The average UK household is spending nearly £119 per week on food shopping, amounting to more than £6,000 per year. For families with children, the cost can increase to £170 weekly. Rising costs mean that 61 per cent of the UK claim they’ve had to cut back.
In a new series, The i Paper asks families how they manage their weekly food shop. This week, we hear from student Kezia Neusch, a 38-year-old mother of three in Sussex, on how she and her husband, 39, budget for a family of five, while trying their best to live sustainably. Their children are 10, eight and four.
It’s primarily me who does the family food shop, and I religiously do it once a week. Occasionally, there are times when we need something extra, but I always try to stick within our budget of £150 a week, and not exceed £500 per month. Sometimes I shop in person, but if I’m too busy, I will do an online order.
We don’t eat much meat as a family for environmental reasons, but it also helps to keep costs low. I’ll only buy meat if there’s something on clearance because I feel differently about that ethically. I also rarely buy processed. With every pound we spend, I like to feel we are getting the maximum nutrition we can, so processed food doesn’t fit well.
