What do you do to make your shopping cheaper? For 2 people and 3 cats

[Guest]

Just been to Tesco, got 3 bags of food and it cost £103. No more shopping can be done for the rest of the month. I'll sort my child out but I'm going to have to go without unfortunately.

[Shirley]

How did we manage years ago ,not much money coming in ,but ate really well.

[Emma]

8 of us here I'm in Ireland no pets but costs us 190e per week plus 50e in the butchers.

[Shell]

I find Tesco is my cheapest supermarket. I spend about £60 a week for 1 adult, 2 children and 3 cats which includes lunches. I only buy Tesco's own products, I meal plan each week and try and buy things that are on offer or clubcard offer. If I buy chicken I make 2 or three meals out of it for all of us, a roast one day and a pasta meal the next normally and I only buy frozen vegetables.

[Lisa]

Stop shopping at Tesco.

[Lynne]

Do you meal plan? This definitely helps to save money. Sometimes by cooking a bit extra and bulking out meal with extra veg or pasta you can get a meal for free. It also saves money because u buy exactly what u need.

[Rhi Rhi]

I use the hand held self scan machine in Tesco so I know what I’m spending. Managed a 3 week shop for 1 person and 1 big dog for £55 x

[Paula]

Lidls, Aldi, chickpeas, kidney beans etc with rice, chunky soup, shop for reductions, no need to go without, pasta.

[Kerry]

I’ve started shopping around aldi is a lil cheaper, but I also go later on in evenings when reducing items please don’t starve go to local council website and find food bank to help u

[Christine]

Make sure none of the food you've bought gets wasted, if your veg is starting to look limp, eat that or make a meal for the freezer.
Google some cheap meal ideas x

[Chrissie]

Let’s all boycott the big shops and grow our own, and buy all reduced food at the end of the day, if they can sell for half price at the end of the day why not sell it cheaper in the first place.

[Vicki]

2 adults 2 kids 1 guinea pig in our house managed to get our shopping down to 130 month I go between asda and aldi and thats with smellies to tesco sainsbury last places I'd ever go find them to expensive

[Jessica]

I do think aldi is cheaper mean depends what you buy hut I did a big shop for 2 adults and 1 child came to £107 4 bug bags of food plus a big packet of nappies and I bought a rug which was £12.99. That was veg lots of meat, fruit and other bits for meals like jar sauces ect. They also to too good too go now which I'm guna try.

[Maisie]

I know the blue cross are doing a pet food bank so you can go there and they will help you with food for your pets. They’re based up in Pynes hill. If you can get there I’m sure they will be able to help.

[Angela]

Meal plan and if you can shop around .And maybe bulk out your food with red lentils say if you make bolognaise or anything with mince you won’t notice it.Also with some dishes I add cubes of potatoes to again bulk it out .If you eat chicken but a large one and you can roast it then use the left overs for curry ,rice dishes or pasta .Jar sauces make your own or use the dried packets stuff .And batch cook .Look on Olio ,too good to go and community fridges and don’t buy branded stuff .for your cats look on FB market place I have 2 cats on special diets and often can get good deals on there .Often if you buy online for cats food it works out cheaper.Also again if you have a big chicken your cats can have some of it .Household stuff buy products that are multi use .

Also back to food if you make say Mac cheese when it comes down to the milk water the cheese sauce down .

[Jane]

I buy pack of fresh carrots or 2 bags 50p a bag cut and chop blanch then cool in cold water then put into freezer bags and into freezer will last a month, obviously can do this with lots of vegetables.

You can make lasagna make a big one then once cooled can put into a sealed container and freeze for meals through the coming weeks. Into microwave for a few minutes hot meal ready with veg or other stuff.

You can do with practical anything for meals. Just spend a few hours prepping and cooking will have plenty of meals made in freezer. Cats see if you can find a supermarket or online for cat food surprising what you can find looking around. Even tins of mackerel or tuna will stretch the cat food out longer. try to buy stuff on yellow sticker items and put into fridge or freezer. Buy a whole chicken, I make a Sunday roast, and strip chicken carcas down, we have a sweet & sour and also a chicken tikka masala out of one chicken, and scraps meat goes to the dog with biscuit which he loves.

If you have a Aldi supermarket it is cheaper there than other supermarket. I think there is Animals food banks around maybe there is one in your area.

I also buy a big block of cheese lasts alot longer, for sandwiches grate the cheese it goes further. Then the following week you shop you won't have to buy cheese so that money can be spent on something else. Good luck. No you should not have to get rid of your cats, no one should be made to make that decision with any Animals. Good luck