Adding up the weekly food bill!

[LesleyS]

Do you find it easy to stick to a fixed budget for your weekly shopping items here?
I totted up all my receipts from the last seven days, and was quite horrified how much out of our 'supposed' budget I had managed to overspend.

I try to plan meals carefully, so hardly any expensive 'impulse' buys, just the regular things that most mums would buy for a family of three including cleaning products,washing powder loo rolls etc!

The only 'luxury' items we indulge in are a couple of bottles of wine and beer, some Coca Cola for 'the teenager', and maybe a small tub of ice cream per fortnight. I don't buy biscuits,chocolate or cakes!

I have even tried to shop in different stores, Pak and Save, Countdown and New World - but have found that there has been very little difference between them when comparing the same type of goods - just a few cents.

Do you have any tips that you would like to share - or ideas that you have found since you arrived that have proved invaluable?

Ps: Compared to when we were in the UK we hardly ever throw anything away either - so no food wastage here (apart from the occasional piece of fruit that has past it's best!)

[IanW99]

Really suprised that you found shopping at New World and Pak N Save to work out to be around the same cost, Pak N Save are the 'cheap' version of New World and as such we have always found them much cheaper on the weekly shop.

The only suggestions really are to stock up on items when they are on offer especially items such as Coke and Washing powder. We always keep an eye on the flyers to see what bargains are on offer at each of the shops.

Buy items seasonally and keep watching the prices as the goods can change in price a lot from day to day.

Ian

[benandclare]

We've just found these guys

http://www.bininn.co.nz/

[Tia Maria]

It sounds like you do a lot already so there may not be much else you can do but I've just bumped this thread which may be of use to you:

www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?p=176034

I find a very useful tip is the minute one of my regular purchases goes on 'specials', like laundry powder, I bulk buy. In fact nearly 70% of my weekly bill is 'specials', which keeps it interesting as I rarely buy the same thing twice.

I shop online, as I don't drive, so I do pay a delivery fee but the fact that it has a 'specials tab' at the top means I can more easily see everything on offer than if I was in a shop. For instance, if you haven't gone in to buy laundry powder, you might not go down that aisle so wouldn't see its on offer. In other words my shopping works out cheaper despite the delivery fee.

I also find the goods are priced in a misleading way and the only way to work out if something is really cheaper is to whip out a calculator, this is something I'm willing to do for an online shop but not in public!

I've never checked whether the online specials are the same as in store but if they are you could always check online first and go in prepared. You can do a shop online and print out your list to take into the shop so you won't have to write it all down again.

It would be interesting to see if you could do an online weekly shop, making use of the 'specials' tab at the top and see if you can make it come out cheaper than visiting the store or not.

Its not so much that its cheaper to shop online, its just you can shop differently - more efficiently, if that makes sense?

www.foodtown.co.nz

(You don't need to register to check prices but you do to check availability in your local store)

I also get smile city points and onecard points for all my purchases.

Good Luck

Cheers

Tia

[Familyofmonkeys]

I also find the goods are priced in a misleading way and the only way to work out if something is really cheaper is to whip out a calculator, this is something I'm willing to do for an online shop but not in public!

Agree with Tia...this week it was cheaper to buy 2 small tubs of margerine rather than 1 large tub....despite the fact that the large tub was on special offer. Offers are not always as juicy as they appear...do check.

One way we have found helpful to keep track of food budget is to accept from week to week it will vary...so we take average expenditure over say 6 weeks or so. We might buy a months worth of nappies in one go if they are especially cheap...this could double a weeks shopping bill.....but it means less expenditure later on. We currently have about 10 boxes of nappy sacks in the cupboard too. In UK we would never have bulk bought to this extent, but it can really make a difference.

The other thing I find is rather than having a fixed list of shopping we try to buy seasonally...as Tia said, it keeps your diet varied and interesting. We don't really plan meals, but buy whatever fruit/veg/cheese etc, are cheap/that we fancy...enough for the week and then work out what we will cook when we get home. We always keep a good stock of staples in the pantry so we do not usually need to buy extra ingredients to make a particular meal. We try and keep 2 of everything in our pantry and replace when we use one, but before we run out and pay max price due to needing it now. We have a sort of rolling shopping list that we may or may not buy items we are low on, depending on the price that week, but as we have not actually run out...it gives us more flexibility on a weekly basis for what we buy.

[shakyle2906]

Know what you mean Lesley........

A typical shopping bill for us is anything from $160 to $190 per week, plus i must go to shops at least twice in the week for fresh milk, bread, etc.

I have tried Coundown, Pak n Save and New World. I find Countdown slightly the cheapest, have found our local Pak n Save not so good lately, and New World quite expensive.

I try and buy things like washing powder, butter, yoghurts, etc when they are on special, its much more practical.

Sharon

[LesleyS]

I try and buy things like washing powder, butter, yoghurts, etc when they are on special, its much more practical.

Sharon

Sharon and everyone else..... thank you, you're right, I guess it's just getting into that mindset - I'm sure I'll get there eventually. It's funny but apart from the first couple of years of married life(I'm on 24 now!) I've never analysed fully what we spent on food, as in compared deals from one supermarket to the next. - Sounds like a luxury? Maybe...just a way of life we got used to in the UK I spose, can't apologise for that.

I'll let you know how my budgetting improves eh?

[shakyle2906]

I'll let you know how my budgetting improves eh? [/QUOTE]

Yes, happy to know any secrets.........wish we could cut down, but working full time, i dont get the time to make things 'from scratch' just rely on convenience foods i am ashamed to say.........

Sharon
x

[alan999]

I have papers from countdown and foodtown turning up weekly in my post box. Like others I bulk buy what's on offer but it is surprising how few people do this, looking at their shopping trolleys. Good examples lately are mild cheddar, a kilo for 8.49 (6.40 saving per pack, six bought) and packs of two chicken skinless breasts about 6.50 each (can be up to 11.50, bought 6 packs.) And keep an eye on the fuel vouchers-- a massive $200 needed for a 10 center but I bought a can of Robocan to get there. Then there is the vouchers on the back of the till roll, the Dominos 6.90 voucher (instead of 10.90 I think) is needed once a week but I've also had savings on the WOF for the cars.
So savings can be made but it also helps not to be too fussy about brands for butter and cheese for example. I quite enjoy it, it drives my daughter up the wall though.

[mossum]

Hi

I went to countdown today & noticed for the 1st time that the labels were like the UK - in VERY small print the price for each or per 100g .

Bulk shop most definately ,I was offered a whole side of beef for $350 the other day - all cut up & packaged - very cheap !

Try to shop less also I'm trying to go only once afortnight & this certantly helps .

Get a chest freezer - this is on my want list ... you want to see my neighbours - its chocka block - if theres a disaster i'm over to her garage

vic