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Frugal Living 2010 -The Cost of Living Challenge, INTRO

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  • ceridwen
    ceridwen Posts: 11,547 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 31 December 2009 at 8:06AM
    rozeepozee wrote: »
    For those asking about Asian supermarkets and cheap herbs, I found my receipt from my last visit. It was to the Manchester Superstores (so I'm assuming there's one in Manchester too?) on Cannon Street in Bolton:

    20kg of Basmati Rice £17.99
    400ml Natco Coconut milk 59p (not the cheapest)
    200g green cardamom pods £3.29
    400g tamarind 49p
    400g garam masala £1.59
    300g poppy seeds £2.79
    400g jeera/cumin £1.59
    400g star anise £1.09
    400g haldi/turmeric 89p
    1kg almonds £5.29
    500g chana daal 79p
    300g fennel seeds 89p
    300g coriander seeds 79p
    25g bay leaves 59p
    400g chili powder 1.39
    250ml mustard oil 99p

    We really stocked up and won't have to buy many spices for ages (although I quickly used up the Chana daal making a lovely tarka dall and sprout and lentil curry - xmas dinner left overs! So need more of that.)

    Most of these were fairly recognisable brands too - e.g. Natco. I wonder how it compares with Tesco and other Asian supermarkets in other areas?

    Thanks for that. Well - without checking out those specific items - mine costs at least 150% of the costs you state and often at least 200% of them. In my area they quite obviously charge the same sort of prices as English shops round here - because they can. I suspected this was the case - after all the references from other people about how cheap Indian supermarkets are and me sitting there thinking "Huh??:confused::confused: Not so". But I'm in an area where "you name it and we'll be charged over the odds for it - sometimes A LOT over the odds for it" - so I'm not surprised - just infuriated at the way this happens to us in this area all the time. Anyone would think we were all wealthy here - which is very far from the case in actual fact (I wish!).

    EDIT: Just checked back and found that our chana dal is 2kg = £3.69 for instance (2kg in your place would be £3.16 if bought in 500 gram packets - so less than that presumably for large size IYSWIM). Our spices are WAY dearer. Our coconut milk is WAY dearer.
  • rozeepozee
    rozeepozee Posts: 1,971 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 31 December 2009 at 8:28AM
    ceridwen wrote: »
    Thanks for that. Well - without checking out those specific items - mine costs at least 150% of the costs you state and often at least 200% of them. In my area they quite obviously charge the same sort of prices as English shops round here - because they can. I suspected this was the case - after all the references from other people about how cheap Indian supermarkets are and me sitting there thinking "Huh??:confused::confused: Not so". But I'm in an area where "you name it and we'll be charged over the odds for it - sometimes A LOT over the odds for it" - so I'm not surprised - just infuriated at the way this happens to us in this area all the time. Anyone would think we were all wealthy here - which is very far from the case in actual fact (I wish!).

    EDIT: Just checked back and found that our chana dal is 2kg = £3.69 for instance (2kg in your place would be £3.16 if bought in 500 gram packets - so less than that presumably for large size IYSWIM). Our spices are WAY dearer. Our coconut milk is WAY dearer.
    The little local Asian supermarkets (dare I say Corner Shops!) near me in Sheffield are quite a bit more expensive too. I've yet to venture to one of the bigger ones in the city (I understand they do exist, there's a reasonably large Asian population in Sheff) to see if they're cheaper as I tend to nip to the one in Bolton whenever we visit my folks. It's not necessarily the cheapest in Bolton, I've not checked, it's just cheap enough! The little local ones in Sheffield are really good for fresh herbs though. I get a huge wodge of coriander for the same price I'd pay for a piddling amount in Tesco (Asian family sized, y'see) and pieces of ginger the size of an elephant are also very cheap! Incidentally, onion, garlic and ginger (the Trinity Herbs) when combined as they often are in Asian cooking are supposed to work synergystically to emhance the immune system so you may also save money on flu and cold remedies!

    Ceridwen, if you're ever away from home in an area where there's a large asian community, it might be worth your while having a little recky around to see if you can make a saving, no? The good thing about most of these spices is they last for ages (well, not in our house... hehe!)
    ceridwen wrote: »
    Hi

    I'm only just starting out on this compared to you:D

    I'm hoping I can find something very simple/cheap to make that will double as soap/shampoo/handwash detergent - but have done loadsa searching and only really found shampoo recipes based on liquid Castile soap - which is expensive in Britain (if one can find it in the first place). So - it would help even if I could find a shampoo recipe from readily/cheaply obtainable ingredients - as the ones I am currently using are £4 a bottle. I dont fancy going the "No Poo" route somehow...so other ideas welcome.
    On the soap/shampoo issue, DP only washes his hair (and most of his other bits!) with warm water daily. You wouldn't know this (i.e. he doesn't smell or have greasy hair!) I realise that us girlies might need a little more in the way of nice smelly stuff and washing stuff, but it doesn't seem to be strictly necessary. Our little boy has never had soap near him - in fact, I think he was only bathed about 4 times in his first two years (my friends used to take the micky but I don't care!) instead he had his face wiped or just topped and tailed each time he had a nappy change - my health visitor said he had the best skin of any child she's seen and that many children had skin problems because they are "over bathed". Saved us a fortune on ridiculously expensive baby bath stuff and hot water!
  • rozeepozee
    rozeepozee Posts: 1,971 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    DdraigGoch wrote: »
    If you then click on the number of times someone's posted, it lists their posts. I found it handy to check up which thread I'd posted something on, without having to check back through ALL my posts. Anyway, another techie bit which a] you probably all know anyway and b] aren't interested in!

