Grocery budgets!
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Topic: Grocery budgets!
Posted By: busymum
Subject: Grocery budgets!
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 7:33pm
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How much do you spend on groceries (and for how many people)? Our budget is $140/wk for 3 adults and 2 children; no formula or nappies. -------------  |
Replies:
Posted By: Lissy
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 7:37pm
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We spend $250 - $270 per fornight - that is the budget, and DH makes me stick to that! That is for 2 Adults, the twins (8 years old) and we buy nappies - so tthat is included in the above. I am still breast feeding, with a formula bottle at night, so only use a tin a month. - Rather tight, but we manage! ------------- Harlan Drew DOB: 06.12.06 & Stepmum to Ethan & Christian, DOB: 25.02.99 |
Posted By: Bubbaloo
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 7:40pm
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Ours is no more that $150 and thats for 2 Adults and some stuff for James we don't buy nappies or formula we could spend less but Jesse likes his junk food. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">  Was danni-chick Mum to James My Angel 28/07/08 |
Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 7:44pm
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$200 per week. What I am allowed to spent. Dont include nappies and I breastfeed. I get her vitamin syrup on that as well. $20 per month and her pocket money of $10 a week. Includes take aways and wet wipes and all cleaning and household needs.
2 adults and one 18 month old. I know it is ridicilous. I do buy toys and stuff sometimes as well but not that much. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 7:47pm
| $300 a fortnight. Shirena we were spending the same as you a week, but when we went to fortnightly shopping we cut down to $150 a week. sometimes a wee bit more, depending on the price of fruit and vege. Our two boys eat a lot so we go through lots of fresh fruit and vege, and gisborne prices are more than Palmerston at least. we also go through 2l of milk a day. - no nappies or formula here either. I must admit though, we eat very well. i like cooking and baking so a few of our "essentails" perhaps are other people's idea of "luxuries" |
Posted By: mum2paris
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 7:52pm
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$240 a fortnight including nappies for ayja and night nappies for paris, includes everything like shampoo feminine products deodorants, everything. depends on how good the prices are and what needs buying that shopping day as to whether we end up spending a little over that amount. ------------- Janine and her 2 cool chicks, Paris & Ayja 
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Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 7:52pm
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I think I must seriously go back to fortnight shopping.
In SA I use to spent less than my friends. I also end up spending more if hubby comes along. 
We eat a lot of fresh fruit and veggies. Going to plant some in the summer. Yip definately thinking the fortnight shopping is better and then just top my frest fruit and milk up each week and stick to a budget for that as well. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Leish
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 7:53pm
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Our budget at the moment is $300 per fortnight for 2 adult and a 10 year old who eats like an adult. This includes a takeaway meal each fortnight, no nappies or formula. When I was in paid employment we spent about $400 per fortnight. I'm finding that we are coming in under the $300 mark every fortnight though which is really good. We are being as tight as we possibly can and have learnt that we used to waste A LOT of money. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: EllenMumof2
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 7:56pm
$120 a week here thats with nappies and maddy is on normal milk now and a formula bottle at night so a tin lasts a month we have 2 adults and 1 6 year old that eats like a adult at times and maddy. We used to spend alot more when we had a credit card but after we paided that off i cut it up and we now live off aarons wages and IRD payments it has made me alot wiser in what i spent and now i think twice about if the kids really need something and i can't shop online -------------  
 
Kalem 6! |
Posted By: Glow
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 7:59pm
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Dont really have a budget but spend between $140-$180 pw for 3A + 1C no nappies or formula (At the moment) ------------- Mummy of Two Boys B: 2004 K: 2007 |
Posted By: aimeejoy
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 8:05pm
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$400 a month, no nappies or formula, but Hannah's milk is more expensive than cows milk anyway. Thats for two adults and 20 month old. Its usually less than that. I get cash out and do one big monthly shop then each week just fruit, veges etc. We dont eat large quantities of meat here, which I think makes a big difference. ------------- Aimee Hannah 22/10/05 Greer 11/02/08 |
Posted By: Paws
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 8:24pm
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$200 per fortnight, $250 if we need to stock up on other stuff like cleaning products etc. That also includes formula and cat food. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: ginger
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 8:45pm
I'm not telling  (it's in the rampant consumerism thread ...)
