a month without supermarket - new challenge for 2011 starts at post 1013

[Deleted User]

I have been browsing around the papers on the net and saw this in an express article about petrol rises

"Last night the Association of British Drivers urged motorists to boycott out-of-town shopping centres and multi-screen cinema complexes next weekend in protest at rising fuel costs."

interesting times

NualaBuala

What a great challenge! :T

I don't buy much from the supermarkets these days but there are some things I still depend on them for.
- low fat organic milk
- washing soda crystals
- bicarb
- organic butter
- organic cheddar
Can't think what else but there is probably more.

I am well stocked up for the time being though - I will see how long I can go without buying anything in a supermarket (or anywhere hopefully!).

greenbee

NualaBuala wrote: »

What a great challenge! :T

I don't buy much from the supermarkets these days but there are some things I still depend on them for.
- low fat organic milk
- washing soda crystals
- bicarb
- organic butter
- organic cheddar
Can't think what else but there is probably more.

I am well stocked up for the time being though - I will see how long I can go without buying anything in a supermarket (or anywhere hopefully!).

For washing soda and bicarb try summernaturals (also good for bulk buying vinegar). I'm lucky, in that my village shop sells the milk, butter and cheese (and my farm shop does the cheese).

NualaBuala

greenbee wrote: »

For washing soda and bicarb try summernaturals (also good for bulk buying vinegar). I'm lucky, in that my village shop sells the milk, butter and cheese (and my farm shop does the cheese).

Thanks Greenbee! :A I had that site bookmarked but never got around to checking it out properly. I was afraid delivery to Ireland for heavy stuff would be horrendously dear.

The dairy is tricky - I can buy full fat organic milk in my organic food co-op but I prefer low-fat. Sourcing butter is tricky too - the only organic butter I've found other than Mr T's is French and is very dear. But I will continue my search! In fact a real solution would be going vegan (I have been trying and failing) as then I could buy almost everything I need in the organic co-op - happy days!

Caterina

[QUOTE=roosterpotatoes;39836584]Caterina, I'm intrigued with your homemade baked beans, would you please share the recipe with me

[/QUOTE]

Hi roosterpotatoes, here is a link with many homemade baked beans recipes, mine is post no. 27 on the thread, hope it helps!

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/168201

However, as a family we tend to call "homemade baked beans" any variation on previously cooked beans which are then refried (whole, not mashed) with onions or garlic, tomato sauce and any variation on spices/herbs. For example, for tonight I am planning "homemade baked beans" which are cooked haricots mixed with an onion, tinned tomato, chili and rosemary sauce, to go on baked potatoes.

If mashed, we call them "mexican bean" and eat them with tortillas, grated cheese, homemade "salsa" (chopped tomatoes, onions with a pinch of chili powder, handful of fresh parsley or coriander and a splash of vinegar) and shredded lettuce - another very successful quick family meal.

[Deleted User]

That site is a wonderful link greebee. I have never seen it before and it is a gold mine. Many thanks

hex2

I have just placed an order with our milkman. Spotted £10 off milk&more for new registrations here had to cut and paste the code to get it to work, and you have to order the veg/fruit box by Sunday for Friday.

kymbogs

I've been checking in on this thread and reading about the lovely local shops a lot of you have, I'm so very jealous!
I love just over a mile from the town centre so the shops there are my local shops, apart from a little estate down the road which houses a Pets@Home, Aldi, Home Bargains and Pound Stretcher.
I've been talking to t'other half about what we do already, what we could change, and the things we just can't think of where else to get them without leaving ourselves short.

The real sticking points are breakfast cereal, loo roll, cat litter and tins such as beans and tomatoes and some tinned fruit and veg.
At the moment I do an order monthly with Ocado and every 4-5 months I've been placing an order with Tesco for a bulk purchase of value cat litter, value loo roll and value sugar free squash. These are the three things I'm struggling with, and are the only things I get from any of the 'Big 4'.

I think for the time being I will continue to get my monthly supplies from Ocado as I'm happy with them, their ethical and 'green' values etc. Aside from the above mentioned dried and tinned goods, I order free range chicken from them as none of the butchers in town sell free range chicken, saying there is no market for it which is just sad (but totally believable round here). I get my other meat from one of the butchers in the market though, and my eggs.

I'm trying to find somewhere I can buy locally produced cheese from but the cheese stalls in the market have been very disappointing so I am now waiting for the farmer's market to come to town, which it does on the 3rd Saturday of the month.
I also need to try out a different F&V stall in the market as the quality of the stuff I've had from one in particular has been terrible unfortunately.

I get my milk from a local milkman (whom I currently owe a small fortune to seeing as he never knocks!) and have started making my own yoghurt (which I'm still experimenting with flavouring it in a way that the kids will eat it...) and I've been making all our bread for a few years now.

I've just looked up Aldi's cat litter and it's £1.79 for 10kg compared to £1.55 for 10kg from Tesco, I know Aldi still isn't brilliant but I'd rather give them my money than Tesco - and I can send DH down there to lug it back up the hill ;-)

lil_me

Kymbogs I have to travel a fair distance for ours, the local stores here closed before I was a teenager. Cheese, there are lots of smaller retailers online. For me it's as much about smaller traders as local as we have very little in the way of cheese manufacture nearby but my butcher has started bringing in cheese from Northumberland which we enjoy

NualaBuala there is an organic magazine in Ireland do you get that? I am sure my friend mentioned a cheese supplier being at a Dublin Market somewhere too, Kerry's I think it was called

Sat this evening with local chicken, frozen peppers from some local grown, onions local grown and HM tortillas (used imported spices from a small spice stall I like on a Market we visited in Yorkshire) followed by locally made Christmas pudding with the most amazing cream from the farm shop we went to yesterday https://www.abmoore.co.uk I so wish we lived closer as I love the ice-cream and cream, boys love the milk too, but it's sooooo bad for my diet I need to start I'm pleased we don't. If you're near or ever near well worth a visit.....ice-cream shop had just under 100 people through the door @ 4pm-5pm it is that good!! Anyway in the words of my son, 'nomnomnom' sorry it's not organic either but .... they do do some for people who are diabetic.

Anyway I'm happy so far with my avoidance of supermarkets

hex2

I had my first delivery from the milkman this morning - milk, bread, bacon, satsumas, carrots and bottled water. All looks nice, but DH cannot understand why I am paying so much more for milk, £1.35 in the newsagents (who buy it in Makro for 80p), against £2.20ish delivered. All in I have paid a good third more than I would if I had gone to one of the big 4, but if you take into account the cost of getting there, and the impulse buys then it does make sense.