The cost of food?

Graces7

This used to get raised occasionally in various forms.

Usually I buy at different shops so today;s mega order gave me a chance to see what I am spending per week.

Some items will last at least 3 weeks, and I deducted the pet food,

Works out at around/less than E20 a week. Frozen fish, cheese, a chicken, as well as fruit and vegetables and coffee . And some chocolate.. Bread enough for at least 2 weeks. I have of late had the impression that food is getting cheaper and not eating meat saves,

Harry Palmr

Food has never been cheaper than it is now. Producers are being nailed against the wall by supermarkets as chains go head to head on offers.

That said it still pays to pay attention and not be a snob about brands, see this weeks survey results.

One eyed Jack

Graces7 wrote: »

This used to get raised occasionally in various forms.

Usually I buy at different shops so today;s mega order gave me a chance to see what I am spending per week.

Some items will last at least 3 weeks, and I deducted the pet food,

Works out at around/less than E20 a week. Frozen fish, cheese, a chicken, as well as fruit and vegetables and coffee . And some chocolate.. Bread enough for at least 2 weeks. I have of late had the impression that food is getting cheaper and not eating meat saves,

Not being funny or anything but I don't imagine food is actually getting cheaper at all, I imagine you're probably just eating less of it than you did before.

About €20 a week sounds about right for one person who doesn't eat meat, but it doesn't necessarily follow that food itself is any better value than it was when you were younger.

What I don't get is the latest craze for "batch cooking" or "bulk buying" as if they're actually new phenomena. I've never bothered with either personally but I can see how it has both it's advantages and disadvantages.

I'd spend about €100 a week on groceries between the two of us, and it's gone in the week, as opposed to storing it up. I just don't see the point.

Graces7

One eyed Jack wrote: »

Not being funny or anything but I don't imagine food is actually getting cheaper at all, I imagine you're probably just eating less of it than you did before.

About €20 a week sounds about right for one person who doesn't eat meat, but it doesn't necessarily follow that food itself is any better value than it was when you were younger.

What I don't get is the latest craze for "batch cooking" or "bulk buying" as if they're actually new phenomena. I've never bothered with either personally but I can see how it has both it's advantages and disadvantages.

I'd spend about €100 a week on groceries between the two of us, and it's gone in the week, as opposed to storing it up. I just don't see the point.

I find quality higher now and I eat more than I used to these days. Competition helps especially with fruit and vegetables.

Not thinking back to younger days but the last few years..

I stock ad store but then we can be cut off for weeks at a time and would be irresponsible else.

Franz Von Peppercorn

One eyed Jack wrote: »

Not being funny or anything but I don't imagine food is actually getting cheaper at all, I imagine you're probably just eating less of it than you did before.

About €20 a week sounds about right for one person who doesn't eat meat, but it doesn't necessarily follow that food itself is any better value than it was when you were younger.

What I don't get is the latest craze for "batch cooking" or "bulk buying" as if they're actually new phenomena. I've never bothered with either personally but I can see how it has both it's advantages and disadvantages.

I'd spend about €100 a week on groceries between the two of us, and it's gone in the week, as opposed to storing it up. I just don't see the point.

Food is probably cheaper though. She’s lived long enough to have empirical evidence.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Food has never been cheaper than it is now. Producers are being nailed against the wall by supermarkets as chains go head to head on offers.

That said it still pays to pay attention and not be a snob about brands, see this weeks survey results.

Yes, as a percentage of disposable income, food has never been cheaper.

It's difficult enough to workout what we actually spend on food, as opposed to groceries, but a rough estimate for two of us per week would be

Fruit & Veg 20, Meat/fish/chicken 40, milk/butter 17, bread, biscuits and such 10, coffee/tea 7, sundries like herbs, salt, sugar, flour 8. So about 100 per week or 50 per person. Of course cleaning products, washing powders, personal hygiene, and the like, add an average of probably 25 more per week.

It varies a lot because some items are weekly while other could last several weeks, if not month. But certainly it's not as big a slice of the pie as it was a few years ago. And it was a whole different ballgame with a few kids in the house.

One eyed Jack

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

Food is probably cheaper though. She’s lived long enough to have empirical evidence.

I was thinking of that alright when I said it, because I was thinking the food bill is probably cheaper, especially when not buying meat, but that doesn't take into account either quality or value, and I'll always pay that bit extra for meat in a quality butchers as opposed to the meat they sell in Tesco for example that you could bounce it off a wall it's that rubbery! :pac:

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

One eyed Jack wrote: »

Not being funny or anything but I don't imagine food is actually getting cheaper at all, I imagine you're probably just eating less of it than you did before.

About €20 a week sounds about right for one person who doesn't eat meat, but it doesn't necessarily follow that food itself is any better value than it was when you were younger.

What I don't get is the latest craze for "batch cooking" or "bulk buying" as if they're actually new phenomena. I've never bothered with either personally but I can see how it has both it's advantages and disadvantages.

I'd spend about €100 a week on groceries between the two of us, and it's gone in the week, as opposed to storing it up. I just don't see the point.

I haven't the report to hand but there was something - perhaps last year - that food has never been cheaper when weighed against the labour required to purchase it. This was over the past couple of hundred years.

JohnnyFlash

Food shopping used to take up between 25-35% of a family budget for an average family in Ireland in the 80's. It now takes up between 7% and 11%. Obesity is on the rise, so you'd have to imagine people should consider spending more on buying quality products, and spending more time preparing meals; instead of relying on cheap convenience. Like a chicken fillet roll for €2.50. If you think about that for more than a second then you'll realise that once profit, overhead, and supply chain is taken out, you're left with a meat that can't be very good for you.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

One eyed Jack wrote: »

I was thinking of that alright when I said it, because I was thinking the food bill is probably cheaper, especially when not buying meat, but that doesn't take into account either quality or value, and I'll always pay that bit extra for meat in a quality butchers as opposed to the meat they sell in Tesco for example that you could bounce it off a wall it's that rubbery! :pac:

OEJ, I too use a quality butcher, a good greengrocers and try to buy quality but food, as a stand alone item, as a percentage of earning is most definitely lower than it was twenty or even ten years ago.

uch

Srameen, €10 on biscuits (bread) for 2, I love your posts, but I'm realising you like them biccies, don't you

Hector Bellend

Cos this is my united states of whatever

Irish Guitarist

Some things taste the same no matter what brand it is. I've never tasted any difference between one brand of pasta and another. You can a get massive bag of own brand pasta in Aldi or Tesco for €1.00. You could get a cheap can of tomato soup and some grated cheese and make a pasta bake with it.

Gorgeousgeorge

30 euro a week feeds me. Porridge for the breakfast, brown soda bread and ham for the lunch and usualy a tuna salad or pasta for the dinner.

That would be buying all the stuff in the local tesco

Graces7

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

Food is probably cheaper though. She’s lived long enough to have empirical evidence.

LIDL and ALDI have helped reduce costs. Now prices of eg milk, butter, sugar etc are standardised on basic brands.

A great help.

Remembering when Tesco took LIDL to court for allegedly undercharging..

A fillit steak for 4 euro in Aldi says it all really, I got one for lunch the other day and I dont really like fillit steak much.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

uch wrote: »

Srameen, €10 on biscuits (bread) for 2, I love your posts, but I'm realising you like them biccies, don't you

I did say 'biscuits, bread and such' that includes the likes of cream crackers, ryvita and, of course, chocolate.