Food bill 2A 2C per week?

[*Efjay*]

We spend $250 a week, most of the time. Sometimes we run out of fruit so will spend a bit more halfway through the week for extra, but usually we get away with that amount. Thats for 2 adults, 3 children.

Ours is about this but with 4 kids.

[Olive]

we shopped today for the week and it was $160, it was $180 but our coles has 10% off because it has been redone, it was an exxy shop this week.
thanks for 7 meals, snacks etc.. i also bought salmon fillets and king island steak, 3 tins of deoderant as well.

[Livinthedream]

I just about fell over last week went I went and did a shop and it was $170 (2A, 1 toddler)
It was my first week of non vege patch (we are currently putting in winter veges)
$50 on F&V!! I couldnt believe it
I breed chooks and we eat the boys so at least 2 chicken meals a week here and 1 egg meal, 1 vego and super butcher bulk buying means that a huge shop for us would be $150 and that would be toilet paper, shampoo etc.
The chooks more than pay for themselves, as I sell excess hens (actually the chooks net around $200p/m and only cost about $60)
Grow your own, so worth the everything LOL

[toomanyshoes]

Thanks for all the replies, we would love to grow our own and have chooks etc but being in a rental we can't.

I did up a very basic shop for us online last night and it was still $250 without personal items, toilet paper, etc.

Going to have to re think it a little.

[Astrid]

I breed chooks and we eat the boys so at least 2 chicken meals a week here and 1 egg meal, 1 vego and super butcher bulk buying means that a huge shop for us would be $150 and that would be toilet paper, shampoo etc.
The chooks more than pay for themselves, as I sell excess hens (actually the chooks net around $200p/m and only cost about $60)

We are probably about 6 months to a year away from selling any extra girls we breed. Nice to know we will be able to make some money in the future.

[~clover~]

TMS - you can still have a veggie patch. Even if you do it in pots.

[mummato1]

We are only 2a 1c and we probably average $100 a week, and that covers nappies (1 packet a month as mainly use mcn's), and most personal items as well. We do have a veggie garden and honestly that makes a massive difference (and we are getting chooks soon, cant wait!!) - a bit harder with a rental but there are lots of things you can grow in pots etc.

Being on such a tight budget we do shop the sales and buy marked down meat etc. For example we have found coles on a tues / wed here mark down a lot of thier meat, often up to 60%. So if we find a special like that we stock up, last time 4 star mince was $2.50 for 500g.. I think we brought all of the packets left and put them straight into the freezer (!) I think we have only just finished using it all. I have found having the per item price now on the shelf tickets a big help too, we are a lot more aware and compare different brands etc.

Meal planning is also a big help!

I would also check out $120 dollar challenge (14 meals and snacks - $120 fortnight), she has lots of fantastic recipes on her website.

Another idea, is also to do a complete stocktake of your fridge, pantry and freezer.. write it all down and plan meals based on what you already have (use websites like taste and best receipes to get ideas). You will be amazed by what you already have and can make from it. We do this once a month, it forces us to make sure we are using everything we buy!

[Swoop]

I would also check out $120 dollar challenge (14 meals and snacks - $120 fortnight), she has lots of fantastic recipes on her website.

Another idea, is also to do a complete stocktake of your fridge, pantry and freezer.. write it all down and plan meals based on what you already have (use websites like taste and best receipes to get ideas). You will be amazed by what you already have and can make from it. We do this once a month, it forces us to make sure we are using everything we buy!

What a fantastic website! I've just done a stocktake of the fridge and freezer (the cupboards will have to wait til tomorrow coz it's too late now) and I don't know how I'm going to use it all up before it goes out of date.

Thanks for starting this thread TMS and thanks for the info above Mummato1!

[Livinthedream]

We are probably about 6 months to a year away from selling any extra girls we breed. Nice to know we will be able to make some money in the future.

if you breed purebreds, you should have no problems getting $30-$40 a chook at 16 weeks of age,you just need the facilities to grow them up.