How often do you shop?
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Category: Support
Forum Name: Budgeting
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=35897
Printed Date: 28 April 2024 at 2:09am
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Topic: How often do you shop?
Posted By: MrsMojo
Subject: How often do you shop?
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 9:38am
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We always buy groceries fortnightly and I have heard from several sources that if you want to reduce spending on groceries you should shop infrequently but I'm not sure that's working for us because we always head back for more fresh fruit and veges or various other things by the end of the first week and end up spending a small fortune whenever we run into the supermarket for one or two things. I'm thinking of trying to 1/2 my fortnightly shopping budget and shop weekly instead so that if we decide we want/need something there's not so long to wait for it and hopefully we'll avoid mini splurges. -------------  
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Replies:
Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 10:00am
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I shop fortnightly to coincide with payday. I havn't run out of anything and always make sure there are some vege in the freezer jic the fresh stuff has gone off within that time. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">   [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 10:55am
| We do a bigger shop every fortnight and a smaller shop on the alternative weeks. We always have the same budget so whatever is left over from the bigger shop is what we get to spend the following week which mostly goes on things that dont keep for a fortnight (milk, fruit etc) |
Posted By: happymumma
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 11:41am
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I went through a stage of being quite organised but I'm getting a bit out of hand again so might try doing a shop for fresh things weekly and canned / toiletries / cleaning stuff monthly. Instead of menu planning I'm trying having a list of the meals I tend to have ingredients on hand for on the pantry door. That way if I run out of steam I can just look at the list and choose something from that. - I'm hoping that it might stop random trips to the supermarket too! |
Posted By: Aprilfools
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 11:54am
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We do the supermarket shop and butcher shop once a month and DH grabs fruit and vegetables as we need them. He works by a veg shop so it's nice and easy for him to just pop in and grab what I need for lunch and dinner for the next day. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: blossombaby
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 6:21pm
| we have just changed from shoping weekly to 2 smaller shops twice a week we were throwing out far to much stuff it seems to be working. and i go to the butcher locally for meat weekly .. usally get 5 different ones as we have takeaways or go out or something simple the otehr 2 nights. not sure if butcher works out cheaper but its better as you can get smaller cuts of meat. |
Posted By: peachy
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 6:55pm
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We do a big shop once a month at the supermarket and butchers and once a week I pop into the green grocers for fruit, vege, milk and bread. I also buy the meat in big packs and break it down into meal sized portions so we don't over eat.
The reason I shop this way is because I hate food shopping with a passion! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: .Mel
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 7:31pm
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We shop weekly (on a Tuesday) for everything... and usually spend no more than $200 for the 5 of us.
Normally on a Sunday I'll have to grab another loaf of bread and milk.. ------------- Mr Mellow (16) Miss Attitude (8) Destructa Kid (3) 
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Posted By: myfullhouse
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 9:00pm
I could have written this post, we are same here. I think shopping monthly is actually cheaper for us. There is less chance for impulse shopping. I plan a month's worth of dinners, lunches, backing etc and only buy the things I need, I no longer have cans of food sitting in the pantry for months on end. I buy from the local butcher and he is more expensive than the supermarket/Mad Butcher specials but I can get the exactly quantities I want and the quality is much better, mince is just meat rather than full of water and fat. I tend to use smaller quantities per meal as it is better quality Due to my dislike for supermarket shoppping and my desire to reduce my bill even further I am actually investigating bulk buying for a 6mth period with the help of Babe's blog ------------- Lindsey 
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peachy wrote:Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 25 September 2010 at 8:56am
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We do a big shop twice a month. Then every 3 days we buy fresh fruit and veg. We never really go over our food budget limit as such.
But I must say if I quickly go into a shop for one or two things I never seem to leave with just that and before you know it, it is an extra $81 worth of stuff that you wonder where and what did you actually get. So now I just buy another one of longlife milk to have in the house so if Grant and McKayla runs out of milk then there is that and I dont have to quickly go in. I do combination shopping. So sometimes I buy a whole lamb cut up the way that we want. Buy free range chickens when on special (and stock up for 3 or so months worth). Same with all other meat specials. Busy setting up a garden so we can have our organic produce right here. (garden will be eventually about 40 square metres so pretty big) We have mesclun in the ground that we can start picking in the next two weeks. What is difficult is as really thinking of moving completely or as much as we can go to the organic side. But to buy local stuff not brought in from overseas. Our budget for food is $1000 a month. But in saying that it includes everything. Nappies, birthday gifts, toys if I want to buy through the month. And I normally just take $200 and put in another account. According to my spreadsheet we spent between $500 and 800 at the moment with an average of 734 for the last 12 months. (including all the take aways or food bought while out) ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 25 September 2010 at 9:48am
I must be weird then cause I love food shopping.  ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: peachy
Date Posted: 25 September 2010 at 6:53pm
I so hear you on the mince front! Mince from our local butcher is delicious and I only use half what I would if I bought it from the supermarket! I also think we spend less shopping monthly. As we get towards shopping time I have to get really creative with meals though! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: myfullhouse
Date Posted: 25 September 2010 at 9:07pm
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Peachy I am not too bad close to shopping time as I usually have enough for dinners. But I am due to shop next weekend and DH has been grumbling for the last few days that the pantry is enpty and when am I going shopping again *sigh* There is food there, HE just needs to be more creative! ------------- Lindsey
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Posted By: blossombaby
Date Posted: 25 September 2010 at 9:39pm
im with you calijack i love the supermarket too!
