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

COOLTRIKERCHICK

catznine wrote:

Hi! Can I join in please? I could be rebel no 6 (unless already taken) I'm giving up Tescos, Sainsburys and Asda for lent!

Catz x

hi....catz.......welcome aboard rebel no 6...........

costco is fine.. thats a cash and carry right ? i use mackro.....also why just for lent ?...... i think once you get into the habbit of not using a supermarket...... its quite easy to keep on avoiding them.....

i find its the store cupboard things that are the things i need to sort out.... but i have now found an organic shop that will deliver for min spend of £15. no delivery charge.... plus if the worst comes to worst i will bulk buy certain items from mackro....

let us know how your meat was from jimmys.......

catznine

Thank you Cooltrikerchick! Yes Costco is just like Makro, I have got used to doing a bulk shop there every 3 months and I think it is going to help me with this challenge.

I am hoping that after avoiding Tescos et al during lent I can then keep it up, I hate the whole shopping experience in the supermarkets so plenty of incentive;) It is so much nicer to split the shopping up and visit the smaller places like our farmshop it is a real pleasure popping in there as they are so friendly and you don't feel part of some big marketing experiment.

Will let you know how I get on with Jimmys.

Catzx

rach

i keep thinking about this! how do you get hold of the basic storecupboard ingredients? for me, living alone, i use a fair amount of stuff.

for instance, for dinner on sat i want to do fajitas - where would i buy the wraps except the supermarket?
and i need to stock up on tins of tuna, one of my staples - not sure where i would buy them i really want to try this, but just not sure where to get the staples!!

i think longer term i might end up doing the absolute necessities at the supermarket but getting everything else locally.

Bargain_Rzl

catznine wrote:

Hi! Can I join in please? I could be rebel no 6 (unless already taken) I'm giving up Tescos, Sainsburys and Asda for lent!

Me too! It only occurred to me yesterday what a good thing this would be to do. I will be adding Morrison's to the list as well.

I don't think it will save me money, in fact it will probably end up costing more, but I am looking upon is as "taking up" local and ethical shopping for Lent rather than "giving up" supermarkets. The priest at my church is a big fan of approaching Lent with positive improvements rather than just getting rid of negatives, IYKWIM.

And I am hoping this will be a case of starting as I mean to go on.

Rzl xx

P.s. that makes me Rebel No.7

catznine

Rach I will be getting tuna, fajitas etc from Costcos at first and then if I run out will be trying our local market, I know I can get things like huge bottles of soya sauce for £1 down there so it is worth checking out. Don't worry about trying to do it all at first just maybe the fruit and veg and the meat will still make all the difference to our local traders.

Hi Rzl :hello: or should I say Number 7?

hth

Catz x

COOLTRIKERCHICK

hi... bargin rzl.......welocme aboard rebel no 7:D ....

you saying you are giving up for lent..... i think you might be pleasantly supprised..... with it all... and carry on......

if you adapt your shopping habbits.... and meal menu slightly......it might come in under your shopping budget.....

hi... rach...........we will all get our heads together on this one for you......first of all what type of weekly budget do you work to ? ....

and what area do you live in..... maybe someone will know the area.... and tell you the places where to pick up the bargins.....

since starting this..... i have had to adapt my menus to what i can get hold of........also you could try shopping on line for some of your basics......good luck we will try and help all we can........

rach

thanks

i have access to a Booker card through church, and possibly a makro one too, if i can sweet-talk someone who has one!

i live in Bournemouth - Boscombe, to be precise, and want to do my shopping there.

i am going to go and buy fajita wraps for saturday today, might pick up a couple of tins of tuna too as i'm completely out! only a bit though, so i will still be looking to source them locally.

i was talking to my best mate who lives in switzerland last night and she is gonna try too, but with a slight twist - she wants to try and make sure everything they eat comes from within a 5 km radius!!!

rach

ps - here is my monthly meal planner, not in any particular order though. i aim for £70 per month on food, which i am slowly getting down. would like to be on £60 eventually. i currently have loads of turkey and 2 lots of mince in the freezer, as i bought bulk last month and haven't used much!

1.fajitas
2.jacket potato with tuna
3.pasta with mushroom, bacon & tomatoes
4.sausage, mash & veg
5.fishfingers, waffles & beans
6.chicken burger, waffles, veg
7.turkey mince chilli & rice
8.pasta with tuna & sweetcorn
9.turkey mince spaghetti bolognaise
10.jacket potato with beans
11.veggie chilli with rice
12.trout/salmon with couscous & veg
13.roast veg & fish/chicken
14.turkey stir fry
15.mushroom chow mein
16.sausage casserole
17.sausage, egg & beans
18.grilled turkey/chicken, potatoes & veg
19.chilli & potato wedges
20.turkey mince lasagne with bolognaise sauce
21.veg & bean casserole from slow cooker
22.veggie chilli with jacket potato
23.turkey curry with rice
24.fishfingers, waffles & veg
25.pasta with soft cheese & sweetcorn
26.peppers/squash stuffed with cous cous
27.couscous salad with chicken & veg
28.turkey curry with rice
29.veg & bean casserole from slow cooker
30.salmon/trout & veg
31.mushroom risotto

vivw_2

I've been reading this and although I'd love to join I'm not sure how I'd manage. No Costco nearby , Makro is for traders only. No local grocery shops unless you count Co-op, Aldi, Lidl which are all supermarkets. Local market is in the centre of Ipswich which means battling with the crowds every Sat and paying really high parking charges. Am near Jimmy's farm but thats really expensive for everyday eating. Where do you buy fish? Baking supplies? Toilet rolls?
I would really like some practical suggestions from someone.

Bargain_Rzl

rach wrote:

i was talking to my best mate who lives in switzerland last night and she is gonna try too, but with a slight twist - she wants to try and make sure everything they eat comes from within a 5 km radius!!!

"Comes from" as in, total food miles?

Somehow I don't think that would be practical for me, in Inner London

Here's a question: where to draw the line with "supermarkets"? Within easy range of where I live and work I have a Tesco, Morrison's, Asda, mini Tesco, mini Sainsbury's, Somerfield, Lidl, Netto, Aldi, two branches of Iceland, various branches of Budgens/Londis/Co-op etc, and a huge number of Turkish/Chinese/Afro-Caribbean "supermarkets".

Do I count the Budgens/Londis-type places or the ethnic places in my "fast"? At what point does a shop become a supermarket rather than a grocer/general store?