How do you guys do it?? ------------- Cuinn Lachlan 23.1.09 - 22:00 Antonia Helene 4.8.11 - 09:41 |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 9:19pm
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$200 on groceries a fortnight for two adults and three kids, not including fruit and veg or meat, or nappies or formula. Willie does about $80 worth of meat a fortnight plus I spend about $70 a week on fruit and veg (Maya eats a lot of fruit). We get the gremlins formula on prescription from the pharmacy, $140 a month. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Paws
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 9:47pm
Meal plan meal plan meal plan. Budget brands. I do my own baking at home....heaps cheaper than buying bikkies! Ummmmm not sure what else. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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ginger wrote:Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 10:12pm
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Umm Ginger let's see... no packet or jar "just add" type thingies... bulking out meals with veges and mushrooms etc... store or less expensive brands when it doesn't really matter... drinks are only for special days... shop at Pak n Save (when I went to CD I spent $15-$20 more every week on the same stuff!!)... no pre-packaged "just heat" meals either. I buy meat at The Mad Butcher: mince and sausages and silverside (sometimes) and pork/lamb roasts and chicken/chicken breasts. ------------- |
Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 10:19pm
 I just read your grocery confession Ginger btw meatless meals aren't always the way either - we have meat every night (yum!  ).
Okay I think I'll just pick my jaw up off the floor now. ------------- |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 11:07pm
| $300 per fortnight, including household cleaners, toilet paper, formula, etc etc. At the moment when we go for the fortnightly shop we include one weeks worth of fruit, vege and milk, and whatever $$ is leftover goes towards top ups of the same for the second week in the fortnight. Lately we have actually been left with a 'surplus' of about $15-30 at the end of a fortnight which goes into a seperate budget and stockpiled for "emergencies" (which we fortunately haven't had one of yet). |
Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 11:09pm
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we don't have much in the way of pre-packaged stuff - as I said, i like cooking, and don't like the salt content in a lot of that stuff. also as I know I can make nicer ones I tend to not buy it.
we don't have junk food as a general thing. we also rarely eat takeaways (lewis uses the car at nights and the only fish and chip shop within walking distance closed the end of march, so it is rare that we actually get the opportunity) |
Posted By: mum2paris
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 11:23pm
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ok, we do.. have junky stuff, not ing ngereal every day all day type thing, but it's there, as well as lots of fruit veges etc. i think majority of our meal stuff is just add sauces etc, added to good amounts of meats. we tend to buy large packets and halve them, also we pay more for good quality stuff. mainly we have meat and 3 vege type things, or stir frys with lots of veges etc. we do get junky stuff to snack on too, mikes terrible for his chippies and coke (not that you'd guess to look at him), i have a thing for cruskets etc and yeah plenty of fruit and yogurts for me and the girls. they have the odd treaty thing but mostly crackers or cheese slices or raisins and fruit etc for snacks.. water is the drink of choice at our house, with coke for mike and orange juice for me on occasion, but oother than that we all have milo.. so no buying tea or coffee etc. I do get heat and eat meals for me too. I look at my rosters for that fortnight coming up and we buy according to that, if i have alot of afternoons i will buy heat and eat meals to take with me (as the hospital meals are not always the greatest, and money adds up!!)and we buy smaller packs of meat etc for mike and the girls to have when i'm not there.
