Trying to get the grocery bill down

I am spending about the same but I am only shopping once a week whereas I often top up shop normally at a different shop. However DH is 'popping' into various other supermarkets & buying bots & pieces- nothing useful or that we usually eat either. I have asked him to stick to buying alcohol as he is good at that & I have no idea what to do with some of the things he brings home- anyone want
3 x Twinings Infusion sachets for water bottles? No?- thought not. Me neither.

Our shopping bill has gone up - mainly because other half is doing the shopping! Then 2 days later, decides that his car 'needs a run' so goes to the farm shop for fruit and veg!

Spending so much less now that I'm not feeding grandchildren but this doesn't at all make up for the loss of their company

My week,y shopping bill is more as we normally go Aldi. Lidl. And now getting shopping from Sainsbury, Iceland deliveries. But overall my spending has gone down as not going to my weekly social group. Not meeting up with friends for a cuppa or lunch. Not having days out with my sister.

I usually have my breakfast and lunch at school and maybe soup or cheese and biscuits of an evening. Have actually lost weight with the walking and stress of having to cook!

Forgive the personal question, but what do your D and GS live off when you are in Switzerland?

I'm spending more because I used to shop around for good value, or see a loss leader in the supermarket and think that I'll have that tonight. Now I just go in only one shop and I'm out again asap. Did it start week 1, when we were paying over the odds for pasta or loo roll?

My spending has probably gone down, mainly because I forget what I need to put on a delivery list - only limited time to do it!

My Granddaughter's are doing my shopping and I’ve told them I always have the best of everything, so if there’s a choice, go for best.
I wouldn’t consider £130 a week for 3 people to be ott.
My bank account is going up due to missed meals out theatre and cinema.
If this is all I can do, then I’m going to have the best of everything and treats in top. Because I deserve it.......?

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Well said Maggiemaybe !!

My food bills have gone down. I am eating things from the freezer and my shopping deliveries only include things which I really need instead of anything which takes my fancy. ...... My garden bill has grown though, as I’m not able to get products, like compost, from my local garden centre where I have a loyalty discount card, and am having to order on line, and pay for delivery. Oh well, hopefully I’ll be slimmer and fitter, but with a beautiful garden by the end of this......whenever that might be.

We are spending about the same but only shopping once a fortnight. I like cooking but not everyday so once shopping is done I make and freeze meals for the next two weeks. As another poster has said something like a chicken will make 4 days meals we have soup most days whatever flavour I make at least 2 portions go straight to freezer. If we do succumb to CV there will be plenty to feed us. Being a rural area delivery spots are very rare however having been showed in for 3 weeks during beast from the east we have had practice ??

Is yours the only income to the household GagaJo?

I thought your DD was an artist. Is her income variable then depending on what she sells?

Don't answer if you think that is too personal but you did say upthread that you are all dependent on your salary.

I do a large shop once every 4 weeks. As I'm retired and live alone there is little difference in my food budget. If I need it I buy it and if I want it I buy it. I rarely eat out but I usually have the family (5) once at least at the weekends so that's not happening now.

Overall our expenses have reduced. Normally both myself and my husband shop for food and household supplies, I shop at Waitrose weekly, but also go to Savers and/or Wilkinson and to M+S for some things. I also shop in Lidl once monthly. My husband used to shop daily in Morrisons. Now we do a weekly shop with Asda, using their Click and Collect. We’re still eating much the same as we did before, but probably drinking less alcohol. I used to enjoy a bottle of wine or Prosseco every weekend with my daughter in law, but now I don’t see her, or any of my family except on FaceTime ?

MawB, I don't really know WHAT they eat while I'm away Maw. They're both vegetarian and her income is really low so no meat replacement products I would assume, because that stuff is expensive. I still pay for all 'cat stuff' while I'm away, because they're my cats. One of them will only eat ONE brand of wet cat food and one brand of biscuits, so that isn't cheap.

No, Callistemon, she has a small income. Not a lot. She contributes to the grocery budget but not a lot. I also buy what she'd call 'posh' food. I don't regard it that way, but... I insist on healthy snacks, particularly for GS, for example. She IS an artist, but any money she makes is massively reduced at the moment, for obvious reasons.

GagaJo, if you need to be careful with money, now is the time to research all the local sources of help.

In the UK, local councils should have a list. There are groups on Facebook and WhatsApp too.

Being prepared to access help, if needed, can put your mind at rest.

There's nothing wrong with back to basics food. Beans on toast, jacket spuds, vegetable stew etc. It's a good time for home made cakes and biscuits too!

Our food bills are a lot less if you include eating out. Normally we would eat out at least 3 or 4 times a week. Since lockdown we obviously cant eat out so have had creative meals at home instead, this also includes a bottle of bubbly with meals at the weekends. We still ahve about 12 bottles left from Christmas and brought 6 back from holiday duty free (it would be rude not to do) so far we have bought a new Kenwood titanium XL with several attachments and a new computer processor and 24inch screen from our money saved. The supermarket bill is up a little but now that much, we are spending about £20 per week more than we did normally. I dont think tha is bad at all. Hubby is working from home as he works in Adult services now and I am in Safeguarding at home for 3 months but being paid my full salary so I guess we are lucky, we also have pensions paying out which are guaranteed. All in all we are much better off right now, even managed to get food deliveries for the past 2 weeks. Whoever has a delivery slot gets my order. I am only loyal to the deliveries. ;)

I rarely ate out before lockdown, so it didn't make such a big difference. I had my grocery shopping done by a local volunteer yesterday. They had to use the Co-op because that's the only chain here supporting volunteers shopping for vulnerably people. The prices were between twice and three times what I usually pay at Tesco, so my bill has definitely gone up.

My grocery bill has gone up a lot but I'm buying extra to put in the food bank box that the local charity collect every 2 weeks. Just paying it forward. Is anyone else doing that?

I have just realised that i havent opened my purse or been in my handbag for over a month. I will have to open DHs wallet when my favourite ice cream shop in the world calls to take payment for the delivery i have made for next week. I was overcome with emotion when i realised they were delivering to our little village.

Every week we are saving €100 (or slightly more) as we are only buying groceries + drinking alcohol at home. No bars, no taxis or train fares, no tapas meals out.

It’s budding boring though.

Gaga, could you try online tutoring? it must be a growth area.