A Month of Progress (and Real Life)
March was the first month where I really focused on hitting our £150 per week food budget.
January was still in post-Christmas mode, and February included family visits and school holidays — so March felt like a proper reset. A chance to get back into routine and see what we could really achieve.
Last year, I set out to stick to this budget consistently. Looking back, we proved it’s possible to eat well, enjoy family meals, and still stay in control of spending.
That said, real life always plays a part — and March was no exception.
How Did We Do on Our March Food Budget?
March started brilliantly, coming in £25 under budget in week one. It felt like this could be the turning point for a strong month… until week two brought us firmly back to reality.
Week 2 (week 12 in the annual calendar) was higher than expected, largely due to hosting a Mother’s Day meal for my mum and dad. Alongside the food shop, we also picked up flowers and a few extra gifts.
Ideally, I would separate these costs for clarity, but in reality, that can be time-consuming — and this blog is about keeping things practical and honest. Even with adjustments, we likely wouldn’t have hit the £150 target that week, and that’s okay.
Meals, Experiments, and Family Time
March was packed with variety, good food, and a few standout moments in the kitchen.
We celebrated National Pie Week with a hearty beef and vegetable pie and leaned into a few “fakeaway” favourites, including:
- Homemade kofta kebabs with 2-ingredient flatbreads (now a firm staple!)
- Buttermilk hot honey chicken and waffles
New recipes added to Looks Good Let’s Eat this month included:
👉 You can find all of these in the recipe section of the blog.
March Weekly Food Spend
Our shopping follows payday and is done weekly on Saturdays, including toiletries.
- Week 11 (7th): £125.81
- Week 12 (14th): £217.94
- Week 13 (21st): £135.69
- Week 14 (28th): £167.34
👉 Total March food shop: £646.78
👉 Weekly average: £161.70
For full transparency, we also spent £143.70 on treats and takeaways, averaging £35.93 per week.
Yes, this pushed us over our ideal target — but most of that spend came during family time and social occasions, which I’m more than happy to prioritise.
How Do We Compare to the UK Average?
The average UK household spends around £44 per person per week on food. For a family of five, that’s roughly £220 per week or £880 per month.
Our total March spend, including treats and takeaways, came to £790.48.
While it’s slightly above our personal target, it’s still below the UK average, which is encouraging — especially with rising food costs.
Monthly Memories
March was full of moments, but a few stood out.
A surprise family visit, alongside baking a pie with our son; he really did make the whole dish from scratch and trying new flavours along the way which I think the family enjoyed too.
These are the moments that remind me — budgeting isn’t about cutting back, it’s about making room for what matters.
What’s Coming in April
April is shaping up to be another month of simple, budget-friendly meals, including:
- Vegetarian cheese and potato pie
- Beef koftas
- Chicken katsu curry
- Vegetable spring rolls
- Burger slaw
If there’s a budget-friendly recipe you’d love me to try, let me know in the comments.
And before you go — what’s your favourite low-cost family meal? I’d love to feature reader suggestions in a future post.
Leave a Reply