cost down a lot by shopping at places like Lidl/Netto. I find if I go to the big Asda I end up spending loads because I see CD's/clothes/make up that I want, when really I only needed food.

When you first move in somewhere, you'll usually need to do a big shop for cupboard things, but then weekly shopping will be for fresh fruit/veg/cheese/eggs/meat/milk etc.

Former Member

Oh and if you go to the supermarket at about 10pm, you can get bread for about 10p and packs of veg very cheap.

Former Member

I spent a lot less doing my shopping online than I do when I go down to Morrisons. Probably because the tempting things aren't right there in front of my face begging me to eat them.

Former Member

But don't you have to pay a delivery charge?

Former Member

katchika wrote: »

But don't you have to pay a delivery charge?

It still worked out at about £20 less than my Morrisons shop .

Former Member

probably spend between £100 and £200 a month for 2 of us.

Former Member

I'd whole heartedly recommend getting into a veg/fruit box scheme, it has really cut my food bills and I'm eating better and healthier.

Former Member

katchika wrote: »

But don't you have to pay a delivery charge?

I hate it when my customers pay the delivery charge, when theres a perfectly good thread with loads of valid e-voucher codes on moneysavingexpert.com. Using that, you never have to pay the delivery charge (and shouldn't really, considering the amount some people pay for 1 delivery is almost the same as my hourly rate of pay).

Former Member

We probably spend a freeking load of cash on food every month, largely due to eating out and buying prepackaged meals. I don't keep track though. Which probably means it's "too much".

Former Member

I spend £20 a week which is pretty good considering when I was living in uni with alot less money I was spending 30-40 a week.

Former Member

Sooooooo poor at the mo so about 20quid a week for me and the man, 30quid including packed lunches for the week

Former Member

When I was at uni (1998-2002), I was spending about £25/week on food.

Nowadays, it's more like £35 to £40 per week, but that does include lottery numbers and booze.