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

thriftwizard

It's the last day! Apart from my lapse on the camping trip, I have stayed out of the big four and am only running low on two staple items, cat food (they're addicted to A?da's Tiger brand) and oats. There have been a couple of trips to L!DLs & the local C0-op & W'trose for minor items, but otherwise just about everything has come from the market & the farm shop.
With a bit of research & planning, I wonder if I could do a month without visiting any supermarkets at all, big or small? I'd need a run-up at it, but I'm in the ideal position to do it here, as soon as I'm not working FT - i.e. after today, in fact! The oats I can source elsewhere by buying in a 25Kg sack (yes, we will go through it) but tinned toms might be a problem and as for the cats... well, they could always make some inroads into our resident rodent population. Worth consideration for later on this summer - August, perhaps.

Nargleblast

A few months ago I decided we would stop getting fruit and veg at the supermarket and use the greengrocer in the next village instead.

Well, I have to say, cost-wise it is not that expensive, and the fruit and veg generally are of nicer quality and taste like real fruit and veg, not like the bland stuff you often get in supermarkets. This shop also sells eggs (both barn and free range) from a local supplier, a selection of preserves and biscuits, and bread flour which is twice the price of the supermarket stuff but of better quality.

I find it a pleasure to go and look round the shop and see what they have in - picked up 3 very ripe mangoes the other day for 20 pence each, which are now chopped up and sitting in my freezer to use another day. Another time I got a bagful of overripe tomatoes for 50 pence which made gallons of fabulous soup.

My own village has an independent bakery which does very nice bread and cakes, but I tend to make most of our bread myself in the breadmaker. There is also a C0-0P for odds and ends.
Whenever I get time I go into the main town and go to their indoor market - fresh fish stall and cheese stall both worth a visit. Also quite a good butcher's stall as well.

Another part of town has Aldi and Home Bargains, both of which I go to regularly.

I just need to break myself of the habit of doing an online supermarket shop for delivery on payday!

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

I buy Candia Milk from Mr T and Moo Organic Milk from Waitrose.
I have hatched a plan which I haven't yet implemented whereby I can at least I can escape the majority of their grip.
Waitrose is the most difficult of all Supermarkets to escape because it is the most decent but all the same must avoid being exploited by them also in useby dates.
I will post up a thread with my ideas which can complement this thread where I will post a few completely insane ideas of mine and see if MSE folks can come out with something better.
The corollary of this might of course end up with promoting local jobs, food quality etc.
Perhaps I would need to stock up on Milk and Frozen Herbs and Spices (Waitrose kiler item) before attempting the Challenge.

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

Riverford Organic Farms can take more of my trade in the meantime.
There are places like Farmison and Natoora which deliver nationwide, have fab quality, but prices?

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

I am fed up to the back teeth of Tesco exploitation via Use by dates, quality of produce, bargains.. everything they do disadvantages the customer with the Customer (and workers etc) paying.

the_cat

Well it's been a long time since this thread first started and several years since the last challenge, but having spent the last few days taking notes and rereading most of the thread, I really want to try this challenge to see if it is still possible to (mostly) shop outside of the big chain shops.

My rules are going to be as follows:
Stay out of the big 4 supermarkets totally
Use the other 'chains' Lidl,Aldi, Waitrose etc as a last resort
Buy from local independent shops wherever possible but maybe use Coop,Savers type places that at least help draw trade to the high street if I cannot find what I need in smaller shops.
Online independent sellers equally ok

In order to take advantage of the Lidl weekend voucher this week, my month long challenge will start from Monday 11th Nov until Dec 10th. I will use the voucher spend to buy those things I have not yet sourced any alternatives for to buy me some time to source new places to get them from.
I will keep my budget as its usual £100 per week. I have a fair stock of cupboard stuff,toiletries in but not much in the freezer. I will aim for a similar amount in the cupboards at the end of the month so that I don't feel I'm cheating by just using my supermarket stores.

Anyone care to join me? Make your own rules though depending on what you think is doable for you