I'm eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge

Edwardia

AmericanInScotland that was the whole idea

OK then, when it comes to buying American stuff, it's even more important to price compare and compare shipping too. Sometimes it pays to pay the slightly more expensive prices from Store A and get flat rate shipping or free shipping over X amount than pay cheaper prices at Store B and have to pay shipping by weight. I'd suggest setting yourself up a spreadsheet to do this.

When it comes to actual food, I'd suggest first step is looking at UK supermarket websites because there are things you can get here eg Libby's pumpkin puree, Hershey bars and Cheerios from most supermarkets but not all are made in US.

Actual American products for example Smuckers Peanut butter and grape jelly spread, Arm and Hammer baking soda, Hershey's kisses, Kraft Dinner, Kraft stove top stuffing and (my guilty pleasure) Jello sugar free instant chocolate pudding from Ocado www.ocado.com may be a lot cheaper than specialists sometimes.

Stores I've used without probs so far are:
The Stateside Candy Co www.americansweets.co.uk (Arm and Hammer washing soda here)
Partridges (By Appointment to The Queen) www.partridges.co.uk
Amazon UK www.amazon.co.uk
Sparks Yard www.sparksyard.com (website is a bit tricky when looking for stuff)
The Canadian Shop at www.angloaustraliantrading.com

Most US stores don't ship to UK but exceptions I've used without probs are:
Sears International www.sears.com
Powell's of Portland OR www.powells.com (books)
LL Bean www.llbean.com
Amazon US - but not for food cos not sure about import regulations. Some US food is banned here and in EU because of possible problems with stuff like growth hormones and since it may not be labelled on the US packaging it's a bit dicey ordering it !

I'll rummage through bookmarks and post more later !

Edwardia

Tide you can buy from Amazon UK also the organic version of Kraft Dinner and of course grits. There's an Orvis shop in London which does mail order www.orvis.co.uk which I've used.

Selfridges has American food www.selfridges.com as does Harvey Nichols www.harveynichols.com and both do fantastic service. Harrods and Fortnum & Mason may have in store but they don't sell American food online.

Other US food stores are:
www.usafoodstore.co.uk
www.homesickamerican.com
www.americangrocery.co.uk
www.americanfizz.co.uk
www.skyco.uk

Not used these yet

Hope that helps !

AmericanInScotland

Edwardia wrote: »

Some US food is banned here and in EU because of possible problems with stuff like growth hormones and since it may not be labelled on the US packaging it's a bit dicey ordering it !

Leave it to the Americans...

Thanks for all of the links! :T
Things are so expensive, I should just make at home what I can (like macaroni cheese, which I prefer homemade). I can also survive on 30p dark chocolate from Lidl! Grits are/is the only thing I would concede on...oops, and pancake syrup!

Lynsey

Morning, nice and sunny here today - long may it last.

Just had toast for breakfast, hubby had muesli.
We're nipping out soon to use a Groupon (cupcakes and coffee), so probably just another snacking day as hubby's out tonight (works "do").

Been to Lidl and bought:
16 x Chocolate @ 19p = £3.04
2 x Black forest ham @ 99p = £1.98
Total = £5.02

I'll keep 6 bars of chocolate and donate 10 bars out of my budget. Think I'll donate on Tuesday, last one of the year. They probably don't need it as they've done really well over the Xmas period, but will people donate AFTER Xmas?? Maybe that's when stocks will go down, but they do seem to have a following, so maybe folks will continue??
The ham looks nice.

Probably not spend much more today, though I'll try and visit Home Bargains for Red Sky crisps. Maybe buy milk, but got enough until tomorrow.
I'll need to make a list for next week, mainly for bits for my Son like olives, humus etc.

I'll probably have just under £100 if I can keep the years total under £1200 ............................... will I do it?? lol
I could do it easily if I ate out of "freezers and cupboards".

Lynsey

Hopelessly_Hopeful

cheerfulness4 wrote: »

I've tried to join these challenges in the past and fallen flat on my face but I'm not beaten yet so I'll give this another bash with you all.

My freezer is bursting and I'm wanting to change my eating habits so we'll eat our way through this lot and try and save as much of my shopping allowance for my new, healthier eating plan. ie.. leaving the reduced doughnuts and pastries on MrM shelves and head for the fruit and veg.

I feel exactly the same. I always bursting at the seams. Need to really pull things in during Jan to March and freezer needs defrosting so am going to try to buy only dairy or really justify when spend etc.

HHx

Edwardia

AnericanInScotland- Aunt Jemima's Used to love a stack of pancakes Saturday morning watching cartoons !

The school shooting is a real tragedy especially this close to Christmas. I was listening to radio while surfing and heard that the gunman was only 20 and the school was an elementary school his mother taught at.

Lynsey is that chocolate your Christmas present to yourself ?

Hopelessly Hopeful that's an admirable idea, good on you !

[Deleted User]

Good luck Lynsey getting budget under £1200 - thats my aim for next year - MUST stick to the title of this thread though!
American in Scotland- hope you manage to find some of the "tastes of home" you are craving- gotta say reading this makes me hungry for american pancakes!

Stocked up on cupboard stuff yesterday so enough pasta/rice/noodles/tinned tomatos to last forever!! probably will send some off to foodbank too at some point!

Freezer is slowly winding down- gonna see if I can find some bargains on xmas eve to fill it back up again!

Dinners out of stores for all next week - popping out for lunch today hopefully tho!

Kirri

Lynsey wrote: »

I'll probably have just under £100 if I can keep the years total under £1200 ............................... will I do it?? lol
I could do it easily if I ate out of "freezers and cupboards".

Lynsey

Yes do it! It would be a shame to go over the £1200!!!


Not much shopping here, went into the dreaded Asda yesterday but only as I was going past so pointless going somewhere else - but only for emergency stocks ie toilet roll, kitchen towel, bit of veg for pets etc, still spent £11 somehow. :mad:

Oh and there was SO much reduced food in Asda yesterday I found it quite disgusting seeing it all piled up.. bet there's loads of waste as they are totally cramming the whole store with food.

Not bought anything for Christmas at all! May fit in a trip to an organic shop this week just for a few bits, fancy some salted cashews.

Got bread being made at the moment, no breakfast though may have a banana shortly, got a portion of hm soup again to go with the bread for late lunch. Dinner will be a last pitta bread with last of the vegan cheese and bit of sliced tomato. Feel like I'm on rations!!

AmericanInScotland

Speaking of American foods, today I'm FINALLY cooking black eyed peas in my crockpot. I had to soak the dried beans overnight. I defrosted a packed of bacon, removed much of the fat, and satueed it until brown. That was added into the softened beans with water, and it'll cook all day! Makes my mouth water!

For breakfast I had cereal and a banana, again.
I'm baking today too. I've made a gingerbread cake for 2 of my elderly neighbours who I've chatted to. I've also made cornbread muffins from a packet mix I brought from the States with me. They will go with the pot of beans, which I'll be living off of for quite a few days!

Lunch is going to be skipped as I'm not hungry (watching too much American news about the little kids and it's making me feel sick).

So dinner, obviously, will be black eyed peas and cornbread.

I may try to go to Tesco later tonight and hope for some good markdowns! I have to figure out what day/time they do the bulk of it.

Edwardia

I know what you mean Kirri, I've been putting little heart-shaped stickies on stuff for Christmas in freezer and fridge to stop OH dragging it out and OH is really whinging about lack of choice for this coming week. Freezer is looking a bit bare other than Christmas stuff.

I told him I'd bought Daylesford organic chicken drumsticks and there's wild Alaskan salmon fillets, wild South African hake fillets, wild North Atlantic cod fillets, plus Pegoty Hedge organic braised beef and that was hardly slumming it :eek: It's his own fault he left all the fish to last. Told him if he stops whinging I will let him have his tinned French cassoulet early.

OH has been to cashpoint and then sent down town centre with £100 to post a parcel, have his hair cut and find plain gold wrapping paper. In Lidl he has to find Brie, Camembert, goat's cheese, prosciutto di Parma, washing up liquid and UHT milk for dawg since I'm fed up with OH giving him organic at £1 a litre. Then Sainsbury's for Cornish Yarg cheese for Christmas and SO organic mayo as back up in case Abel & Cole runs out then Co-op for the special offer on Hayward's piccalilli. Hope £100 is enough

Last Ocado order before Christmas and very pleased as got everything and saved nearly £6 on special offers.

How's everyone else doing with Christmas prep ?