With food prices still creeping up across the UK, feeding a family in 2025 feels like a juggling act between quality, nutrition, and cost. But guess what? It can be done—and with flavour, fun, and family time still fully on the menu. May was a perfect example of that.
Here’s how we kept our total food costs under control during a month packed with holidays, birthdays, a camping trip, and a few tasty takeaways.
🏕 May Highlights: Holidays, Birthdays & a Rainy Adventure
May brought plenty of reasons to celebrate—and spend. Between two bank holidays, our son’s birthday, and a half-term camping trip to rainy (but beautiful) Wales, there were lots of opportunities for extra expenses.
We’d just invested in a bigger tent—the Outdoor Revolution Kalahari 7.0SE Air Tent—because with three kids and three dogs, space was tight. Setting up in the rain was a bit of a comedy show (note to self: practice pitching before the holiday), but we got there in the end and even created our own cosy cinema tent setup. Rainy days, family movies, and hot food? Yes please.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a trip to the coast without fish and chips, and we also treated ourselves to a Chinese takeaway during the soggier days. On our return, we shared fresh homegrown strawberries and cream (thanks, Grandude!) by making a simple but delicious Eton Mess.
Back home, our son had a relaxed but memorable birthday. A family trip to the cinema to see The Thunderbolts, a hearty pub meal at The Red Hawk (loaded fries, pizza, and mac ‘n’ cheese, anyone?), and the best-ever homemade chocolate birthday cake wrapped up the celebration.
💸 UK Food Spend vs. Our Family Budget
Let’s look at the national average to put things in perspective:
Average UK Monthly Spend per Person on Food (2024):
- Groceries: £36–£42 per week
- Dining & Takeaways: £14–£18 per week
➡️ Total: £200–£240 per month per person
For a Family of 5:
That’s £1,080–£1,300 per month on average.
So, how did we stack up?
✅ Our May 2025 Food Budget
Here’s our full food spend breakdown:
- 🛒 Food Shop: £649.58
- 🍟 Takeaways & Dining Out: £283.15
- 👨👩👧👦 Daily Cost Per Person: £4.19 for shopping or £6.02 for all
(That includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks!)
That’s just £930.73 total for the whole month—well below the UK average.
🍽 What We Ate on a Budget
From quick weekday dinners to special weekend treats, we enjoyed a full range of budget-friendly meals. Some of our family favourites from May included:
- Lemonade-Battered Cod with Tartare Slaw
- Easy Slow Cooker Lamb Curry
➡️ Want the recipes? Keep an eye on the blog and follow us on social media—we’re sharing photos, step-by-steps, and weekly menus!
🔜 Coming in June: What to Expect on the Blog
June is jam-packed with foodie content and seasonal flavours, including:
- Healthy Salmon Recipe for British Nutrition Foundation Week
- Steak & Ale Pie (perfect for Father’s Day)
- Loaded Wedges with Cheese and Bacon
- Cheese & Onion Pasties
- Strawberry Oat Traybake (great for picnics and school lunches!)
💬 Join the Conversation
What’s your family’s go-to budget-friendly meal? I’d love to hear your favourites and maybe even feature one next month.
📩 Don’t forget to:
- Subscribe to the newsletter to keep updated
- Follow on Instagram and TikTok for weekly meal ideas
- Pin your favourite recipes to save for later
Let’s keep proving that great food doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
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