It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

calleyw

charlies-aunt wrote: »

IKWYM Jo! The lovely ladies I work with food shop in M&S and Waitrose

Nowt wrong with shopping at waitrose;)

Just have to be a black belt in frugality and get there at the right time.

This week I stashed in my freezer 5 packets of smoked bacon that were £3.99 each to start with mine for 35p each:eek:

Last week I managed to get packets of strawberries for 25p a punnet. Raspberries, cherries and blueberries for 35p a punnet. Bags of salad ( I know, I am growing some in my garden) for between 15p-25p and they lasted really well finished the last one today. Popped in tonight whizzed down on my bike (mile and a half) and picked up a couple of iceberg lettuces for 29p and half cucumber for 10p :j Salad again for lunch, could have done with the salad items for tea as it was spag bog:rotfl:

Also going by bike means I get exercise, save petrol and wear and tear on the car and limits what I can carry. So I don't get to carried away buying all the reduced to clear. As tonight they had stacks of pork mince down to 59p a packet and looked like they were going to be reduced again. No idea what to do with it and could not carry it.

Yours

Calley

charlies-aunt

calleyw wrote: »

Nowt wrong with shopping at waitrose;)

Just have to be a black belt in frugality and get there at the right time.

This week I stashed in my freezer 5 packets of smoked bacon that were £3.99 each to start with mine for 35p each:eek:

I agree with you - Waitrose food is lovely (better than M&S IMO) especially at the prices you managed to get it for!

Christina_F

What time does Waitrose reduce their food?
I am also thinking of stocking up before next Tuesday but not sure what to get.
My job looks like its gonna be cut from 5 days to 3 days a week poss next year so am trying to be as frugal as I can now. Am not sure wot to do though - pay off debts or save or both!

maryb

Calley

I have sometimes managed to get some fantastic bargains in Waitrose but not often enough to work out a pattern to when they do their reductions. I know it probably varies from store to store but when do you recommend going in?

Sometimes they are really cheap on some basics - looking at My Supermarket is worthwhile for identifying those. If you use the print list facility it will allow you to split your list between two shops and will highlight those items which are cheaper in the other shop - but you don't actually have to print it. I do this because Waitrose is convenient for parking in our town centre but you have to 'pay your rent' by spending a minimum amount so I take the opportunity to buy what's good value there.

greengoblin

When I used to work on Fruit and Veg there generally the 1st reduction was around lunch time ( 40p off that kind of thing) and then some more money off about 3 hours before closing then rock bottom about an hour before closing.
Sometimes though it would only be 2 reductions and the prices wouldn't get that low. Just pray the section managers got the order wrong and there is loads of something ( like the time 4 cages of bananas turned up and got reduced to 20p/kg!).
Just realized that the above is not really helpful lol .... sorry

mardatha

Is Waitrose an English shop ? I've never seen one.
Sorry goblin, we have three meals in this house - breakfast, dinner, then tea. LOL ! Not a cup of ye olde infused cabbage tea !

smileyt_2

I've just been lurking on the frugal challenge thread. Some people on there are living on #4000/annum! Mind you, I don't think they have included rent or water rates etc, as these are things you have no control over.

I've just done a quick tot-up of what my annual costs are, using the MSE budget planner. For two of us (myself and 17 yr old supported lodgee), 2 dogs, 2 chickens and an allotment it comes to just under #10,500. This includes everything - rent, water, fuel, insurance, vet's fees, clothes (what new clothes lol?), Christmas and birthday costs for over 20 friends and rellies, food, cleaning - everything. All presents and cards this year so far, apart from a couple, have been home-made, so hopefully Christmas won't be expensive this year.

Admittedly the animals do cost me an arm and a leg - the dogs' insurance alone is #52/month, but I do break even on Bruno's because of the cost of his medication. The animal costs include a budget for three or four vet consulations/annum, vaccination costs, flea and worm stuff, food. I also budget for two vet consults for each chicken, their bedding and food. I might not use all the vet consults each year, but I do try to budget for them. I think I may have to take the dogs to the PDSA next time, though (I get Housing Benefit so I am entitled to PDSA help).

Is #10,500 an extortionate amount? I would have some scope to reduce it a little if costs rose, but not by much. I'm just about breaking even.

:eek:I've just used the budget planner again - I am actually worse off trying to make ends meet with my little job and supported lodgings than I would be if I gave up having a teenager with me and went onto JSA! (I'm on this temporarily as I work term-time only so claim over the summer, although I am looking for other work). It's a good job I'm not the kind of person to sit on my bum and do nowt - where's the incentive to work??

ETA - I don't do the supported lodgings for the money! (Although I sometimes think I should get danger money for it lol!)

Jedilibrarian

mardatha wrote: »

Is Waitrose an English shop ? I've never seen one.
Sorry goblin, we have three meals in this house - breakfast, dinner, then tea. LOL ! Not a cup of ye olde infused cabbage tea !

Hi ladies, I normally lurk on this thread but just wanted to answer mardatha's question re Waitrose, yeah it's an English shop but they've started making inroads in Scotland, there is now one on Byres Rd in the West End of Glasgow (the posh bit) and I gather it's v popular.

Love reading all your chat here, v inspiring :T

mardatha

There is a posh bit in Glasgow ? :rotfl:
...running for the door

greengoblin

mardatha wrote: »

Is Waitrose an English shop ? I've never seen one.
Sorry goblin, we have three meals in this house - breakfast, dinner, then tea. LOL ! Not a cup of ye olde infused cabbage tea !

Waitrose is the food bit of John Lewis (homewares etc.)

I have breakfast (sometimes), lunch and dinner. Tea definatley comes in a cup or with cake mid afternoon!:rotfl: