Staggering cost differences

toozie_2

Sometimes its maddening living in the sticks!

I have to travel 45 miles to find a Boots with a Advantage machine-usually I can't bear to read the threads on this, because I'm soooo envious!

Tesco, Aldi and Lidl etc are 20 miles away, but they're in the town I work in 4 days a week, so its easy to pop to Lidl for fruit & veg after work.

We have a Somerfield, which is OK for BOGOF's and reduced items, otherwise its expensive. I have found the fruit quite high quality there tho, and probably around the same price as Tesco.

mah_jong

toozie wrote:

Sometimes its maddening living in the sticks!

I have to travel 45 miles to find a Boots with a Advantage machine-usually I can't bear to read the threads on this, because I'm soooo envious!

Tesco, Aldi and Lidl etc are 20 miles away, but they're in the town I work in 4 days a week, so its easy to pop to Lidl for fruit & veg after work.

We have a Somerfield, which is OK for BOGOF's and reduced items, otherwise its expensive. I have found the fruit quite high quality there tho, and probably around the same price as Tesco.

I know what you mean..... you are far closer to Boots and Tescos et al than I am!!!! Strangly though my local is also a Somerfield!!

I still read through the postings and just cannot believe the prices, and the way folk can use coupons etc, just isn't the same here!! Its enough to make you weep!!!! ( sob sob)

Avogirly

The problem that I have is TIME! I would love to go to the gg and the butchers, but I am so tight for time, and having just moved out of home, working full time, I cannot see myself being able to visit loads of different shops.

I think I'll have to become a midnight shopper!

cath-w

Trow wrote:

WHat mado says is correct - the supermarkets want fruit and veg within a tight range of colour and size - so although the produce in the markets might be more varying in colour, too big or too small or slightly blemished - the fruit will be just as good. Also, the supermarkets are responsible for a huge dumbing down in the amount of varieties they grow - the varieties they choose (eg elsanta strawberries) look good and keep well - but are by no means the best for flavour or juciness.

If I lived in a locale that had a fruit and veg market I would go and buy all the varieties that the supermarkets don't stock, not only does it take revenue away from the supermarkets, but it also promotes small farmers growing the varieties that would end up dying out if if the supermarkets had their way, and puts more money back into the local area. (whats super about supermarkets???)

I totally agree with you. I try to avoid supermarkets as much as I can for all these reasons and because of their other predatory practices.

I grow a lot of my own food and use the veg shop for other bits and pieces. I use the local butcher (who sells local meat), and the health food shop for rice, flour, dried fruit and other dried goods. I have also just got back from the local goat farm having purchased hard goats cheese and butter by the case. The cheese will last until end Dec and I can freeze some of the butter. I have saved over 6 pounds alone on what the cheese would cost at a supermarket.

Avogirly

It's funny because I always imagine health food shops etc to be really expensive.

ashmit

Avogirly wrote:

The problem that I have is TIME! I would love to go to the gg and the butchers, but I am so tight for time, and having just moved out of home, working full time, I cannot see myself being able to visit loads of different shops.

My way round this is to keep the Tesco and Asda shops to the minimum (every two weeks at most normally) and to go shopping for fruit and veg once or twice a week in my lunch hour. I'm lucky in that none of the market stalls I want to visit are very far away from my work and it gives you a good excuse to get out of work for some fresh air and a bit of exercise.

Avogirly, it depends on the health food shop Holland and Barratts is expensive, but my small local shops have some fab deals on nuts and the like. Pick and choose what you buy to take advantage of the cheap stuff

competitionscafe

Gillby1 wrote:

Corn on the cob is usually £1.99 in Tesco for two

Ouch, that is expensive - the ones in my organic box cost the equivalent of half that (50p each) and were probably picked that morning (plus they were organic). Same with apples I got a bag of the ones which are on the cover of Nigel Slaters kitchen diaries (not sure what the variety is called) for around £1 - a bag of 5 organic apples in Tescos from New Zealand (mega food miles!) cost £1.99! I gave up completely on Tesco fruit and veg this summer when my punnet of cherries rotted and went mouldy before their sell by date!! The only fruit/veg I buy from there now is unwaxed lemons because I use lots of lemons (drink with hot water each morning) + cooking. Oh and the occasional clove of garlic as I always run out of that too.

Sandollar_2

Trow wrote:

If I lived in a locale that had a fruit and veg market I would go and buy all the varieties that the supermarkets don't stock, not only does it take revenue away from the supermarkets, but it also promotes small farmers growing the varieties that would end up dying out if if the supermarkets had their way, and puts more money back into the local area. (whats super about supermarkets???)

I was in my local greengrocer's on Tuesday. He had 5 different varieties of potatoes, all £1.29 for 2.5 k. Dunbar Standards, King Edwards, Kerrs Pinks, Comber and Maris Piper, the local Tesco's had 'white potatoes' no variety listed for £1.99 per 2.5k. Buying from the local greengrocer means I know that the majority of the vegetables I buy will have travelled no more than 10 miles to get to my plate, they will be fresh and, imho, will taste a lot nicer than supermarket stuff.
Dunbar Standards for dinner every night this week

Penny-Pincher!!

Our local greengrocer is awful. !!!!!! fruit and veg and much higher priced than Asda or Lidls. I normally shop at Asda and if im not happy with what they have sent or it goes manky-I now complain and get a full refund. Would have just binned 12 months ago..lol. Local farm shop is very over priced too and the fruit/veg not that good.

PP
xx

maryb

went to our weekly market yesterday to buy a pumpkin for Halloween thinking you can't get much more seasonal than that so it should be cheap.

almost twice the price of the ones in Sainsburys!

I'll pop into sainsbury's next Tuesday to buy some reduced price pumpkins if they have any left. I love pumpkin muffins and pumpkin puree mixed with mashed potatoes and it's a very good source of beta carotene