Shopping-Monthly vs Weekly or daily (merged)

thriftymanc

I shop as I go. Prices are always changing, and I have a load of different shops to choose from within walking distance, so I go wherever I need to in order to get the best prices. Also I browse the reductions on a daily basis. I don't really meal plan more than a week at a time so it works for me - keeps my diet more varied when I'm just buying whatever happens to be a bargain at the time! I don't drive either so better for me to pick up a bag at a time. I do a big online shop every now and then (literally once or twice a year), only when it's worthwhile to stock up on offers and use discount codes etc to make a good saving - but then I just seem to end up with a cupboard full of tins and nothing to go with them!

VfM4meplse

Once a week (or less) for me - if I don't have it, I'll make do w/o as there's plenty I do have in my freezer and cupboards!

lostinrates

Both. I dislike routine supermarket shopping and shop as infrequently as practical, sometimes this is weekly, sometimes i can stretch this to a couple of months. Then i top up as i go a long either from which ever supermarket i am passing (i rotate supermarkets knowing that their are somethings i think are better value generally at some places, or simply prefer from some places) or use the greengrocer. I buy meat direct from farmers a coyple of times a year, but fish usually drives me into a supermarket as we have no fish monger in the area that i have found.

Pink.

Hi randomer,

As your thread has dropped down the board I've added it to our existing thread on how often others shop so you can see what other Old Stylers do.

Pink

randomer

Very interesting! On the whole for a fool like me who loves shiny packaging I think fewer trips=more dosh!

thefamousexcuse

Hi guys,

hope everyone is well. Hope that I am putting this in the right place and it hasnt been asked already. (If it has please feel free to move it.)

I am busy meal planning for next week, and was wondering what people find easiest, plan for 4 weeks and do a monthly shop, or plan weekly and do a weekly shop? Does it work out cheaper to do it one way or the other?

What do you think is the most effective way of planning??

Hope all is well.

Thefamousexcuse

xxx

cherylim

I buy weekly. We don't have enough space to buy a month of food, and things won't stay in date.

Popperwell

cherylim wrote: »

I buy weekly. We don't have enough space to buy a month of food, and things won't stay in date.

Cherylim,
I suppose you could try and have items in the freezer that could last more than a week and upto/past a month and if the dates are carefully chosen you could have two weeks of fresh food in the fridge.

If you like soup, cereal etc.. and the like that could go into a cupboard. Too many houses these days are short on space and many people are using unused rooms, cupboards in other rooms, drawers to store extra food or even storage boxes under the bed etc...

As there is only me here I don't mind if some of my food is on show. But if I don't use that room I can just close the door and it's hidden away.

Good Luck!;)

Missli

I do a big monthly store cupboard stock-up, and shop weekly for fresh produce.

JodyBPM

I've always tended to do it fortnightly. Not too bad for storage, and more importantly I know I will only need to buy fruit in the mid-point shop, whereas I can imagine the weekly shop on a monthly meal planner becoming quite a big shop in its own right. Fortnightly is better value than weekly for delivery charges too, and generally gives you a bit more variety if you are cooking something that you will have twice, as portion 2 can be frozen and eaten perhaps a week later.