we go for the basics of gooood meat to minimise waste, buy 2-3 4litre bottles of milk which we make sure has expiry dates that will last. and get plenty of fruit for snacks. brekkie stuff is weetbix plus one other special cereal (to have a sprinkle on top of their ricies on days they don't have fruit with them) I think it also helps that mostly, we are not home during the day. when we have periods of time where i have runs of days off or holidays or the girls and i are home because of their sickness.. then we go through more fruit and crackers etc, but since they are at daycare mostly for lunch, that's 1 meal a day less to cater for. ------------- Janine and her 2 cool chicks, Paris & Ayja
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 01 July 2007 at 11:46pm
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You can get milk in 4L jugs !? Wow !! We currently buy ours in 3L, and go through 2-3 of those in a week (sometimes more), would suit us so much better if we could get it in a bigger jug !!
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Posted By: sparkle
Date Posted: 02 July 2007 at 8:29am
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We spend $250 a fornight at the supermarket, and probably another $15 in the second week at the fruit n veg shop.
That includes food for two dogs and 2 boxes of beer and a bottle of wine for DH. I find if I do it in the shop it a)cuts down our delivery charge and b) I control the price of the beer he gets! I've also been buying 2 packs of nappies per fornight too. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Paws
Date Posted: 02 July 2007 at 8:33am
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Definetly cooking from scratch, not just baking. Heaps cheaper! DOn't buy pre-packagede!
For example: You can buy a 3 pack of those Ingham chicken lites, they are around $8 or $9!! For the same price you can get at least a half kilo of chicken. Easy to see which is the cheapest option! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: newmum
Date Posted: 02 July 2007 at 8:58am
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I go shopping once a week and have a budget of $125. This includes nappies and everything else.
I make everything from scratch too, saves heaps and usually tastes better than ready meals stuff. MEAL PLAN! I wouldn't manage without this. I go through the junk mail and plan meals around what is on special (at countdown - that's always where I shop - we don't have pak n save here). Also buyinh nappies when they are on special and stocking up - for example they had treasures ultra for$6.99!!! last weeks so I stocked up and won't have to buy any for another fortnigh or so. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: newmum
Date Posted: 02 July 2007 at 8:59am
Oh yeah - I find the edmonds cookbook fabulous for easy fast and cheap recipes if I'm running out of ideas  ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: baalamb
Date Posted: 02 July 2007 at 9:28am
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We have a budget of $150 per week, including meat, veges, toiletries, cleaning products, nappies, formula etc. It got really tight there for a while when Ashlee was just starting to eat solids.
Really should get into meal planning again
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Posted By: Kels
Date Posted: 02 July 2007 at 10:13am
We have a budget of $120 per fortnight for me and 3kids. This includes everything meat, fruit, cleaning products etc. I dont buy formula or nappies ( I am so grateful for bfeeding amd mcn ) I totally agree with cooking from scratch and planning meals before doing the shopping.------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
Busy mum to Miss 15yrs, Miss 10yrs and Master 4yrs |
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 02 July 2007 at 10:47am
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We have a budget of $100 a week for 3 outta 4 of the weeks in the month. Once a month we buy dog food at $30 and spend about $50 that week at the mad butcher.
That's for 2 adults and Daniel. We don't buy nappies or formula |
Posted By: newmum
Date Posted: 02 July 2007 at 11:27am
OK That is impressive!!! I wouldn't be able to manage that at all!  ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 02 July 2007 at 11:39am
| we also buy whole chickens and carve them into pieces and use the carcass for stock. this ONLY happens when Lewis has the day off. |
Posted By: AnnC
Date Posted: 02 July 2007 at 12:07pm
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i thought I did really well with our food shopping $350 a fortnight but that includes everything from Nappies, formula, milk and bread top ups and vege top ups...also meat for sandwiches top ups. This is for 2 adults and 3 kids although Josh eats like an adult (or a teenage boy....) I do some weeks come under budget which never gets saved just spend it on other things... we already have a savings plan.
