Fish and chips now cost an average of £11.41 per portion, but households are being warned to cut five specific spending habits before sacrificing their favourite takeaway. According to a new report by industry body Seafish, the average portion of cod and chips has risen to £11.41, while haddock and chips averages £10.29. Around 7,210 fish and chip shops operate across the UK, but rising costs of fish, potatoes, cooking oil and energy continue to pressure businesses.
Expert: Small Purchases, Not Treats, Cause Financial Trouble
Molly Monks, insolvency specialist at Parker Walsh, said: “One fish and chip supper isn’t what pushes people into financial difficulty. It’s usually dozens of small purchases that quietly creep into people’s budgets every week.” She emphasised that cutting out enjoyable treats first makes budgeting miserable and harder to stick to.
Five Items to Cut Before Your Friday Chippy
Monks identified five key areas to address: forgotten subscriptions, food delivery mark-ups, Buy Now Pay Later interest, daily convenience spending, and one-click online shopping. She advised: “Go through your bank statement every few months. People are often shocked by how many recurring payments they’ve completely forgotten about.”
On food delivery, she noted: “If you’re treating yourself, ordering direct or collecting your food yourself can often save more than people realise.” Regarding Buy Now Pay Later, she warned: “It’s very easy to lose track when several purchases overlap. Before long you’re paying for last month’s shopping while buying this month’s.”
Small Changes, Big Savings
Monks stated: “It’s almost never one big purchase that causes financial problems. It’s the £5 here, the £8 there and the quick tap of the card that people barely think about.” She recommended: “Leaving items in your basket overnight or giving yourself just 24 hours before clicking ‘buy’ is one of the simplest ways to cut unnecessary spending. Quite often you’ll realise you didn’t really want it.”
She concluded: “Money management isn’t about taking away every little pleasure. If Friday night fish and chips is something your family genuinely looks forward to, I’d protect that before I’d keep paying for subscriptions I don’t use or spending money on convenience purchases that add very little to my life. The best budgets are the ones people can actually stick to. Making a handful of small, realistic changes usually saves far more in the long run than giving up the things that genuinely make you happy.”
