How Much Does the Average Person Spend on Food per Week UK?

There are some expenses that you can cut back on completely whenever money gets tight. But food is an essential. We need to eat and we need to feed our families. But we can adjust how much we spend on food when we know that we need to reign in our spending. With food prices only heading in one direction at the moment, many families are feeling the pinch and wondering if they can cut back on their weekly food shop. Let’s take a look at how much does the average person spend on food per week UK so that you can work out whether you’re spending about the same as others. Whilst it’s not always good to compare yourself, the results may either reassure you that you’re spending about the right amount or give you the nudge you need to start making cutbacks.

Rise in Food Prices

In the last twelve months, food prices have risen astronomically. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), food and non-alcoholic beverage prices increased faster in the twelve months leading up to November 2022 than they have done since 1977. In fact, food and non-alcoholic drink prices rose by 16.5%. That means that on average, the exact same shop would have cost you 16.5% more in November 2022 than it would have done in November 2021. That’s pretty scary.

How Much Does The Average Person Spend On Food Per Week UK?

This is a really difficult question to answer. The amount of money that people spend on food varies a lot depending on their income. As you might expect, those with a higher income have a tendency to spend more money on food per person per week.

At the time of writing, the ONS have the average cost of food per person per week at £36.60 plus another £11.70 on takeaways, grabbing a sandwich or a coffee. So the average person spends £48.30 per week on food.

How much does the average person spend on food per week UK? – Some facts and figures

• The average adult male spends £42 on their weekly groceries plus £16 on takeaways/eating out
• The average adult female spends £32 on their weekly groceries plus £12 on takeaways/eating out
• Households in the UK typically spend around 16% of their total household income on food and non-alcoholic drinks
• The Trussell Trust reported that foodbank usage increased by 2.5% in the year 2021/2022 compared to the previous year

How much does the average person spend on food per week UK – table

Average cost per week	Supermarket	Eating out/takeaways	Total
Single person	£36.60	£11.70	£48.30
Adult male	£42	£16	£58
Adult female	£32	£12	£44
Two adult household	£74	£28	£102
Family of 3	£101	£38	£139
Family of 4	£129	£49	£178
Family of 5	£156	£59	£215

What might impact the cost of my food shop?

There are many things that may have an impact on the cost of your weekly food shop:

• Your calorific requirements. People that are very active may spend more on calorie-dense foods
• Where you shop. Low budget supermarkets such as Aldi & Lidl can cost less and save you money. But I have noticed recently that these supermarkets seem to be becoming much less competitive
• Time of year. It’s inevitable that we will spend more money during certain times of the year. This could be Christmas, holidays or birthdays. You can combat this a little by putting some money aside each month so that you spread the cost of special occasions rather than having to find the money all at once
• Where you live. If you live in a busy area with a variety of shops then you can shop around for the best deals. Those living in more rural areas may have less choice of budget shops.
• How much spare time you have. Budgeting your food shop doesn’t need to be too time-consuming. But, if you have the time to shop when yellow-sticker items tend to be released, or you have lots of time to batch cook, then this could save you money.
• The size of your family. Generally speaking, the more people in your household, the more money you’ll spend each week on food. Obviously, this will vary slightly depending on the age of each person and whether you feed everyone every night of the week. Families with adult children may spend more if everybody eats together every night, but they might spend less if the adult children buy their own food.

The rising cost of food

The biggest problem that families are facing at the moment is the rising cost of everything, and that includes food. Generally speaking, our incomes haven’t increased, but our outgoings definitely have. Energy prices and the rising cost of food are the biggest concerns for many families in the UK at the moment. The average household’s disposable income is being swallowed up and some families don’t have the money left over after their rent/mortgage and energy bills have been paid in order to be able to put food on the table. That’s why food banks are being used much more than they have in previous years.

Why are food prices rising?