But wow Kels amazing how you only spend #120 per fortnight.. ------------- Ann 
Also Mum to Josh (15) and Brooke (10) |
Posted By: shaz
Date Posted: 02 July 2007 at 2:30pm
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OMG I so need to learn to budget and meal plan I spend over $350 a fortnight then still have to buy some extras during the two weeks. So I probably spend about $450.00 a fornight no wonder we have no money left. We have two adults, two tweens 9 and 11 and alyssa 3 1/2 months. And we also cook dinner every night for my MUm who lives downstairs. Mum sometimes buys meat and vege's as well. I'm a compulsive shopper which is so bad but just can't help it...maybe I need to go to counciling (hehe) |
Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 1:35pm
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Bump!
Id love to read what everyone else spends! Im just trying to work out a food budget! it will be for 3 adults and Caden(who isn't a huge eater!) I'm looking at $120 a week for grocery's, maybe less if I can. We buy formula, although he wont be on it much longer and he only has maybe 3-4 bottles a day now, so formula lasts us a lot longer these days. Meal plan's sound like a great idea! I will definitely sit down and work those out each week! ------------- |
Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 2:00pm
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I spend $340 per fortnight and quite often run down to the supermarket throughout the fortnight to grab extra bits and pieces because we "feel" like it. The thing is that atm we simply spend money because we have it. I was supposed to do the groceries yesterday but I easily have enough food in the house to last another fortnight or longer without even needing to get creative. Soon we will not have the extra disposable income though and I'm about to get tough on the extra trips to the supermarket (I went down last night to buy some broccoli because that's what DH and I felt like, nevermind that we had tonnes of other veges at home, and I ended up walking out of the supermarket having spent $40 I'm in the process of assessing what budget we should allocate to certain things. Ie. I'll set aside a fortnightly amount to spend on fresh fruit and veges and go to the markets weekly instead of the supermarket fortnightly. I'm also going to set aside a fortnightly amount for meat and buy my meat directly from the butchers as the prices are better and it seems so is the meat quality. I'll also put aside $20 for extras like the milk which we often need to buy in week 2 of the fortnight and the fresh fish which I prefer to buy on the day I cook it. So I'm only going to use the supermarket for pantry, dairy and non-food grocery items and hopefully by allocating certain amount to certain things I might reduce the temptation to spend for the sake of it. That's the plan anyway. -------------  
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Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 2:07pm
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Well I dont think I spent that much at all anymore, although we eat mostly organic fruit and veg now. I think I learned where to shop and doing bulk shopping for certain stuff really helped.
I now spent about $70 a week on organic fruit and veg and we have like loads of that and thta includes a packet of organic sweets for McKayla. Then I spent another like $50 perhaps at the actual supermarket but that usually doesnt include meat. And then I buy meat in bulk. We come out on $600 to $700 a month and that includes all take aways and eating out ect. And some months I clean the freezer and cupboards and only spent about $300 at most at the shop. Not bad with increase in prices. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 2:11pm
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We spend $250 a week for DH, Spencer and me. I don't buy formula and I rarely buy nappies. I do buy cat and dog food though and we have four cats and two dogs. I honestly don't know how people spend less. I don't buy processed foods and lots of stuff I buy the homebrand or select ones. We don't drink or smoke and I only weigh 57kg and DH weighs 68kg so we certainly don't overeat. We rarely ever buy treat items either and I mostly use baking soda, white vinegar etc to clean with.
