Stock up vs Use up?

oliveoyl

My stocking up problem (and I think it is a problem... but I haven't yet figured out if it's the stocking up part, or the shopping part) only started about 6 months ago, but I'm going to have to do something about it... I live alone, I don't need 28 tins of beans!

bullet_2

I need to start stocking up, so that I can also start to reduce the amount I spend some months on food. I'm planning to do a lot of double up and freezing of meals this month so I can have some meals ready for November.

oliveoyl

donnajt wrote: »

I'm rubbish at shopping - i hoard food as if i have to hibernate for 12 months at a time - take last week, i did a store inventory - had enough food to last at least a month - did my weekly shop on line £29.31 and somehow over the next 6 days spent another £115 - ridiculous...i am determined to beat my addiction of supermarkets - this week i have only spent £27.50 - i will need to buy bread, milk and strawberies on sunday but i am only going to take £6 in cash (no other money/cards) to Mr T, is there such thing as a grocery-a-holic club?

I'm not alone!!!

Those £5 off £30 coupons the News of the World were printing for Tesco didn't help matters.

Cornishpixie_2

Hi, I know what you mean. I used to stock up and hoard, now I have to be careful with our money, quite tight.:eek: .So now I am just shopping for literally what we need. Managed to knock a bit off the weekly shop this week. Worked out a budget (due to lack of money for Crimbo). So hey makes me organised:D

ravylesley

I think the days of actually needing a store cupboard full of food are coming back as people are beginning to get more savvy to supermarket techniques of rotating their special offers.So buying in bulk when on offer can save money in the long run.But if you are like me and can remember a time when my exOH was made redundant Christmas Week and we were left eating Egg and Chips for our Xmas meal then you will perhaps understand why I have to have the comfort blanket of fill cupboards and freezers as I wouldnt be able to sleep nights without it

Lesleyxx

oliveoyl

That's a very valid point... almost all of my 'stash' is from special offers, clearance reductions and the like, but instead of buying an extra 1 or 2, I've been buying an extra 10 or 20.

I'm off to join a challenge!

BrandNewDay

Freezer space is more finite than cupboard space. I mean, if the cupboard gets too full, you can always put more tins under the bed or something. But, if the freezer is full, you can't buy nothin' else frozen.

LameWolf

It's a question of balance. Like D&DD, I rotate stuff and use the oldest first. I always reckon to have enough to feed us for a fortnight if I was too poorly to shop, and always have a small supply of easy-to-keep things we use lots of, beans, frozen soya products, tinned toms, rice, pasta sort of thing.

Perishables I can get Mr LW to get in his lunch break, but I don't like to ask him to do a big shop, as he only has an hour, and has to walk to and from Morrisons to get stuff, as well as eating his lunch.

Things like washing powder, toothpaste, handwash I have one in use and one spare. When the spare is brought into use, the item goes on the shopping list. If there's a special offer, I might get 1 or 2 extra, but certainly not 10 or 20 - we wouldn't have the space to store it all, it's just a little bungalow!:p

donnajt

Oliveoyl - i've never been able to buy "just one" either x

D&DD

Me neither...:o
I'm getting quite good now though at guestimating when my regular stuff will be on offer next so I do tend to buy extra each time its on,therefore I never usually have to buy stuff at full price
I'm currently buying the Hovis breadmixes each week as they go for either 26p or 29p at the moment..don't know why but hey they're cheap!! I'll stop buying them when they go up again
*I also bought 10 tins of beansprouts this week as they were 5p each*
There really is NO hope for me...