The Rising Cost of Food

[Deleted User]

anguk wrote: »

How do you all get vouchers for money off your Mr T shopping? The only thing I ever get is a till-split with either 50p of Iams (which I never buy) or £1 off Always Ultra! If the till-splits are supposed to be related to the things you buy it makes me look like I only ever buy cat food & sanitary products!

I am widowed lady looking 70 up the b*m and yet when i get anything through the post from tescos its usually vouchers for nappies ?? I haven't had a small baby to care for since 1970, and I certainly don't need sanitary products at my age I don't own an animal ,never have yet I get money off coupons for dog/cat food.I would like to see money off coupons for things that a lot of folk buy on a regular basis eggs,milk,cheese,bread,pasta ect not things I have never bought in my life.But then I suppose I am the original 'grumpy old woman' when it comes to shopping .Luckily having had a fantastic tiny little scots mum who could conjour a meal out of almost anything during rationing I can also make a meal out of very little I am lucky that at the moment I can easily live on £100.00 per month for food alone and eat fairly well on it.Maybe in 10 years time when I am not quite so mobile it won't be so easy to shop around.I do help my neighbour out with some shopping for her as she is 87 and virtually housebound bless her so getting a few extra bits when I am at the shops isn't a problem for me .My youngest DD has five offspring and feeding her tribe is an amazing balancing act at times, but the children eat a home cooked meal every night with packed lunches during term time, and even though both her and her OH work fulltime she bakes up a storm at the week-ends.The boys wouldn't know what to do with a ready meal (not enough to fill them up for a start):rotfl:I help her out with odd bits during the week and also bake to keep her tins filled with cakes and biscuits as the boys seem to have hollow legs.I have found that its often easy to streeetch a meal by having a soup (Home made of course ) for a starter, or a pudding to finish with.(never both though)Yesterday I made some carrot and coriander soup, which, some of it I will have for lunch today with a roll and some will be a starter tonight for dinner.It cost pennies to make (only a bit of time) but well worth the effort.I have quite a bit of salad in the fridge at the moment so tonights meal will be either a cheese or egg salad and the soup.I like to try to be as inventive as I can when it comes to cooking and have a large stock of herbs and spices which brighten up any meal.I agree with the poster who said that Sainsbobs basic stuff was good I have just started using their basic tea bags and can recommed them to anyone (and they're fair trade as well)Their Biscuits,museli,and almost any of the Basic range is good value and tastes as good as anything with a fancy package.What ever biscuits I buy go straight into the biscuit box anyway and the wrapping gets binned.I always make a point of buying if I can the best value option and its often trial and error but you soon know which tastes nice and which doesn't .The museli I mix with a few bran flakes and a dash of cinnamon and its makes a lovely filling breakfast.I have stacked up on it and next week will stock up of porrage for the winter months breakfast.I think if you have the room and find a basic foodstuff that you enjoy then try to stock up as I guarantee by the winter it will have virtually doubled in price I stocked up on pasta a little while ago when it was at 9p a bag.I usually make my own pasta sauce and with a tin of toms and a few herbs and some puree you can easily get quite a good amount for a fraction of the price of the ready made jars I make a batch up and then divide it up into potions and freeze .Without a doubt my freezer is my best friend and nothing gets binned in my house that can't be eaten:D

ceridwen

...and re those "people" who take everything they can get from the whoopsie section at supermarkets....I read a possible explanation for that on another Board on here recently.

That is - that some businesses swoop in and grab loads of a particular food for their business purposes (eg bread for serving up in meals in a cafe they own)...or "corner shops" getting their stock from ordinary supermarket whoopsies. I was in a minority on that thread for disagreeing that its acceptable for businesses to do that sort of thing.

Until that thread I had always thought that whoopsie-grabbing was just something done by greedy individuals - not cost-cutting/greedy businesses....

Spendless

3v3 wrote: »

ITV Player: http://www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?Filter=257994

Thank you for that. Have just watched it.

ceridwen wrote: »

Thrilla's comment - I recall reading some article by an economist back at the bout of Quantitative Easing (aka printing money) that the Government knew very well this would devalue our currency and this was part of the whole "game plan" for just that to happen. I think it was summat about it being deemed easier for Britain to pay its debts if each £ wasnt worth so much - so was done quite deliberately. They knew this would mean things would then cost us all a lot more - but its a side effect they were prepared to have happen.