Most weeks we run out of food as well and are surviving on the dregs by the day before shopping day or we go over budget. I would love to see what you guys eat to be spending less money. Anyone willing to post up either a meal planner or your shopping list, would be much appreciated. ------------- 
 
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Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 2:25pm
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I probably spend between $350 and $450 a fortnight on 3 adults (one very wasteful one too..) and 2 kids, 2 animals
Meat is about $80 for 2 weeks worth from the butchers WE have potatoes and carrots and silverbeet still going in our garden, so the bulk of it is fruit and grocery items plus about 12 litres of milk a week. I make my bread, but spend $20 ish on yeast, mix etc. Might sound like lots, but when I figured out I was spending about $15 a week on bread and throwing alot out, I decided to make my own (plus the ones that stay fresh for ages - what in the hell is in them to make them soft all week?) Some fortnights I wil spend wy more and others way less. the big thing is meat, I think. Three adults really make a difference and meat works out to between $7 and $12 a meal. I only buy good meat, tho, can't stand fatty mince etc. ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 2:27pm
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Oh and in that is about $40 for a box of huggies for charlotte and $6 for a packet of night nappies for Jake (both last a month) and also, having a teenager means I spend about $50ish on "snack" items a fortnight
Also, i will NOT buy cheap or compromise on Tea (MUST be twinings english breakfast) Drinking choc (hubby only likes cadburys) Loo Paper Mince baking products (I do lots of baking, like to use good BP, sultanas, dates, you can taste the difference) like eco store hand wash, dearer by about $2 a container than the rest but super concentrated and dosen't dry hands out - I wash alot soap powder- must use drive dishwasher powder and rinse aid - must be finish And some other stuff, can't think right now ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 2:28pm
DH and I sometimes spend over 200 a week at the moment on food and like Jo, the only reason we....actually make that "I" lol, do that is because we can...because we pay bugger all living at mums and dads in the flat so when I do the grocery's I don't think when I buy, I just grab stuff off the shelves. Half of the stuff we have in pantry I got a while ago and haven't used yet! Like tins of stuff, pasta sauces and all that stuff. I also spend too much on junk food, that we just DONT need, like cookies and stuff, I can make all that, I just need to stop being lazy
My nana is getting our washing powder from Amway for us, and it lasts like 6 months because it is very concentrate! I just get a cheap fabric softner so the washing smells lovely
We buy frozen veges, because they last longer and when steamed, taste fine So I buy frozen veges like once a month.
I'm going to get our meat from the mad butchers from when we move house, I can buy the bulk packs and split them up, so we have meat for the month, that is way cheaper than spending $40 a week on just meat, its so freaking expensive! Im not a huge red meat eater anyways, I really like chicken though! So for DH and my brother, it won't be too pricey to feed them. We are using cloth nappies now so that makes things cheaper, a pack of nappies for less nappies lasts us ages! So really, I don't do too bad lol, I just need to stop buying things we don't need(which is about $60 worth of our normal shopping bill I'd say!), and get meat from the butchers! ------------- |
Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 2:33pm
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Oh yeah, and cat/dog food. Will NOT feed my animals cheap crappy rubbish stuff full of fillers and yuck and will not sell my puppies to anyone who will feed them sh*t. ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: clover
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 3:01pm
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There is only the two of us for the moment but we spend $140 per week, this includes all meals (we bring lunches to work). This week I am using meat from the freezer and managed to only spend $42.
Meal plans work wonders, as does looking in your cupboards and trying to make meals around what you have. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 3:05pm
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You should be able to do it no problems.
