Pre packaged v loose fruit and veg

pollys

Like another poster I don't like having to dispose of the plastic packaging. I prefer to buy from the farm shop, you pack your own in a brown paper bag, which I reuse if I can then put it on the compost heap.

mirakl

I wish I had a farm shop somewhere nearby to me. I have no idea where the closest is, I suspect miles and miles away since I live in the city.

Probably not very cost effective (or environmentally friendly) driving miles to find one

Queenie

My nearest farm shop has cauli's @ 4 for £1 and onions 5K for £1.99 .

You may not have a farm shop nearby (although it would be worth finding out) but your local greengrocers will also be cheaper than the supermarkets.
Frozen veggies can also work out cheaper than supermarket pre-packaged and is in fact fresher than supermarket veggies which have been transported halfway around the country (which isn't too environmentally friendly )

Have you considered an organic veggie box delivery service?

Seriously miraki - I know you don't know how far away the farm shops etc., might be, but it really is worth taking the time to scout around for other places to purchase your meats/fruits/veggies because Supermarkets cash in on your loyalty to them and your lack of looking elsewhere to rip you off in certain circumstances (as you have now noticed yourself when comparing pre-packed vs loose).

When it comes to money saving it's the loyalty aspect that needs to be looked at first and foremost. You are the one paying to be loyal to your supermarket without investigating alternatives

When my BIL was alive, he would get a day return from the City, to us, to buy his fresh veggies from the Farm Shop, see his nephews and us into the bargain and escape the City for a few hours.

thriftlady_2

mirakl wrote:

I wish I had a farm shop somewhere nearby to me. I have no idea where the closest is, I suspect miles and miles away since I live in the city.

Probably not very cost effective (or environmentally friendly) driving miles to find one

I know what you mean about the travelling.

Try this site for your nearest farm shop.http://www.bigbarn.co.uk/

finc

thriftlady wrote:

I know what you mean about the travelling.

Try this site for your nearest farm shop.http://www.bigbarn.co.uk/

Thanks for the link, I didn't realise there were so many near me!

tryingtobegood

mirakl wrote:

What a cunning use for packaging! I'll not be buying seed trays this year!

I also use Mullerlight size yoghurt tubs as pots for seeds. Remember to drill a hole in them for drainage!

tryingtobegood

Thriftlady, Thanks for the link. I've got two farm shops within 15 miles and I thought there was none nearby!

Bungarm2001

I don't go to Tescos much as I usually do my shopping online, but I was in there a couple opf days ago and noticed they were selling bags of cox's apples for a £1.

I nearly bought a couple, but when I picked them up, the bags seemed to be half empty to me, all of them. So, I weighed them to compare the price of the loose ones, and the loose ones actually worked out cheaper.

I tried looking at the sticker on the shelves, the ones that give the price per kilo, and the loose ones had the price in lbs, not kilos, and the bagged priced in kilos not lbs.

Now, call me cynical, but was this all calculated to confuse and try to convince customers that what looked like the cheaper apples were in fact the more expensive weight for weight? AND was it only in my local Tescos that this was going on?? AND was it just apples???

Would love to hear others thoughts on this. Wonder how many times I've been sucked in by these tactics over the past couple of years!

AussieLass

Happens all the time. On our local current affair last night they had Panadol as an example. You can get Panadol back & neck, Panadol period, Panadol fast relief etc. All have exactly the same ingredient as the normal panadol, :rolleyes: funny that. Of course, the other's are a lot more expensive.

I just get the genetic brand anyway, just as long as it has 500mg paracetemol, it's all the same to me. You really have to have your wits about you at all times when you shop.

Bungarm2001

Yeah, I take your point about the panadol/paracetomol thing. We've been doing the generic painkillers and other pharmaceuticals for years now, but have you noticed, the price is the same for a pack of 16 aspirins as it used to be for 24?? Thats a helluva leap in real terms, 50% increase in fact. :eek: (is that right?? haven't got my calculator head on tonight!)

..But the apples thing looked so calculated and blatant to me. I guess it really brought it home that these guys, far from applying their 'every little helps' to the customers actually apply it to themselves...it should read 'every little rip-off helps our huge profits' :mad: