On avoiding supermarkets...

npsmama

I think I am developping an allergy to supermarkets.

I wish I could avoid them altogether but some staples like sugar, golden syrup, lard, etc are either diffuclt to get elsewhere or prohibitively expensive.

Do you think it's possible to live supermarket-free?

I sure wish I could!!

BungleGirl

I struggle with this one too. Until someone comes along with a better idea I would say try to buy these items from a local indeendent shop (if you have any left in your area!) - having said that we don't have one so I have no idea if it is much more expensive than the supermarkets. However if you do buy from your local corner shop at least you are supporting a local business and that money will probably be respent in the local area which is a boost for the local economy.

Personally I haven't managed to live supermarket free, as much as I would like to. I am lucky though in that we have a vegetable food coop on Friday mornings, a farm shop just down the road and two butchers within walking distance. I fall down on the pasta/rice/sugar etc.

I still think it is better to do something rather than nothing if you see what I mean.

astonsmummy

How about home delivery?
I cant stand going shopping now so am gonna start using tesco.com, plus no impulse buying!

starkj

The point is to avoid giving money to supermarkets, not avoid visiting them.

Tesco = Evil

Linda32

I've looked at various ways in which I could do it.

Only last Friday I went to an area where I live where there are lots of small shops. Its about 20 minutes further drive than either of the big three supermarkets near me, plus an Aldi.

I don't mind the drive, but how does that stack up both on economy and polution So for a start these that to bear in mind.

I used a butchers, greengrocers and health food shop. There were things I wanted in the health food shop, cerial bars for one, but compare £1.29 in Sainsbury's to £2.99 in the Health Food Shop and its just not viable for me. Of course the next thing is to find an alternative or make my own. But if I then need ingredients, I'm back to the supermarket.

We do have farm shops, but they are various one's in different directions, all at least 45 minutes away.

So to use farm shops I might need to visit 2-3 shops, alot further away.

I've tried our market which I can walk too from work, so thats good. But unfortunately the quality is such that I've thrown food away as its gone off. So thats not on.

No, for me its got to be supermarkets. But re-using carrier bags, or bags for life, refusing extra bags and at least trying to buy british and in season or fair trade.

Not everyone can do everything but everybody can do somthing. Even if you just use a carrier bag instead of a bin bag.

npsmama

I agree that food at the market is often poor quality. I don't bother with the market for that very reason. Plus often, the origins of the produce is hazy at best.

One idea I have had is to get sugar/rice/pasta/flour/etc in bulk from Infinity Foods via my local healthfood shop. They're ordering in for me 25kg sacks. It does work out a bit more expensive than the supermarket but it's organic, fair trade and if it means I don't go to the supermarket that will mean less impulse buying so actually I think it evens out price-wise and I get higher quality items with far less stress.
I'm still hesitating but I could do the same with butter (ie buy it in bulk and freeze it).
Cheese, eggs and (most) milk I get from the farm shop anyway so it's just things like suet, lard, ribena (which DH can't live without!) that I need to figure out.

Julysea

It is a puzzle and I think it really depends on the mix of other sorts of shop you have in your area and your access to them. I get lots of stuff from my local fruit and veg box scheme because they do lots of stuff as well as fruit and veg - but it often doesn't last the whole week and needs topping up and we simply don't ahve a greengrocers anywhere near us. Having said that, our local health food shop is very good and we can get lots of stuff there such as flour, sugar, rice, pasta, oats, tea etc... It's something I'm struggling with too.

Ken-Dodds-Hairy-Knodule

It is incredibly easy to live 'supermarket free', even in food deserts. You just have to make a bit of an effort (which is what puts off 90% of people).

pollys

We are lucky in that we have a very good Farm Shop a short drive away (but too far to walk) we get our meat, eggs, cheese, fruit and veg, yoghurts, cooked meat, tomato ketchup, mayo, pickles and biscuits (when I'm short of time, I prefer to make my own)

Within walking distance (10-15 minutes each way) we have a Bakers who make delicious bread, pasties and cakes. They are a traditional bakers and have been there years, it is packed at lunchtime as they also do sandwiches, made while you wait.

A few doors away the Deli sells "posh" sandwiches and dried pasta, a selection of cheeses and cooked meats.

Across the road is the post office for stamps (obviously) newspapers and cards.

I get tinned stuff, laundry and cleaning, flour, dried goods, spread, butter, organic juice, toiletries, some beer from Suma. I collect every 6 weeks or so as we are local.

I also buy from the health food shop, usually items that it's not feasible to buy in bulk eg yeast, chocolate (it wouldn't last 2 minutes!)

I do still occasionally pop into the supermarket but the majority of our housekeeping money is spent locally. I now find going into a supermarket quite depressing, in local shops you build up a friendship with the people who work there, have a laugh, chat etc. Everyone looks so miserable in a supermarket.

My advice would be to buy what you can in local shops and use the supermarket for the other stuff if there is nowhere else to go, or contact a Wholefood supplier to see if they deliver in your area.

martinpike

Every little helps...

;-)

dazco

Ken-Dodds-Hairy-Knodule wrote:

It is incredibly easy to live 'supermarket free', even in food deserts. You just have to make a bit of an effort (which is what puts off 90% of people).

How can it be incredibly easy and yet require a little effort?