    Hope it helps someone, all the same.
    Happy New Year - I'll probably not be on the computer at midnight tonight :rotfl::beer: :j :j
    I didn't know and it does sound useful but I can't find this bit - number of times someone's posted

    Where do I need to be looking?
  • cw18
    cw18 Posts: 8,630 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    When in the forum looking at the thread headings, to the right there's a column headed 'Replies'. If you click on the number under that it pops up a new window, which has a list of users who've replied and how many posts they've made in that thread.
    Cheryl
  • BigMummaF
    BigMummaF Posts: 4,281 Forumite
    rozeepozee wrote: »
    For those asking about Asian supermarkets and cheap herbs, ....
    Most of these were fairly recognisable brands too - e.g. Natco. I wonder how it compares with Tesco and other Asian supermarkets in other areas?
    We've nothing that would begin to compare,other than a little put-it-in-the-bag-yourself place & they were selling most dried herbs & spices at £1 a kilo last time I was there.
    nykmedia wrote: »
    ....
    Re the Freecycle queries, our local ones seem to have changed to Freeble or Freegle and we also have Freeshare....
    ....baked potatoes done on the open fire ....were so worth it! (Even when we do have power they are worth the frugal wait. :rotfl:) ....
    I had a look for our local LETS & it's miles away & Freecycle doesn't appear to exist at all but I'll have another go with the variants you've given just to make sure.
    Microwaves may be a wonderful invention but give me my
    jacket teddies with a crispy skin :drool: it's the best bit! I'm a little green when I read of folks who have fires you can toast crumpets by & even those who just have the warming glow of a fake flicker...we've just got boring white rads & for me, they don't satisfy the contentment of being cosy indoors even if you still have the heat :o
    While I think of it, I know I don't need a passport to visit Scotland--it's using the airports bit cuz I still have a paper driving licence too :D A drawback of not moving house for almost thirty years I suppose grinning-smiley-044.gif
    Full time Carer for Mum; harassed mother of three;
    loving & loved by two 4-legged babies.

  • cw18
    cw18 Posts: 8,630 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    BigMummaF wrote: »
    Microwaves may be a wonderful invention but give me my jacket teddies with a crispy skin :drool: it's the best bit!
    My combi oven gives me the best of both worlds - quick cook, and a skin that's not soggy ;)
    While I think of it, I know I don't need a passport to visit Scotland--it's using the airports bit cuz I still have a paper driving licence too :D A drawback of not moving house for almost thirty years I suppose grinning-smiley-044.gif
    When we went to Dublin for a weekend (6 years ago!) I didn't have a valid passport or photo driving licence - but I was told I just needed photo id with a signature. My works pass had photo but no signature, but the card I needed to buy a train season ticket and one I needed for a monthly bus pass both contained photo and signature. I called the airline and was told either of these would be fine - and (apart from having the photos taken) they were FREE

    Could be worth checking if you can get something like that, and whether it would still be accepted for an 'internal' flight :confused:
    Cheryl
  • weezl74
    weezl74 Posts: 8,701 Forumite
    rozeepozee wrote: »

    20kg of Basmati Rice £17.99
    400ml Natco Coconut milk 59p (not the cheapest)
    200g green cardamom pods £3.29
    400g tamarind 49p 56p
    400g garam masala £1.59
    300g poppy seeds £2.79
    400g jeera/cumin £1.59 £1.88
    400g star anise £1.09
    400g haldi/turmeric 89p 98p
    1kg almonds £5.29 £6.78
    500g chana daal 79p
    300g fennel seeds 89p
    300g coriander seeds 79p
    25g bay leaves 59p
    400g chili powder 1.39
    250ml mustard oil 99p

    Most of these were fairly recognisable brands too - e.g. Natco. I wonder how it compares with Tesco and other Asian supermarkets in other areas?

    I think you've done really well, asda is cheaper than our big asian supermarket, and I've put their best price in green above. :T:T:T

    :hello:Jonathan 'Fergie' Fergus William, born 05/03/09, 7lb 4.4oz:hello:
    :)Benjamin 'Kezzie' Kester Jacob, born 18/03/10, 7lb 5oz:)
    cash neutral gifts 2011, value of purchased gifts/actual paid/amount earnt to cover it £67/£3.60/£0
    january grocery challenge, feed 4 of us for £40
  • rozeepozee
    rozeepozee Posts: 1,971 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    weezl74 wrote: »
    I think you've done really well, asda is cheaper than our big asian supermarket, and I've put their best price in green above. :T:T:T
    Thanks - it looks that way doesn't it - we've been making our own curries instead of spending fortunes at the local takeaway. I'm taking mum home tomorrow so I'll have another visit to stock up - I wonder how big a bag of chana dall I can buy....?
  • elaine373
    elaine373 Posts: 1,427 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Hello all,still trying to work out my household bills for the year. Determind to come back before the midnight hour with accurate/realistic figures,because mentally i need to commit before the new year so it doesnt end up like one of my diets............forgotten about in days :o. I also need to do a menu plan for this week before i finalise my estimated food bill. My kids keep asking me what frugal means:rotfl: as they have heard me saying this to their dad.:rotfl:
    “Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. Your really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” Lucille Ball.
  • Can I join, please?
    I will try for £1200 excluding keep.
    Boring Beige
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