Food costs

[Bananabrain]

Over the last couple of months we have decided that we need to go on a bit of an economy drive. [like most people I'm sure]
At the beginning of Jan we started recording everything we spend. Bearing in mind I have had to renew first aid/ico/Ofsted reg/ AND pl ins all in January and they are only yearly, I have just looked at my trusty notebook and it makes for very depressing reading!
I've been doing alot of research on the net, particularly with regard to saving money on food, but I think I need a bit more practice!
My question: How much do you spend on food and how many family members/ mindees/pets do you feed?
And, anyone got any tips. They would be gratefully received.

[Rick]

Over the last couple of months we have decided that we need to go on a bit of an economy drive. [like most people I'm sure]
At the beginning of Jan we started recording everything we spend. Bearing in mind I have had to renew first aid/ico/Ofsted reg/ AND pl ins all in January and they are only yearly, I have just looked at my trusty notebook and it makes for very depressing reading!
I've been doing alot of research on the net, particularly with regard to saving money on food, but I think I need a bit more practice!
My question: How much do you spend on food and how many family members/ mindees/pets do you feed?
And, anyone got any tips. They would be gratefully received.

We spend roughly £80 a week on food for me, my wife, son and 4 days of childminding. We have always been very good at buying what we need, freezing what we're not going to use by the sell by date and throwing away virtually nothing. Certain things we buy store own and always look for the bargains.

[Carol M]

Around £180 per week
Thats for 4 adults and what equates to 4 full time mindees.
Carol x

[nipper]

About £65 a week shopping at Aldi and Lidl. Me, dh, ds(8) and dd(6) and 8 mindees. Only one lot of breakfast (fussy mindees bring their own one day a week) and one schoolie snack and dinner every day. I have had to seriously rethink the snack situation without going to great expense, so we eat crackers with cheese spread, crumpets, breadsticks, sultanas and plenty of fresh fruit. After school I sometimes do some of those part -baked baguettes which take about 10 mins and are lovely warm with butter or margerine. Very little waste here. I now only give toddler mindees water to drink at mealtimes...what a meanie!

Ooh by the way, does anyone have ravenous children of their own. My two are continually scouring the cupboards for food when they get back from school. So much so I have to hide the food I buy for their packed lunches.

[dette]

about £150 -£180 per week for myself and DH our 7 children and 7 mindees who are here on various days for 5/6 days a week,i make 90% of my meals from scratch with the occasional frozen pizza /fishfingers/nuggets ,i make 5 packed lunches a day for 4 of my own kids and DH out of this too,i'm a very careful shopper,3 for £10 meat deals ,BOGOFF etc and own brand /budget brand tins,my kids and DH all eat cereal for breakfast and supper so thats at least £20 a week just for that,massive pks of toilet rolls tons of pasta and rice at least £40 per week on fruit and veg,12 litres of milk,7 loaves of bread,huge boxes of washing powder,3 bottles of nice red wine for £10 (not wine every week ,this last for 2 weeks ,unless im having a bad week )if we stopped eating i could go on a cruise every month ,i make spag bol with a kilo of mince just for one meal ,i feel like im running an army kitchen.
one good tip that i got from nutrition training was scones are great for a snack for kids,plenty of calories for active children,you can get 10 for £1 in asda ,hardly worth baking your own at that price

[TNT]

About £100 per week, that is for 2 adults, my own 6 year old, 2 year old and 9 month old plus 2 mindees for dinner 4 times a week.
We were spending £150 but now I do internet shopping which always saves me a lot (it also means it is not OH going shopping and spending money on treats and 'bargains' he couldnt live without.) I too have addressed the expensive snack issue and only give cheaper things that are actually really healthy. Only water or milk to drink here too.
I still buy decent organic meat though, I fill it out a bit with extra veg or pulses which means the meals are super healthy and cheaper! Have made beef bolognese for tonights tea with added red lentils and grated courgettes, they dont even know they are eating them

[AliceK]

About £150 pw. That's for 2 adults, 2 of my own children and 6 mindees. Most days I have between 4 and 7 children eating dinner. That also includes feeding 2 cats and 2 dogs and 2 rabbits. I still think that's a lot though

xxx

[JCrakers]

I spend about £170-200 a week on food. That's 2x adults, 2 teenagers who never stop eating and 16 mindees.

I shop,at the weekend and by thurs the fridge is empty so have to restock. So spend about 140 at the weekend and then another 40ish. Then I have to top up on bits that I run out of throughout the week such as milk, bread etc.

[Paulab]

Hubby does shopping on a w/e and goes mostly to Aldi & gets a few bits at morrisons/asda that we can't get there,

He also bulk shops at Costco (so lucky to have around the corner) 80 chairman loo rolls for £20 & Huggies wetwipes £3.99 for 6 packets & we stock up when things on offer like 24 cans of baked beans for about £6, & tea bag 1100 for £10.

Also bulk shops at Booker (again not far from here) Gets fruit winders at wholesale for boys packed lunch, 18 cooked chicken breasts for £12 just thaw & go :-) etc , he's seems to be able to spot a bargain :-)

He just said its roughly £120.00 per week for 2 adults & DS17 who inhales food ! Twins 6.5 who have packed lunch 3 times per week, & DD 18months, & sometimes DD20 when home from uni.

We also feed 5 mindees for brekkie 4 times a week 2 before school run & 3 after usually toast & cereal,

& 3 mindees lunch usually cold but occasionally hot (pasta, fish pie, jacket pots), & snacks of fruit etc 3 times per week.

& 2 mindees after school one 5 times the other 4 (Spag Bol, roast dinner, pizza, jacket pots, pasta dish)

Food is so expensive at the mo, he doesn't allow me to go, coz he buys what we need not what we want !

Paula x

[mushpea]

£40-£50 a week on fresh stuff and £130 a monthe on meat, freezer an household items, that's 2 adults, 2 teenagers and 6 minders , no evening meals for mindees, I cook from scratch make a menu each week for us and mindees, always use up leftovers and by a lot of shops own brands, stopped buying rubbish like crisps, cereal bars, cereal etc, do a batch of home baking at the weekends, all of this came about because OH disapeared for 48hrs last October, turns out he's over £30000 in debt but hadn't told me or done anything about it so we are now paying it back hence the budget but it has been good for us as no rubbish, less weight being put on lol