Do you find it really expensive?

Mags12

Full Member
I was chatting to a mate earlier about us losing weight and mentioned I was going back to SW class tonight if she wanted to come. She said 'oh I tried that before it's far too expensive to carry on with'. It got me thinking, I don't mind paying for classes, I think it's worth it for getting out of the house and away from the kids lol, no really, I think I need a class to be accountable each week for WI and for picking up tips from others.

Do any of you think SW is an expensive plan to follow long term, I'm guessing she means in terms of the food to buy etc? If so what are your best money saving tips?
x
 
I suppose it could be fairly expensive, especially food-wise for me I think.... I'm a student and have only been on SW since last Monday, but can't afford to go to meetings until October when I get my student loans. With food, being a student I always try to find the best deals but ultimately end up buying lots of value stuff, which often tends to have more syns than branded stuff......
 
Hi there, I think the reason many people believe SW to be expensive is because fresh fruit, fresh meat, fresh fish and fresh vegetables dont seem to have as many offers as junk food.

The cheapest way to follow plan is by doing a green days, as potatoes, pasta, beans, lentils are cheap and go along way.

I normally shop around and get most things from Aldi so it does not cost too much.
 
I actually thought id spend less following ww for a while, but my food bill has been NO less.

I know that money is always a big issue(its not like i have it to throw it around myself) but it cant be an excuse not to be healthy? xx
 
Green is def much cheaper if you're cooking from scratch. Frozen fruit and veg also help keep the cost down while getting your 5 (or more) a day.
 
When i think about the money i spend on healthy food I cant help think, Im worth it!
Im sure I spent the same on convenience junk and grab and go food, now that I have to do a weekly food shop and plan, cook from scratch, I have noticed I spend £60 a week on food but I never totaled it before when buying s***e!!!!
 
I dont think to be honest for my family its been much different.

I still buy mince, chicken, tomatoes, beans, weetabix, pasta etc the only thing I buy different is we have a stack of herbs, spices, but they are relatively cheap if you get supermarket brand and I now make my own sauces for bolognese etc, passata is so cheap as is low fat yoghurt when I make a curry.

I agree with the point though about junk food always being so cheap. I often used to go in asda and pick up special offers like pizzas, sausage rolls at a pound a packet, which we dont do all that much now tbh.

I'm not sure whether people think its expensive because they are still buying a lot of junk for their families as well as more healthy things that they can eat.

I definitely go to supermarkets depending on the offers though, I can get a lot of fruit in morrisons for half the price at sainsburys for just as good quality.

So after all that rambling :D no I dont believe its more expensive. If anything because we dont buy so much junk if anything I find it a little cheaper.
 
Think of it this way- i spend £60 a week. That does me and my joe for 7 breakfast's, 7 lunches, and 7 dinners, plus snacks and drinks etc.

I wouldnt think twice if i spent £20 on a takeaway for us. Thats one meal. For two.

xxx
 
I think you need to look at where you spend your money when thinking about costs of dieting.

For example i used to spend a lot on lunches: a 'bought' lunch from somewhere like Upper Crust or Philpots (my fave) can come in at around £5 easily - drink (bottle of pop - £1.50, Crisps £0.50, and a sandwich/baguette with a decent filling £3).

Or you can bring your own lunch in for a fraction of the price (Multipack of crisps £0.40, multipack can of Pop £0.50, Jacket Spud and tin of beans from home £1 max!! total = £2) saving approx £3 per day, and therefore saving £15 a week, £65 a month, £780 a year.

You can cut costs, but dont have to miss out! x

I also find websites like mysupermarket are useful - and i shop online a lot, to keep to a budget when i need to.

It helps because you dont have impulse buys - although i dont mind shopping if the store is quiet.

x
 
My shopping is def dearer than it used to be but as others have said im no longer buying any take aways on top of a weekly shop so figure it evens out. And if it is more expensive in my view its worth it!

I spend less though when i sit and plan my meals for the week and write a list of everything i need for that and stick to it
 
i guess you also have to think the cost of living in the UK is more than it was a few years ago - so essential foods do cost a bit more nowadays! i mean a loaf of bread is like £1.20 - i remember when it was about 80p! that sort of inflation on all products is why shopping costs more.

x
 
I am spending some more but that's because I only really like expensive fruit like raspberries, blueberries etc I've discovered it's usually cheaper to buy them frozen though. That's the only thing that has altered though as I've rarely bought anything ready made.
 
Thanks everyone :) some great ideas there, definitely think I will be upping the amount of frozen fruit I buy as I love berries too and planning ahead would cut a few costs as well. I shudder to think of the amount I have spent on takeaways and not batted an eyelid at the time lol
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If I just look at my weekly supermarket bill, then yes, it's more. But if I then deduct the takeaways, and the eating out, and the repeated 50ps for the chocolate vending machine at work, then it definitely works out cheaper.

And of course, if I'm running short of money, green days (pasta and tomatoes/beans and jacket spuds) are really easy to do on a budget.
 
thanks Emmy, makes sense when you put it that way, I wasn't thinking about the change I would throw into vending machines although looking at my hips should tell me I've done it more than once or twice lol
x
 
I would say I'm working out CHEAPER than before.

We do Extra easy, biggest expense is Yoghurts actually. So I have one in the morning only.

I keep meaning to actually track our food bills proper, but I think you could do a budget SW plan, easier on green.
 
If I just look at my weekly supermarket bill, then yes, it's more. But if I then deduct the takeaways, and the eating out, and the repeated 50ps for the chocolate vending machine at work, then it definitely works out cheaper.

. . .

I think this is a very sensible way of looking at it. I agree - my supermarket bill is higher but I don't buy things at other times, like when I go shopping, I don't get snacks or stop for a drink and a cake.

When I retired and stopped buying stuff at sandwich bars and at Paddington Station, it was amazing how much I saved!!!
 
Yes - my shopping bill has gone up. however my food bill has gone down.

I used to eat takeaways - 4 or 5 times a week. and at least £5, probably nearer £10 a day on chocolate, cakes, pork pies, crisps, etc.

but i rarely brought more then a pack of spuds and some pre-prepared "grills", sausages, and such for for the days i didn't cook.

All told - eating fresh and on plan rather then the junk - saved me enough to have just finished the payments on my car that i couldn't have afforded pre-slimming world.
 
I always gasp at how much i spend in Tescos on weekly shop and then end up popping in to Asda mid week for things Tesco didnt have or have stopped doing!
but having just done the maths and worked out per meal it works out to like £1.50 a meal ( accounting for some of the food bill in fact is cat food and laundry stuff!) so actually not bad at all.
It odd how we spend £60 for a week and gasp, yet happily go to a restaurant and spend £20 a head and don't bat an eyelid!!

We do have green days mostly as meat does work out dearer, and i am veggie anyway, so quorn for us.

I often have dear weeks and cheaper weeks depending on what store cupboard stuff i have run out of.
I also look for the offers on stuff i know i always buy ( like meringue nests are on offer atm in Tescos, so stocked up)
 
I'm a bargain hunter!

I go to Home and Bargain and BM, (sorry if this is advertising, I'm a newbie so forgive me) today I bought Mugshots for 29p and pasta and sauce for 49p, they also have lots of dried pasta cheaper than some other places.They also have the Ainsley cous-cous packets, 4 tins branston beans for 1.49, crosse and blackwell savoury rice for 39p. I also check out the reduced sections of supermarkets for meat, especially fridays or late sunday afternoon and then I throw them in the freezer. :)
 
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