Are the discount supermarkets jumping on the bandwagon?

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kate egg
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Post by kate egg »

I don't have time to go to lots of different shops, and often don't have access to a car during the day anyway.

For the last 3 weeks I have been doing my shopping online, once with Tes and co and the others sainsybloggs. There didn't seem much difference in general prices - there will always be special offers on. What I have found is that each week I have done the shop a day later and stretched things a day longer. Also although the first shop was the first since Christmas and was £150 :shock: the 2 subsequent were about £90 and I barely had to get anything in between except bread and milk.

I think on average last year I was spending about £140 a week - I know its horrendous, there are 4 of us so thats £35 each per week or about £5 a day each on all meals, toiletries etc.

This year I am going to try to get it down to £4 each per day or around £110 per week altogehter.
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Hawthorn
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Post by Hawthorn »

You can do it Kate )c(


I used to do my shopping in Tesco, but it really got out of hand - I was spending some weeks £180 for six of us :shock:

And the worst thing is? Often there was nothing to make a meal with :oops:

Meal planning has really helped with this - I know where I am, what I've got in that needs using up, and consequently nothing gets wasted.

I used to buy crisps too, but the kids (and me) would go through them so quickly. Now, I buy popping corn, and pop it myself. A bag for £2 ish lasts us a couple of weeks, and that's including lunches and snacks. Plus, it's healthier.

We're on a much tighter budget now (I try not to go over £50 a week, including delivery - I do a couple of online shops a month, and get the rest from places that don't do online) and we are actually eating much better!

Anyway, good luck with it :) If you're anything like me, you'll find it addictive and enjoy the challenge :-D
'Some family trees are full of nuts'
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kate egg
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Post by kate egg »

Thanks! I don't think I will get much below £90 cos the boys enjoy meat A LOT :!: So all my meals are meat based. Also sometimes the boys are out at meal times and I need a few pizzas etc in for them, but I always buy the ones on offer. I stopped buying yogurts as they would just eat them in a day as well as their normal meals :? I have my crisp stash, and no one is allowed to have any without my permission. I never buy choclate but hubby needs his shortcake biscuits for dunking in his coffee )t'

Anyway I will see how it goes. I have written a list of meals that can be made with what I have in, so each day we can look at it and decide what we would like for tea that night. Need to keep that up )t'
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chickenchaser
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Post by chickenchaser »

I can't drive, Kate but I buy meat from the market about once every 2 months.

3lb pork chops £5. 5 sirloin steaks £6. 2lb lamb chops £5.

I can get good sized joints for a fiver and humungous ones for £10.

I spend about £25 each time including fish. Haven't you got a local market? The value compared to the supermarkets is unbelievable )t'
Jackie xx
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kate egg
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Post by kate egg »

Yes there is a good market near us every Saturday and there's a guy selling packs of meat from a refrigerated truck, very good value, but I haven't got a big enough freezer or anywhere to put one. i was a bit doubtful about its origins too, but maybe I am being over-cautious?
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chickenchaser
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Post by chickenchaser »

I would be wary off the back of a truck. The butchers at Donny market have all been there years and I buy different stuff from different stalls, depending how it looks.

To be honest, I daren't ask about the origins of mine :oops:

For some reason I can't bring myself to buy chicken or mince from town. I don't know why, so I just stick to "proper" meat.

I only buy it because I trust the people selling it and it is really good value for me but I've only got myself to feed (f+
Jackie xx
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kate egg
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Post by kate egg »

I tend to make my own mince so I know whats going in it )c+ And as far as possible buy FR chicken breasts.

Its not really the back of a truck, its a proper set-up with proper refridgerated displays and looks like a travelling shop but I just don't know..........

We only have one butcher left in the village and I stopped using him cos I couldn't ever get the right amount I'd asked for - you cannot ask them to cut a bit off a joint cos its too big and stick it back on the cow again or wahtever, so its supermarkets mostly.
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Hawthorn
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Post by Hawthorn »

Hub knew someone who worked on one of these trucks. Apparently, they turn the chillers off to save on fuel!

I bought a joint of meat from them once. Looked delicious, but when you got inside it, they'd put lovely meat on the outside, and the inside was fat and gristle, so if you do go for it, only buy what you can view properly, if you know what I mean.

All of that said, my mums friend buys from them regularly at our market, and they're still live and kicking )j;
'Some family trees are full of nuts'
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