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 26 September 2010 at 9:54am
my husband is the same - we have no food! But if you look there is heaps! i struggle with this as hubby gets paid monthly - i tried the montly shop but would run out of some things but have too much of others... am trying fortnightly now. But i also dont have a food budget!  ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
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Posted By: clover
Date Posted: 27 September 2010 at 10:40am
me too, but I love food and cooking so maybe that is the difference? ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 27 September 2010 at 10:58am
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I belong to the Nigella Lawson school of cooking and food appreciation. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 27 September 2010 at 10:59am
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We shop on a Tuesday but I can go to the supermarket at any time to get things we have forgotten. We tend to spend about $150-$180 a week on food. ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: monkey33
Date Posted: 08 October 2010 at 9:14pm
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I used to shop weekly but have moved to fortnightly and we are now sticking to our budget of only $280 per fortnight (inc nappies & 1 tin of formula). We don't have space in our freezer for a monthly shop or my car to bring it home in! The buggy takes up the entire boot so I only have half of the back and the front seat! (I have a tiny car!). ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 09 October 2010 at 7:05am
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My first 2 weekly shops went really well. In fact I came in 10% under budget this week despite the GST price rise (and some price rises that are far too high be GST related) and I haven't had to throw out any perishables so I'm pretty pleased with myself. I used to love shopping too and I still like seeing what's new at the supermarket but I must admit having 2 kids with me makes it less relaxed than it used to be. I still love cooking though. -------------
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Posted By: Rachael21
Date Posted: 09 October 2010 at 11:36am
This is what we do. I have a budget of $150-$200 a week so spend $250ish every fortnight and then $50ish every other week on fruit, veges and milk with the allowance to buy other important things we have run out of (like butter) as I try to make a lot instead of buying packaged food. The left over is my spending money so I try keep it as cheap as possible! Eventually I would like to get into monthly shopping but I'm too busy now to deal with that so might wait til my holidays! |
Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 09 October 2010 at 5:03pm
| I shop every fortnight - usually wednesday night without the kids - i refuse to go with both of them. I go to the market every sunday and pick up the fruit and veges, although we've been throwing heaps out recently, so may just buy the fruit and the vege for the next three days, and pop into the vege store on my way home on alternated wednesdays....not sure. |
Posted By: Berts
Date Posted: 11 October 2010 at 5:42pm
| Once a week here |
Posted By: BessieBear
Date Posted: 28 October 2010 at 3:08pm
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I shop fortnightly. Because of payday. My budget is $200 but it always comes out as $220-230. I go to the butcher and fruit and vege shop in the morning with the kids and then go to crap n save in the evening. I love grocery shopping. I look forward to it. Although I do go out after tea wihout kiddlies and DH so its like my break time. ------------- Sarah Mum to, Boy 07/2008, Girl 03/2010, Boy 05/2012, Angel  07/08/2014
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Posted By: MrsH23
Date Posted: 28 October 2010 at 7:24pm
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It's normally a weekly shop here and I have to do it online (don't have a car) for 4 adults and DS, but will go down the road and get anything that we end up short on during the week (milk etc). When we do the shopping we make sure we get the meat and sauces to go with it for each week. SIL buys all her own lunch stuff though, but I have started ordering ours with the online shopping. MIL and her DF are moving in soon though so not sure how it will change.
We usually spend about $100 a week for all of us. ------------- Lisa mummy to Ryan http://www.alterna-tickers.com"> 
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Posted By: clover
Date Posted: 29 October 2010 at 8:28am
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Wow $100 a week for 4 adults, that is impressive! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: MrsH23
Date Posted: 29 October 2010 at 2:58pm
It doesn't sound quite right but it's what we usually spend. That's usually just a few dinners I think, and we only get about 500-600gms meat per meal. We buy our own lunch stuff separately. ------------- Lisa mummy to Ryan http://www.alterna-tickers.com">
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Posted By: Nikki
Date Posted: 01 November 2010 at 9:36pm
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I love grocery shopping too! Not quite as much as before kids, but mine are both well behaved in the supermarket so I still enjoy it .... just find it a little harder to fit in around nap and meal times and working!
I found going weekly we spend less per shop, so probably kept within the budget better. When I was off work and going every week I would just buy exactly what we needed plus whatever was on special and some snacks/treats. When we aren't going regularly we can end up spending 300-400 in one shop easily! I guess we spend about 200 or so a week, but its hard to say as we do the butcher once a month or so and fruit/vege shops in between (30-100 at a time) .... so probably do the one big shop then one small shop the next week at the mo. Theres no way I could get organised enough to do monthly shopping!! (We'd need 3 trolleys! haha). But we do tend to stock up on meat and pantry stuff, so in between we just need fruit, bread, milk and nappys/ formula / snacks for the kids. ------------- DS (5yrs) and DD (3yrs) |