We're like Mrs Mojo - we spend just because we can. I usually do a "big" shop once a fortnight and spend $350-$400ish. That includes a few fruit and veg, a carton of Huggies nappies for the gremlins at $40 and a bulk bag of Huggies wipes at $15. It doesn't include any meat, Willie does around $80 of meat a fortnight. I usually do a meal plan based around what meat he buys, sometimes I do one first and give him a list. I usually send the nanny to Countdown 2 - 3 times a week for fresh veges, ham and milk. The expensive stuff in our grocery bill is mostly convenience foods - Le Snaks, fruit sticks, rice wheels, those Watties fruit pouches etc. for Maya's school lunches, and we use a lot of packet sauces, sometimes Dolmio, Chicken Tonight etc. but mostly the Maggi Cook in the Pot ones coz they work out cheaper. When I was on maternity leave we had to tighten our belts a bit, but that mostly meant not buying chocolate biscuits etc. I have definitely seen the grocery bill go up a lot over the past few months with rising food prices, especially dairy coz our regular shop includes 1kg cheese, 2 x 6 packs of yoghurt, 2-3 tubs margarine (depending on what the bulk buy special is at the time) and 6l milk. The gremlins go thru 1l of milk a day on their own, plus another 1l for cereal, tea, cooking etc. so we get thru around 14l a week. I buy Homebrand where we can, things like canned fruit, bread, jam, weetbix, biscuits, crackers, frozen veg, milk, cheese etc. The only things we won't buy Homebrand are spaghetti and baked beans (has to be Watties) and cleaning products coz I am ultra fussy about how things smell - Homebrand dishwashing liquid is fine but washing powder isn't lol! When I was on a strict budget, when Maya and I were on our own and I was on the DPB and studying and paying daycare fees etc. I used to be able to feed us on $80 a fortnight. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: queenb
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 3:13pm
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i'm so impressed by people who stick to food budgets!! i'm interested in meal plans too, so ladies please post a link to yours if you can
We live across the road from foodtown, which is a bad and a good thing. great as we only have the 1 car which DH takes to work, and so I can just pop over the road to grab stuff... but saying that we prob spend $200 on food a week for 2 adults, 1 tween. not all at the supermarket though. prob another $60 for takeaways. aargh that's sooo bad! when DH gets home I'm going to say $150 pw and that's it!! (we could prob do less lol) ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 3:14pm
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Ha ha, I had that post on my screen for so long that lots of other people posted lol!
Def a good idea re: meat, when I was on my own that's what I used to do, I'd buy like 1kg of mince and split it into 5 meals. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Babe
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 3:19pm
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We're on $60 a fortnight often less. We don't buy meat, formula or nappies but that does include dog food (we have 2) and veges.
We have powdered milk and have found we go through way way less than we did buying the proper stuff. I make our own yoghurt, bread, snacks, cleaners, etc. I find prepping and freezing as much as possible really helps on those nights we're tired or disorganised. Tonight I'm making a vegetarian quiche with last nights leftovers. It'll take me 15 minutes and its yummy and filling. -------------   
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Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 3:20pm
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I find things like cheese, butter, milk and yoghurt a killer They are so over priced and yet they are things you need...apart from yoghurt, I could live with out that, but Caden has one everyday for lunch or afternoon tea. We buy a big block of budget cheese and that lasts us quite a while, we make sure we wrap it in glad wrap after we use it so its doesn't dry out.
We buy the big 3L bottles of milk. ------------- |
Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 3:58pm
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OMG Babe I'm seriously in awe.
We budget $150/week for groceries for 2 adults and a toddler- that's everything except dry cat food which we get from the pet shop every few months. We often come in under that so at the moment I'm buying Progressive Christmas club vouchers with the surplus. They're great because you get an extra 5% off when you use them at Christmas. We do have an allowance of $25 per week for takeaways too for nights when we're feeling lazy but we don't use it that often as I often just grab a Pizza at the supermarket as part of the shop and we have that on unorganised nights. For our meals I find the crockpot a lifesaver as you can use cheaper meats and it makes extra which you can freeze. It's not unusual for us to have a week every month of pre-made frozen dinners and just buy fruit, vege and lunch food. -------------  
 
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Posted By: sno0ze
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 4:15pm
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We budget for 2 adults and 1 child $130 a week, $100 on food $30 on tolietries/cleaning products etc. Just have started this and only spent $80 all together last week. Meal plans are good and I get cash out before I go in to the supermarket so can't spend anything else. Also helps that DH is away for two weeks at a time then back for a week so really its cheaper for us at the mo :-) Will need to relook at this budget though when bubs come along for nappies etc. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
DD - 6yrs |
Posted By: clover
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 4:53pm
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belindajane, my meals change every week but for example this week we are having:
Sun - corned beef, mashed potato, carrots, cabbage Mon - Cottage pie with left over corned beef Tues - Butter bean burgers with greek salad Wed - Chicken stirfry Thurs - Beef curry Friday - Chicken pasta Saturday - Teriyaki Chicken & rice I already had all the meat as I brought enough for 18 meals with meat from the Mad butcher last week for $80. What else I needed to make the above and our lunches for the week came to $42 (we didn't need any cleaning products or toiletries this week). ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 5:33pm
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Forgot to add I have coeliacs disease and so am on a lifelong gluten free diet. It has it's pros and cons. On the downside gluten free foods (pasta, cereal and bread) are more expensive but on the plus side it means I don't eat takeaways because I simply can't and I make nearly all of our meals from scratch. I am able to get a prescription for pasta and flour but have found that as long as I buy GF pasta on special it works out a similar price and I don't need to pay the $15 prescription fee. -------------
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Posted By: BaAsKa
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 6:19pm
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gez im so envious of those that can stick to their budget!!!
