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

rach

chrisico - try not to be too downhearted, i can understand it feels like a bad start! i do always check dates on things now, especially on more unusual items. have you been back to the shops to complain?

COOLTRIKERCHICK

chrisico......what a poo.......might be worth you asking round to find the best places......there are a lot of independants.... which to be honest dont help themselves..by the state of their shops... stock etc....... but there are shops... which really pride themselves on their products......and the layout of their shops.....once you find these gems... its well worth it......


kscour have you got the recipe for the hm tomato sauce...that you made........ would really like to try that......

catznine..........welsh cakes:D
especially when they have just been cooked and still warm......:D

bigspender2

I was thinking of ordering some meat from here http://www.donaldrussell.com/index.cfm
as anyone tried there meat?

Thanks

TKP_3

Donald Russel : I have, and it's fine. Very posh wrapping! It's by appointment to HRH, so really good quality.

chrisico

rach, I didn't complain as I'd spent so long chatting to the greengrocer that I was running late. I wonder if he was trying to distract me from the prices he was charging?

I've just come back from another fact finding mission with my little note book filled with prices. I wonder what the shop assistants think I'm doing!

I've found that the independant health food shops in my area are both charging about the same price for dried pulses,flour and oats and seem to have a high turnover. Then I wandered into Iceland and compared the same goods and they cost about half price, cheese only £1 for 225g
oats £1.50 for 2kgs, lots of biscuits on special.
Would that count as 'local' shopping?

Many of the smaller chains don't want to take over the world,do they and seem to operate as convenience stores.
For example ,Holland and Barrett, Julian Graves,Wilkinsons ( who sell food in the Nottingham Victoria centre Branch).Even Poundland is a chain.

rach

i've been using weigh and save a bit for dried stuff, but will be using my local food coop soon. weigh and save are some kind of chain, but i think are franchised, and also are not a supermarket so thats a start i think!

dried pulses etc i don't mind paying a bit more for as a bag lasts ages, and with what i'm saving getting fruit and veg on the market i reckon it will all even out in the end! i'll be getting my monthly food budget out in cash on thurs so will see how it goes!

Grumpysally

Ive come into this thread quite late so please forgive me for asking questions that have already been asked, but haven't had time to read all 500+ replies. Have I grasped the general concept rightly.
The challenge is to avoid the big supermarkets, tesco, adsa, sainsburys, morrisons etc. Are the cheapo ones allowed or not eg, Netto, Aldi Lildl etc.?
As someone else asked what about Coop supermarkets as they seem to serve local communities?
I am lucky to have a local butcher, baker ( no candlestick maker) local independent supermarket ( nisa) and petfood suplier just down the road, also a health food store.There are a few farm shops in the area one that does deliveries and also an organic farm box scheme has just started up which I am considering trying.
My main temptations into the big ones are; muller corner healthy balance yogurts especially with the special comic relief offer thats on at the moment. Organic / fair trade bananas ( tho' if co-op is allowed I can try there) and Morrissons 4 for £5 bottles of real ale. ( all of which Im sure you agree are absolute essentials :eek: ) Supermarket washing powder ( does Wilkinsons go on the forbidden list?) Also Nettos big packs of Nouvelle toilet roll.
Is it cheating if you ask someone else to get you something while they are doing their shopping, for example my mum will often pick up the toilet rolls for me when she goes to nettos.
I suppose when I look at whats on offer locally and the fact that Ive got access to a car and only work part time Ive really got it quite easy.
I think Ive more or les talked myself into it. ( apart from the beer )

Skint_Catt

Is there a forbidden list and a allowed list? As per above I would think that Iceland is a forbidden?

Catt xx

COOLTRIKERCHICK

......i am trying to keep away from all chain supermarkets.... where poss.....this includes lidles... iceland.... farmfoods the dreaded mt t. but i have had to use the co-op for high juice.......i will be using mackro from time to time.... if needed...so i thought the co-op...as it is the closed.. plus they are trying to be a bit more ethical than the others...

but what i have found you do need a supermarket in the first few weeks.... as a back up shop... for things that you can not source.... and need.....

little independant £1. shops are great for bits.....and it is suprising what they stock.....

what i have found is..... my shopping as changed as well.... to incorperate.... what is being sold locally......

as for beer ..we have found a local corner shop that does great offers on booze..... which does work out cheaper than the supermarket for what we buy.....

if someone else buys it..... for you... well to me that is still putting money into the big boys pockets......

but its up to you how are you take it....... some people are using local.... butchers... bakers..... markets..... and getting store cupboard things in a lesser spuermarket.....

do baby steps and see how you go......

the_optimist

Just been shopping. Went into town for 4 basic food items, bought milk, bread, yoghurt and dried yeast (must be mad, want to try and bake a loaf :rotfl: ) Only went into Sainsburys afterwards to compare prices, spent 30 pence more, bread and yoghurt was nearly the same but the yeast was a lot dearer: 37p for 2 sachets in comparison to 65p for 8 sachets! Bought 2pt semi skimmed organic milk, same price as Sainsburys,85p, except that I normally buy 4pt 'normal' (non organic)semi-skimmed milk for £1.11, but at least it's local milk.