I DO worry about the way they keep muttering about maybe having a second bout of printing money (dont forget that posh phrase they dreamed up for it - it aint printing money - its Quantitative Easing:cool:).

Don't suppose you remember the economist do you? I wouldn't mine reading that article myself. Back when I was in Junior school (mid-late 70s) I recall my teacher saying printing more money devalues currency, my parents said the same. I've wondered for the past year or two why with regards to Quantative easing.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

Just watched the programme now..

i heard that a few decades ago 30% of our income was sent on food, now its 10 - 20%

are we feeling the big pinch because we are a generation which have had abnormally low priced food compared to previous generations which were brought up with high priced and not os much available food to buy? and now it going back into normal prices compared to earnings % paid for food.


Recently i looked at a plot of land to buy... and looked into buying and rearing some weaner pigs for the freezer, and to sell on to the local butcher.. We worked it out that it would cost roughly £3.95 per kg to rear and butcher the pig etc....

Without the set up cost of buying the land, and the equipment, fencing etc to rear the pigs they would cost roughly the same per kg as buying pork from the supermarket when not on offer....

Gigervamp

I believe you're right CTC. The trouble is, in the old days, there was less other stuff to pay for and housing costs were cheaper.

E.g in the old days:
Rent, gas, electric, water and rates. Probably no phone or car. Husband would work near to home so no commuting costs. Wife would be at home raising the children so no childcare costs.

Now:
Mortgage or rent, gas, electric, water, council tax, phone, broadband, satelite or cable tv, mobile phones, car + insurance, tax, petrol. Childcare, 2nd car and costs, etc etc.

Whilst some of the things I've listed that we pay for now are not necessary, the costs of utilities and housing take quite a big chunk out of the pay packet.

Toonie

I estimate that around 70-80% of my wages go on my rent and utilities and that's even before taking into consideration such trivialities as food and clothing. Living on the outskirts of London, prices are steep for renting and the utilities aren't much better. Food prices have gone up massively and I'm finding that going to the ethnic supermarket far cheaper and I buy most of my food there. You can still get a loaf of bread for 50p at my local one and a dozen eggs are £1.20. The only downside is dragging it all home on the bus.

AppleTurnover

parsonswife8 wrote: »

Having forsaken my Eastenders, I am watching "The Rising cost of Food" on ITV1.

What an eyeopener.:eek::eek::eek:

Price hikes of 40, 50 and 60 percent on some items.....

in one year!!!!!!!!!!!!:(

OMG:eek::eek::eek:

Was it this programme that said that the average household throws away 30% of their food each week! Truly shocking if correct.:eek:

lickylonglips

AppleTurnover wrote: »

Was it this programme that said that the average household throws away 30% of their food each week! Truly shocking if correct.:eek:

i bet some throw away a whole load more than that as well.... especially salad stuff... and dairy products that they think are going to go off on the strike of midnight!

natlie

I do Love Food Hate Waste as part of my job and its shocking when you look in peoples food bins what is in them, as part of the Local Auhority you get to see the waste once its collected and its terrible!

I grow my own, peas, courgettes, cucumbers, tomatoes, chilies, all sorts of herbs, potatoes, betroot, carrots, radish, lettuce, pak choi, peppers runner beans, broad beans, french beans and corn, its not hard work really as long as you keep your plot clear - we use growing bags mostly and we have a tiny space just well used.

I am strict with spending but still spend a lot! sugar is one of the worst for price increase this year as is salmon I am veggie and OH doesn't eat red meat which is good. I buy a lot on offer and I buy my frozen stuff from farm foods - with vouchers, I use mysupermarket and tesco always comes up cheapest for my shopping? I think it depends on what you buy.

I always bulk buy tea and coffee and people always buy me coffee sets for xmas as I have a nice coffee machine so theres plenty of filter, we don't drink alcohol either which helps loads!

Billy8

I started shopping at ASDA after becoming increasingly annoyed about being ripped off by the other main supermarket chains for my weekly shop, theyre fine for most stuff but the quality of things such as meat is really quite poor. I shopped around a bit and have now started buying my meat from one of Smithfield markets wholesalers. Pj Martinelli is the only one ive found with a decent retail side, their meat is cheap but still really good quality and you can collect or get your order delivered. Its meant I can eat meat a lot more often than if I was still buying it from the supermarket.