“I buy what we need for each meal, no more and no less”: in the refrigerator of Marietta, 45 years old, 1,875 euros a month

Tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you who you are. In our format soberly titled “In the fridge of…”, readers of all ages and with different incomes open the door to their kitchen and their fridge.

• Name or nickname : Marietta

• Age : 45 years

• Place of residence : Pontois

• People living under the same roof and their age :2, my husband and our 18 year old son

• Family income : €1875

• Monthly grocery budget : €360

• Dietary specificities (diet, religious restrictions, allergies, etc.) : Nobody

The eating and drinking habits of Marietta and her family

I go shopping once a week for the whole week, generally on Monday evening, when I come home from work, I go to Leclerc and buy what we usually eat: yogurt, pasta, butter, a little cheese, fruit and vegetables, cakes and breakfast in the morning and cook meals for the week.

A controlled budget and little food waste

I try to make daily menus (during the day only my husband eats at home, I take Tupperware, and my son eats with my husband when he doesn’t have class, but in this case I leave him some money so he can buy a sandwich at the local bakery or a meal at Picard’s).

This means my budget is fairly controlled and we waste little. I actually buy what we need for each meal, no more, no less. It can be, for example, a vegetable quiche, a dish of baked gnocchi, or more simply a pasta gratin with cheese. Sometimes, a ratatouille when I have time.

In these cases I buy large quantities of vegetables and freeze them, which gives us an advantage and saves money.

Marche frequented by Marietta

I go to Leclerc every week for most of my shopping (including fruit and vegetables, meat and fish). I buy everything there, except bread, which I get from our usual bakery.

“Organic, I find it extremely expensive”

Honestly, for me, price comes before organic or high-end considerations. My husband does not work and only receives a small unemployment benefit, which does not allow us to have a generous spending budget. So I mainly look at the price tags, although I pay attention to the provenance of, for example, fruit and vegetables, out of conscience.

But on the other hand I find organic food to be extremely expensive. So unless there’s a promotion, unfortunately it’s not really my priority, even though I’d like to.

The meat and fish consumption habits of Marietta and her family

As for meat and fish, as I said above, I buy everything from Leclerc, which has a fairly well-stocked meat and fish department and with variable prices.

If I don’t have meat or fish on the menu for the week, I don’t buy any. But I still generally plan once or twice a week.

Marietta is the only one who cooks, “to better control the budget and menu”

I’m the only one who cooks at home, which is much easier. So I’m the one who controls both the budget and the menu. Mainly because I like cooking, it takes my mind off things. Cooking is my time to disconnect a bit.

Meal deliveries and food cracking

We never have meals delivered. I find it very expensive and, if I have to have the pizzas delivered, I prefer to make them myself.

We don’t like fast food, so this shows quickly. On the other hand, it can happen to my son, from time to time, with his request, to have it delivered (especially on weekends), often from McDonald’s, which I don’t particularly approve of, but he orders with his own pocket money.

My last gastronomic indulgence was a box of Ferrero Rocher, which we shared with my husband and son.

Impact of inflation on the Marietta basket

Over the past few years, my shopping budget has increased significantly and my cart size has decreased.

I also see many products that I used to buy becoming more expensive due to inflation (for example ketchup, pasta or potatoes whose prices I have seen explode).

Environmental impact is not a priority

I wish I was more thoughtful about the environmental impact of the food I buy, but unfortunately I look at my wallet and my bank account before I look at my environmental impact.

The commitment I make is mainly on the origin of the products. For example, I will take fruit and vegetables that, as much as possible, come from France, even if they sometimes cost a little more (except when the price difference is really significant, such as for clementines at the moment).