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

millionaire_in_training

I would like to do this but I have already done a huge online shop this month. Can I join in and just not do any more this month? I hate going to the supermarket anyway and I always come out with things not on my list.

Spendless

Good point about chemist :T . We have one recently opened in our village, part of a local chain. Can't remember when I last saw an independant :cool: .


DH is not joining in :rolleyes: . He says I spend most of my time nagging him to stop spending money, then I'm going to spend more by not going to supermarket, so I'm going to need help with this from you all so I can go to DH

COOLTRIKERCHICK

hi... guys...... where i am hoping to save.... well keep my shopping budget in order.....

when i got to the supermarket....i allways buy things which are not on my list....so allways over spend.....unless they acept my money off vouchers..... but you got to treat that as a bonus... as some times they will not accept them....

my main objective to this is ...because of the way they dictate the price they pay the supplier/farmer..... i feel intensive farming of animals.... and quality of food..... is on a very slippery slope..... with all cheap cuts... and starches... colourants... .. being added.....

but the main thing is the likes of tescos.... distroying local communities.... by more or less bully boy tactics for planning etc.....

we had a local tesco opened up 2.5 years ago.. even though there was loads of opposition to it..... now somerfield the supermarket that was allready there has closed.... plus the village high street is now slowly getting quieter.. the local busy petrol station was now gone like a ghost shop.... as there was an agreement that tescos would not lower their petrol prices... than them for the first 2 years..... they have been lower from day one..... and the local garage could not afford to take them to court... and tescos know this....

spiddy100

Spendless wrote:

Now for my first dilemma, where do I buy 6 x 2litre bottles of fizzy water for DH from, without resorting to paying a fortune at Spar or having to go to supermarket for it

Asl on Freecycle for a Sodastream machine and start making your own?

Psykicpup

I have been trying to do this too. I get my loo roll in the local papershop (12 rolls for 2.99) & its also available inthe Post office where I buy my stardrops & bleach when I cant be bother to go into town to wilkos.
It's prob worth checking what items your local shops sell too

Cazzdevil

Spiddy100 - I'd thought the very same thing about the water and was considering a Soda Stream myself too, I could imagine it would save me money on pop for my OH in the longterm.

Are they as good as I remember from being a kid?

MrsTinks

I would join in but I already get my organic fruit and veg from a local company who sources local if not then UK wide and FINALLY if they HAVE no choice european... They also do milk, flour, meat, fish etc as local as possible and organic. I don't tend to buy meat from them but from our butchers instead as he also only uses local suppliers even if they are not all organic. My flour etc comes from Mr T (sorry) but it's the organic flour - my eggs are from either costco if we are there anyway or the local butchers (local free range) and things like toilet roll are from costco multipacks shared with our neighbours on either side
Dog food is Costco (HUGE sack gets put in a bin and lasts the dog about 2 and a bit months (sack is about 15 kg I think... but she does get left over veg too)

Cazzdevil

Sounds like you've already hit our goal Tine!

MrsTinks

Yes all I need now is a local source of organic kitkats and I'll be set for life hehe
I've recognised that getting everything local and organic is impractical... dogfood forexample is a nightmare - but I have found that costco's own has the least addatives and the best ingredients and it's cheap too!
I try to buy organic when I can, but there are a few things that I think of as "Luxuries" that we still need and want... like cathedral city cheese (i sometimes buy tesco own and stick in the cathedral bag OH rarely notices other than to say it's a bit crumblier again... hehe) - my main point of irritation is locating skimmed organic milk... at least where I can easily obtain it. Local milk man looked at me like I was mad when I asked for organic so I am left with Mr T or my veg delivery company - but they only deliver once a week... and I often buy milk several times a week as I tend to drink a lot of it and Mr T hardly ever has skimmed organic milk!! ARGH

COOLTRIKERCHICK

hi... well today went to the pet supplies about 10 miles away got my tins of dog food... and some dry cat food.... also priced the big sacks of cat litter.... which was £6. for 30 litres....(big sack)..

so next week i will have it all delivered....so that is one part of my shopping sorted.....no need to buy that in tescos now.... plus it did work out cheaper... plus cutting my petrol cost of driving to mt t.

also bought more bread from the baker today ...a large loaf was £1.05.. which i had sliced..... the guy i needed to speak to about the flour had just left.... so will see him again about that......

got cash out at the local post office to pay for the above.. and the the lady was saying that there will be another 2500 post offices going at they will be anouncing who's closing in october..... and they are compulsary closures...
so will be using the post office for getting cash in future.. not the hole in the wall at mt t....

as she is only a small p.o she doesnt know if she is safe...

what is going to be a hard at mo.. is milk.... as i can not find a milkman/person..... by all accounts the one that delivers at mo in my area.. the milk goes off really quickly which i dont want.....plus squash for the kids....but working on that...

i found this site.... which i havent looked at properly... but will sit down with a cuppa later on and take a look.... it could be of interest to some peeps.... trying to avoid supermarkets..

http://www.deliaonline.com/ingredients/good-food-stores/

hope the link works lol.....