The average UK household is spending nearly £119 per week on food shopping, amounting to more than £6,000 per year, and for families with children the cost can increase to £170 weekly. The rising prices mean many people have had to make sacrifices, and 61 per cent of adults claim they’ve had to cut back on buying certain items and more than two in five claim the cost of food has affected their ability to save.
In a new series, The i Paper asks families how they budget their weekly food shop. This week we hear from Jo Rourke, a 47-year-old single mum from Manchester, who has three children, 17, 16 and 13, and shares recipes online to her 545K followers on @this.mum.cooks. Her monthly outgoings total £1700, but as her income from content creation fluctuates, sometimes she has just enough to cover the bills.
I’m always very aware of saving money. I try to keep our food bill between £70 and £90 per week, so around £350 per month for the four of us. I also add an extra £40 for cleaning products when buying in bulk. I’ve recently been getting them from Tesco; there’s an offer where you get money off if you purchase five items, I’ve stocked up on washing up liquid for six months.
I always shop in person and I rarely buy full-price meat or fish. I buy if it has been reduced and store in the freezer. I then make a meal plan from the freezer. That’s one of the ways I keep my budget down, as meat and fish are the most expensive parts of the shop.
