Food shopping.......

[Snadger]

I do most of the shopping in our house and have noticed a marked hike in food prices this year.
I now seem to frequent the reduced counter more and more in an effort to save money.
I really think I should change my shop from expensive Tesco's to one of the cheapies, Aldi or Netto for instance, and probably will do in the near future.

If it wasn't for my OH who is a bit faddy I would like to try an experiment JUST buying food from the reduced counter. I always call in every day after my allotment visit so this would be an interesting project. Anyone tried it?

[Jeanied]

Snadge that's what I do when I shop - head for the reuced section and build what I want from there- I also go to Aldi when I can as they are brilliant for basic ingredients and have some astounding specials as well (careful with those,as they can defeat the purpose!!)

[taff]

there's a lady on another forum, down the lane, her names meanqueen on there. You should read some of her shopping extravaganzas. I think she feeds herself for less than £10 a week, with veggies from her garden and reduced item food.

[Finedon.Dandy]

We keep getting the farmfoods flyers here and I do intend to "try them out" as their food seems very cheap and the vouchers give extra money off. I dont seem to be so lucky these days in the reduced item section - poss because with my brood in tow I dont get there at the "right" time and of course when I shop on-line (only once a month so I ensure I spend £100 to get the free delivery (soon adds up with double babymilk and nappies!)) the packer doesnt go through the reduced section for me! Let us know how you get on if you do your experiment Snadger - maybe an old dog could teach us pups a few tricks eh!!!!

[dexterdoglancashire]

Certainly nowt wrong with Aldi or Netto. Good quality fruit and veg and for half or less the price of the major supermarkets. Trouble is, I tend to buy more than just food when I go to Tesco or Sainsburys, which means I only have to suffer the one shopping session rather than go to two or three. Yep, in case you havent guessed, I hate shopping!

[miffy]

We do a a mixture of Aldi and Asda, Asda is cheaper than Sainsbogs and Tesco.
Aldi is fab for basics and the veg is good too not that you need that of course.
You are right re the shopping bill though it is so expensive and it is getting harder and harder each month with petrol and other costs on top just to manage household budgets.
Hope you sort things out for you and yours.

[Two_Sheds]

Practically all our meat is from the reduced counter. I buy it when it's cheap, cook it and freeze it in individual portions.

[MrsC]

I shop wherever to be honest, Asda, ALDi/Lidl, buy bits from everywhere. Farmfoods sell the bread which is Hovis (a few varieties) 2 for £1, delivered fresh everyday. It's £1.34 per loaf in the local co-op, also 4 pints of milk for 75p when you buy 2 x 4 pints. Farmfoods sells bread for 50p if you buy 2 and yet it's so expensive elsewhere some supermarkets are really making money on bread plus everything else. Nothing wrong with reduced counters you can always freeze stuff

[MrsC]

Me too Julie

[SarzWix]

95% of our meat comes from the local butcher (and prior to that it was in a field about half a mile away ) and as much as possible of our veg comes from the allotments. Cakes, biscuits etc, we try and make at home - if we have to bake it first it tends to cut down the amount that get eaten
So the things that push our shopping bill up are mostly non-food items which will get even more expensive when VAT goes up Loo-roll, washing powder, cleaning products, pet food...
I'm not looking forward to that.

[valmarg]

Our nearest supermarket is NETTO, and have had some really good bargains from them. They have been bought by ASDA, so will soon be changing.

The next nearest is Morrisons. They charged me £9.99 for something that was 99p. When I went back to complain they weren't prepared to believe me. That was 1990. I have never been in one of their stores since, and will never go in one.

In the other direction Tesco is the nearest. I don't like Tesco, and would never ever buy their meat. It doesn't look appetising, and when I did buy it it was as tough as old boots. It's a crime that so many animals are slaughtered to produce such rubbish.

The nearest town where we tend to shop most is Ashbourne. There's Sainsburys, Co-op (though I'm not a big fan) Waitrose and an M&S Food Only. Apart from the supermarkets there are two extremely good independent butchers, Birds bread/cake shop, and an independent greengrocer which sells local produce. Asparagus and strawberries from near Lichfield, and mushrooms from Derbyshire Mushroom Growers just outside the town.

Next Saturday will be Bakewell Farmers' Market. We go there, followed by Chatsworth Farm Shop, and then down to earth Sainsburys at Matlock.

I do a lot of supermarket shopping, but one thing I very, very rarely buy from them is meat. You cannot be sure where in the world it has come from. It only has to be packaged in the UK to be British. Beef could have come from South America, chicken from the far east. I like to know that the meat I buy has been humanely reared and slaughtered. I might not always succeed in that, but I do my best. As Hugh Fearlessly-Eatitall and the Two Fat Ladies said it costs more, but it doesn't have to be fillet steak all the time. The cheaper cuts are just as delicious.

valmarg

[singleseeder]

I agree Snadger, and many things have shrunk in size as well as the price rising. The outer packaging seems to have stayed the same size though, which is could be misconstrued as deceitful, if I weren't so charitable.

Like you, I check out the reduced sections in my local supermarket a couple of times a week on the way home from work. I have only myself to please and I'm happy to eat most things.

Savings can be made too, by 'investment shopping'. As well as 'stickered' goods, I also watch the press, leaflets and t'interweb for really good bargains. If it is something I use regularly, I'll buy several/lots/all of it.

Some months ago, Netto were doing 4xtins of Princes tomatoes for 99p so I bought 20 packs. 4xtins of beans have been in several supermarkets at 99p/£1 so I have 'investment bought' these too. Tins will keep 'forever', well certainly long enough for me to use them.

Recently there were dozens of packs of slice ham/turkey 'stickered' at 39p. A special offer that must have been over ordered I think. I bought 20 of each and chucked them in the freezer. Great for sarnies or chopping up into stirfries etc

Bread and rolls are top of my list for the freezer too, if I spot the types I like.

These investments are better than money in the bank; lets face it, you only have to be saving 3% to beat most savings these days, so 20% or more has to be a winner.

I steer away from 'investment buying' anything I might get through more quickly than usual or wouldn't normally buy, chocolate biscuits etc as I want my bank balance to increase, not my waistline

[Two_Sheds]

non-food items which will get even more expensive when VAT goes up
Loo-roll Pee in the watering can
washing powder, cleaning products Take it out the washing machine, hang it on the line for a day: good as new
pet food... guinea pigs aka Lawnmowers

Our main expense seems to be canoes. Two in the last 2 months. He can't stay upright in any of em

[jackie j]

We shop mainly at Tesco's or rather OH does, I do get staff discount but thats only 10%and then its limited to spending just over £7,000 a year, we tend to buy phone's, top ups, electrical items as well as food and christmas shopping. We eat mostly vegetarian food and cant remember the last time I bought meat or fish. Veg mostly comes from lottie as well as some fruit. Within a mile of us we have Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Iceland M & S and Somefield which is now Co - Op.

[Brengirl]

I always buy from reduced counter if the price is right and will walk a country mile to get the best bargain.
I met a granddaughter in Morrisons today and she was bemoaning that her budget went nowhere these days. Her trolley was full of snack size packages and prepacked kiddies lunches. Strewth almighty I cannot believe she is one of mine