i budget for $170 for groceries every week and regularly go over!!! if i have to stick to $80 i feel like my throats been cut!!!! i dnt eat a heck of alot (despite being generally fat!! lol) , DH eats like a normal 6ft 4 over 100kg man! lol and the boys are pretty average eaters so dunno what my prob is! lol I do buy a heck of alot of fruit, hardly any veges bcos we have a vege garden and what we dont grow - the inlaws do!! (they have the hugest!!! vege garden iv ever seen!!!).
I also dont buy formula but i do buy soy milk for astin and lunch stuff for both DH and Bay. I think i need some serious grocery budgeting from someone!!!
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Posted By: fire_engine
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 6:42pm
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You need to hire Babe for a week to come and sort you out
I spent $40 this week on groceries (forgot toothpaste though) as we're going through all the stuff in the freezer. $15 of that was Daniel's food as we're away for 5 days. Usually I'm $120+ for 2+9 month old - that includes $20 on formula  and at least one bottle of wine. I "scrimped" this week cos DH said we had $100 for 2 weeks - unfortunately I spent that on clothes that I then took back. Anyone want to buy credit notes for Shanton and Pagani ------------- Mum to two wee boys |
Posted By: busyissy
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 7:13pm
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We were spending $300 a fortnight but then Isobelle went on to formula. Now we spend $400 a fortnight and that includes 4 tins of formula and 2 tins of thickner, nappies and pull ups for two babies, wipes and all the associated baby stuff, meat, some vege (we have a vege garden), 4-6l of milk, butter, cheese (all the expensive dairy stuff), bread etc. That's for 2 adults, 1 toddler and a baby and 2 cats. The toddler has been eating more than his daddy lately though, seriously he ate half a plate of roast chicken, a lamb chop, 3 potatoes, 3 florets of brocoli and half a carrot for dinner last night and then had a bowl of mango rice pudding followed by 150mls formula !. Its already like feeding a teenage boy I'm dreading the grocery bills when he's 16!
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Posted By: BessieBear
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 7:22pm
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OMG!! I spend about $250 a fortnight on 2 adults 1 9 mth old and a 2 cats. ------------- Sarah Mum to, Boy 07/2008, Girl 03/2010, Boy 05/2012, Angel 07/08/2014
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Posted By: busyissy
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 7:29pm
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Forgot to mention that we have to buy HA formula so it is $24 a tin, kind of adds up!
Clarence street is better than Mill street Pak n' Save Sarah. |
Posted By: paulainauckland
Date Posted: 27 April 2009 at 7:34pm
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I try to write down the specials and plan my weekly meals and shop around that. But 2A, one teen and two boys mean I have to be very creative. That crockpot comes in handy - and I try not to shop with the DH. If I shop with the 9yo it's a game - how much can we save?
I do use Countdown mostly for the general stuff - it's about the same as PakNSave if I buy own brands and specials, and I get about $50 a quarter back in cash vouchers. I did notice a rise at our vege shop - from $19 a fortnight to $22 this fortnight. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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