There are lots of different reasons why food costs are increasing so much and it’s all very complicated, but these are some of the main factors:

• The rising cost of labour
• The rising cost of energy
• The war in Ukraine
• Increases in fuel costs
• Poor weather conditions have meant fewer crops

So what should my budget be?

Your weekly family food budget is really down to you to decide. Food needs vary depending on age and activity levels, so you need to make sure that your monthly food budget allows you to buy what you need in order to meet your family’s needs.

It’s always useful to see the weekly household spending of other family’s so that you can gauge whether you’re overspending, but remember that it’s impossible to compare two households like for like. You might have somebody with allergies in your family which might bump up your grocery spending.

What is the average grocery bill for 2 in the UK?

The average weekly expenditure for two people in the UK is £102.

How much does it cost to feed a child in the UK per month?

This varies drastically depending on the age and size of the child as well as whether they have any allergies. But, it’s said to cost around £130 to feed a child in the UK per month.

How much does it cost to feed a family of four in the UK per month?

The average family of four, consisting of two adults and two children, will spend £600-£700 per month on food. This includes all fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, dairy, cereal etc and even school dinners.

How much should I spend on pet food per month?

The answer to this varies dramatically between households and depends on the types of pets you have, the size of their appetites, special dietary requirements, and how many pets you have in the house.

If you have a large dog, you are likely to have a much larger weekly expenditure than a family who just owns a hamster, for example.

We own one dog and two cats, and our cats cost us far more in food as they are very fussy, whilst the dog doesn’t have a big appetite and just picks at her kibble throughout the day.

How much does the average person spend on food UK? – Ways to save on food

If you’re feeling the pinch at the moment, or you just want to take steps to reduce your household spending, then there are a few things you can do in order to reduce your food shopping.

Meal plan

We’re a family of five and I always feel as though we spend a fortune on our food shopping, but I know that meal planning definitely saves us a lot of money each month.

I sit down once a week and plan our meals for the following week. I make sure I check what we already have in and use that as a base for some of our meals. Then, I order my weekly shopping online from ASDA. We live in a small town so we’re limited to where we can shop and I find ASDA very competitive but we don’t have one here. I also love the ASDA Rewards app at the moment.

Shop online

I pay £6 each month for a delivery pass which allows me to have as many ASDA deliveries as I like. It would cost me more than £6 in petrol to drive to ASDA every week, so I know it’s worth it. Shopping online also means that I’m not tempted by enticing offers at the end of the aisles, I only buy what I need which definitely saves money.

Eat out less

It’s so simple yet so effective. Eating out or grabbing a takeaway coffee every morning is a really expensive habit. If you usually grab a sandwich or a coffee on your lunch break, start taking your own instead.

Shop around

You can definitely save money by shopping around. This can be tricky if you don’t have much spare time though.

If you can, it’s also worth hitting the supermarket late evening when the yellow sticker, reduced food items tend to be reduced. These are usually items that are perishable and have hit their use-by date but many of them can be frozen at home.

Make a note of things you run out of

It’s worth making a note of things as you run of them so that you know exactly what you need when you’re in the shops. You can use the notes section on your phone for this, or just keep a small notepad in your bag so it’s always handy.

Batch cook

Batch cooking is a great way to save money and save time on busy weekday evenings. There are all kinds of meals that can be batch cooked and frozen ready for future use, you can also do this with snacks too. Here are a few of my favourites:

• Lasagne
• Spaghetti Bolognese
• Chilli Con Carne
• Chicken Casserole
• Waffles
• Beef Casserole
• Cottage Pie

How much does the average person spend on food per week UK?

So, if you want to know how much does the average person spend on food per week UK, we’ve established that weekly spending on food varies depending on a number of factors including income and the number of people in the household, but the average person spends £48.30 per week on food in the UK. Those on the lowest incomes may be forced to work hard to spend less, whilst those with high levels of disposable income may spend far more. It’s likely that household budgets will continue to be squeezed over the coming months, so if you are concerned, then now is definitely the time to start cutting back.