Supermarket Shopping guide discussion

MSE_Jenny

This discussion relates to the Supermarket Shopping guide

Click reply to discuss.

MPwannasavemoney

What absolutely superb advice and tips in this guide! We spend over £10,000 per year in the supermarket so our potential savings are higher.

Shame the OH doesn't have the time / is too distracted with the baby / is too tired from not sleeping / doesn't care as I should be earning more / etc to be able to put ANY of this into practise!

scootw1

Can't downshift any further as I have always bought the value stuff for most things ever since student days

The_Miser

Excellent.
Carefully consider alternatives such as
- instead of buying plain and separate self raising flour get plain plus (tiny amounts of) the raising agents - bicarb mainly. That way you have less to go mouldy / out of date.
- some tinned goods come in the option of brine and oil; get the brine version, wash overnight and soak in oil for a few minutes if your recipe asks for that.

In each case you have both to hand and you have more space for BOGOFS

I didn't see it there but make up your menus for a few days in advance, make and go with a detailed shopping list and don't buy anything else unless it is a massive reduction (see reductions schedule).

Items like "wash-up liquid"; the hole in the top is sometimes larger than it need be; experiment with using less or even make your own cap (old one with the hole partially blocked).

"Downshift your supermarket too"; yes but do check your transport costs. It doesn't make sense to save £2 on the grocery bill if you pay £3 extra in petrol/diesel (been there, done that , got the tee shirt!). Also check different shops of the same chain; in my village we have a small branch of huge nationwide supermarket X; I am sure that they stock only the most expensive items of each range (certainly none of the cheapest cost) and I also an convinced that their prices are higher than the same item in the same chain's big supermarkets.

There is one chain, (not in groceries) which has supermarkets and hypermarkets; the prices in the hypermarkets are clearly lower than in the supermarkets even if the two seem to have the same floor area. Beware, beware and check again.

Best before / use by: IFAIR this concept has been foisted on us by Brussels but is a licence to make money. Scott (of the Antarctic)'s tinned supplies were examined nearly a century after they were prepared and found to be in perfect condition. If, in 2008, manufacturers cannot make their goods as safe as those then we are being conned. I am not saying that food IS safe after it's use by date but do not assume that it is bad. Check how to kill the common bugs (a certain temperature for so many minutes) (use Google) and your nearly prehistoric BOGOF could be perfectly safe to eat.

Otherwise, that original article should be compulsory reading in every household (and I have shares in one of the supermarkets named!).

The_Miser

Beware of misleading labels.

At one major supermarket today they are selling seasonal vegetable selections at a claimed £1.98 per kilo. The bags are stated to be 450 grammes and cost £1.

Across the road I was looking at hooks and found a cheap looking one in a box marked £1.70 something whilst the nice looking ones were in a box marked £5 something. Fine, until I noticed that they were in the wrong boxes and indeed every one of the 20+ types of hook was in an incorrect box and therefore wrongly priced.

In another major supermarket a while back the bin containing root ginger had a price label of £2 something. I later noticed a smaller label for the same goods on the side of the box showing £4. On enquiry the assistant couldn't help but I found a senior supervisor (very annoyed with me) who confirmed that the higher price was correct and that was the only price they would charge. Next day the labels were unchanged.

Copeland

I find that tinned the cheapest tinned tomatoes the same as the most expensive give or take the odd green tomatoe and making a large chilli or spag bol will last for a couple of meals.
Also don't pick up packs of mushrooms loose ones work out much cheaper

IsabelD

First up - and for transparency - I am writing this as a representive of the magazine that wrote this story. But when I read it, I couldn't help thinking that is was something worth sharing with other people - because it might help save money.

I work for Farmers Weekly magazine and one of our journalists did a quick comparison of prices at a farm shop and Tesco. Contrary to what most people expect the farm shop was cheaper on quite a few products (particularly meat). I know it is not an option everywhere but it is worth considering.

http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2008/11/07/113016/farm-shop-produce-cheaper-than-supermarket-food.html

ThinkingOfLinking

I never knew about the SupermarketOwnBrand website so that's very helpful. Thank you!!

My shopping habits are dictated by what is on special offer, where and also stalking the items with the yellow clearance stickers on them as well as visiting the shelf of bent cans. Buying in bulk is also helpful at times. Like a big sack of pasta, rice or potatoes works out cheaper.

BedSox

I bought an online shopping guide a year or so ago from ShoppersGuides.co.uk. I went back recently and I see that they have made all the information available online free of charge. It's updated and more extensive so I'm not too irked that I paid (only 99p!!!) for it last year. They recommend MySupermarket and have other online supermarket tips along with safer shopping tips. Handy.

BB78

I've used Approved Food a few times recently & can highly recommend them!! :T
The guy who runs it is called Dan & he is REALLY friendly & helpful. Delivery is quick & if you order enough weight wise its value for money.
The first order I placed was delivered 8am the next morning despite the fact that there had been a problem with Google checkout & my payment hadn't gone through!!
I'm not associated with Approved Food in any way other than as a customer & would definitely recommend you check them out!! :j

noonootiger

hi there, i hate the mysupermarket website, i can't help but feel asda has a grip over it.

does anybody know if there is a fair comparison to be found anywhwere?

one that includes all the good shopd like farmfoods, aldi, lidl, etc?

thanks,
noonoo