can i do a food shop from ocado for £80 for family of 4?

[frazzled74]

Does anyone manage this? and what do they buy? Ive used them before and like the food and service but really need to stay in budget so wondering if i should shop from asda or sainsburys instead, not tescos as hate their delivery service.My new plan to be organised and meal plan is to shop online weekly and only stock up daily on bread and milk, i will do a monthly aldi shop for washing powder, loo roll etc.

[mumblechum1]

Yes but don't expect it to last more than 3 days

[chickydoo]

I did an Ocado shop on Friday, family of 6, cost me £145.
Food nearly gone!!!
Mind you have 3 teens

[Pourquoimoi]

Yes I think you can. If you base your meals on what is on offer, 3 for £10 meats etc.

It takes careful shopping but i think is possible if you plan carefully and buy household items at aldi. Try using the ocado products, they are often decent.

Let us know how you get on.

[ZZMum]

I do this most weeks and it can be done especially if you are buying none food from elsewhere - I plan meals around the offers - as metnioned 3 for 10 quid meats are a great starting point, always have a couple of cheap meals such as jacket spuds or pasta with cheese and tuna - really root around the site for bargains - I was amazed at how cheap and lovely fresh squid is and can make a nice risotto for not much £££.. And the check out is also very helpful to show cheaper alternatives.. Doing this online ocado shop keeps me on budget - when ever I step in a real life supermarket I go off tangent and spend a lot more - so yes, you can do this!

[megandraper]

I have a family of 5 and shop at Ocado. Plus I have to buy gluten-free food which is (vastly) more expensive - also I buy expensive meat/fish because am building up one DC after long-term illness. I aim to spend £80 per week at Ocado and another £40 per week elsewhere, if that helps.

I pay for the annual delivery, and get two £40 deliveries per week, which is good for not over-buying. Also, the 'flash sales' that pop up during the check-out process are great for special deals. I also get vouchers e-mailed to me if my shop was more expensive than the same shop would have been at Tesco, and use those vouchers the next time.

[JiminyCricket]

I do - sometimes a bit more, occasionally a bit less. I have just gone back to them from Tescos, they are offering a tesco brand match (paid via voucher off your next shop) I tend to seek out the 'essential waitrose' brands which are all great imo and buy mostly fresh stuff (I have not been impressed with the Ocado own brand things, especially eggs and veg). I steer clear of the ready meals or high end things and its fine.

[CajaDeLaMemoria]

Do you mean cost-wise, or time-wise?

I think if you stick to Ocado brands and are quite open to using the offers and meal deals, you should be able to stick to an £80 budget - I've just done a shop for 2 adults for £60. It'll only last us four days though, and has no breakfast cereal and is mainly just evening meals as I don't tend to eat lunch.

Sell-by dates have been rubbish really so I didn't order a full week, I've been doing that for the past few weeks but things have gone off well before I can use them.

[Aethelfleda]

Er...can't you do a big shop at Aldi (is it miles away)? £80 will go far further there....if you're not there often then balance

[CecyHall]

I can do an ocado shop for 4 for £50 per week and no top up shops, however I batch cook for 2 yr old and 6 yr old has school dinners so just has 'packed lunch' in the evenings, I am vegan too which cuts down on meat.

[Aethelfleda]

Balance out the fresh versus frozen/tinned.
Seriously, the nicer Aldi stuff is a puttance compared to Ocado
Eg (roughly):

Pain au raisin £1.09 for 6 pack
Milano Salami 1.49 a pack
Smoked Salmon 200g for £2.49
Artichoke antipasti 99p a jar
Green Pesto 89p a jar
Frozen pizzas 99p-1.99 for "posher" ones
Asparagus £1.29 per bunch (air freight)

Maybe pass on the horsey lasagne....

[professorpoopsnagle]

Yes, I spent £82 today for a family of 5. I tend to buy the Ocado or essential range, and have a flexible menu plan in mind when I shop, so I go with the offers but only if they will work for me. I also have a chest freezer and use that for bread, veg, meat offers etc. I find I am so much stricter shopping online, I can get up to see what I have in the cupboards/fridge to see if the pasta etc can be eeked out, and I also then go through the shopping list and chuck out anything I put in on a whim that I don't need, or again think I can eek out, I usually save another £5 this way. It's also so much easier to see the price per kg or g.

[frazzled74]

well I am now an aldi convert, I went today and got a weeks shop for £64. I might treat myself to a once a month ocado delivery though .

[Fluffycloudland77]

Aldi is brilliant.

I hope you didn't make the classic newbie mistake and pack it all at the till.

[racingheart]

No Aldis near here. It's become a mythical place in my mind where you can feed a nation for a fiver. Really intrigued to go into one if I find one.

You can feed family of four for £80 at Ocado if you meal plan and start with the 3 for £10 deals and other special offers (e.g. they frequently have 8 chicken thighs for £1.50.)

If you choose meat from the 3 for 10 deal that lasts over 2 nights then you already have the basis of six dinners for 4, for £10. E.g. A chicken - roast one night then risotto or wraps or chicken pie on day 2; 500g mince bulked out with loads of tomatoes, courgettes, mushrooms and peppers (all from essentials range) can do a spag bol one night and add kidney beans for a chilli with rice the next night.

They do very good sausages at 2 packs of 8 for £4 (jsut as good as their 2 packs of 6 for £5) - these can go with mash and beans, or in a pasta or casserole.

Then add in veggie meals - spanish omlettes, dahl and rice, hearty soups with garlic bread and cheese for a couple of meals, and all you need is some cereal, milk, fruit and bread. Cheapest bread is to buy the mixes and bake your own.

The food gets a bit samey after a while though and I start longing for fish. But it can be done.