How much do you spend on groceries?

[shockedatcosts]

I have kept my receipts for a month and am shocked to see that I spend S$1K on groceries a month. This is for a family of 4 (2 kids under 6) and without alcohol (separate bill and we do not eat a lot of luxuries. I have been shopping in the main supermarket here that you find everywhere.   This seems really a lot to me.

I need to cut back on my bills to save more. I get it that I need to shop in cheaper places. I have tried the wet markets, but I always end up paying what I would in the supermarket.

[looks fine..]

The price tag is about there. Looks reasonable to me.

[jalanperak]

Here's a thread from about 18 months ago on this topic.

http://www.expatsingapore.com/forum/index.php/topic,59257.msg1531761.html#msg1531761

[seems fine]

We are also a family of 4 plus helper, we spend about that.  We were in Europe over the summer and paid for our food for a month, came out to be the same, so no complaints by us.

[Sepii]

Jelanperak - with respect the thread 18months ago isn't that helpful as the cost of living in Singapore has shot up of late.  I find that groceries (as with everything else on this tiny island) is a ridiculous price.  Cold Storage is charging a premium for anything that locals don't eat and they know it!  They have us over a barrel with the old mindset that the angmo's are LOADED and are big packages. Despite being very careful and not extravagant with my buying my shopping bill. And don't even get me started on the freshness and the quality as that adds insult to injury!

Ok - sorry for the little rant  Family of 4 no alcahol around 1.3k a month which is way more than I want to spend and I really try watching the prices and bargains.

[jalanperak]

Jelanperak - with respect the thread 18months ago isn't that helpful as the cost of living in Singapore has shot up of late. 

Well, the amount people were spending then seems to be pretty close to what people are spending now.

And back then, as it is now, the answer is to either learn to get by without the foods and brands you were used to back home, or get used to spending this amount of money for groceries.

[NMS1]

We spend somewhere around $250 (no alcohol) per week for a family of five (but 2 children under 5) plus maid. We don't buy any of the so-called expensive overseas brands apart from the occasional treat or for biscuits/snacks so I don't think it's just a case of "ang moh" style food.

[Bills]

Jelanperak - with respect the thread 18months ago isn't that helpful as the cost of living in Singapore has shot up of late.  I find that groceries (as with everything else on this tiny island) is a ridiculous price.  Cold Storage is charging a premium for anything that locals don't eat and they know it!  They have us over a barrel with the old mindset that the angmo's are LOADED and are big packages. Despite being very careful and not extravagant with my buying my shopping bill. And don't even get me started on the freshness and the quality as that adds insult to injury!

Ok - sorry for the little rant  Family of 4 no alcahol around 1.3k a month which is way more than I want to spend and I really try watching the prices and bargains.

That's a perennial myth that supermarkets gorge angmos. Look, if the locals don't consume certain stuff that we are used to back home, it will be more costly for the importer to ship them over as there is no economy of scale. The reverse is true. Eg, a plate of rojak here costs maybe usd2-3? Try getting rojak in London or NY at even twice the price and you would be so lucky.

[go to]

Carrefour or Fairprice finest...(although don't buy beef and lamb at the latter) and you will spend much less.  The vegetables at Fairprice are much better than Cold storage.  But you will need CS for the more 'exotic' products such as Waitrose peanut butter, vegemite etc

[shopped around]

I avoid shopping at the Market Place, Specialty stores or Jasons branches of cold storage, they all charge more.  Also CS in some malls charge more too - eg the one at Siglap charges less for certain things than the one at Parkway Parade, even though they are both just normal Cold Storage stores.

NTUC is a good bet for some things but once they change to a 'finest' the prices go up.  Their online store is usually cheaper than the finest stores but delivery is a bit hit and miss.

I find Mustafa is quite good for many veggies and they have quite a lot of unusual ones.  You can also get many of the groceries there that you'd get at other supermarkets (can't buy alcohol which keeps your final bill lower too).  I don't buy meat from Mustafa though, it always looks a bit suspect, but I'm sure it's perfectly fine.  they're doing up their grocery dept at the moment so it might start to look a bit more professional than it has done in the past.

[.....]

$1000 - that works out at the current extreme exchange rates as 125 pounds per week.  Not that outrageous if you ask me, especially given that non-asian stuff does need to be imported..

[the secret]

can you tell me your secret please cos I can't get mine much below $2K.

We are 2 adults 2 children (with school packed lunches)

I shop in CS for most things but also do Giant and Carrefour for household cleaning bits, where am I going wrong??

[shockedatcosts]

I just re read my post. I am spending GBP1,000 (S$2,000) a month. Sorry!
 

[your mistake]

can you tell me your secret please cos I can't get mine much below $2K.

We are 2 adults 2 children (with school packed lunches)

I shop in CS for most things but also do Giant and Carrefour for household cleaning bits, where am I going wrong??

You're going wrong with the CS bit.  Only buy things in there that you can't get elsewhere.  Get your staples in Giant, Carrefour or NTUC.

[you can't really]

make the comparison in £'s

Yes, I have a friend in the UK who says she spends £150 approx in UK (for 2+2) but I easily spend at least 3 times that here. Easy to see how when you compare prices of simple things like rockmelon - in Tesco UK £1 vs Cold Storage here $9.50.