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

lil_me

I've put on weight since changing my shopping habits, as everythings so much nicer! I wasn't a meat eater previously, but since buying from the farm shop I love it. Also bakers, have had to ban myself. Making cakes/biscuits also a sin in itself!

Washing powder I got in bulk off eBay, next day delivery aswell, worked out 50p a box cheaper than ASDA with the postage, £5 saved on the 10 boxes You can get it in the weigh your own type shops. Sometimes this is expensive to buy in local shops, might be something you have to rely on a supermarket for to stay in budget. If you want to use it some sites listed in this post sell the likes of Ecover etc but can work out expensive.

Loo roll, our local shop does do cheap versions, as does weigh and save/food weighhouse, discount food shops in the inshops about 10 miles away etc. Tend to stock up and stash them under my bed, same with the washing powder.

little_miss_thrifty

catznine wrote:

Has anyone else noticed any weight loss? Avoiding the supermarkets has meant avoiding convenience/junk food and our diet has subsequently improved. I am now making our own bread with locally milled flour, eating organic fruit and veg and locally raised meat and not only are we saving £1's but we are now losing lbs :j Seems too good to be true but it will be very interesting to see posts in a months time on the differences this is making to all of us!

Glad you mentioned this - i have lost 4lbs, and can only think of my shopping as the cause, as before nothing would make a difference. I have just stayed the same for ages, not putting on, but not losing anything either, then a couple of weeks into this supermarket strike and the scales go down!!
Money wise, i budget £200 a month for 4 of us (toiletries inc) and i still have £65 left to spend in 10 days!!
We have less snacks in the house, so both my children today had second helpings of HM macaroni cheese!!
I think that i may as well give the Tesco vouchers away that were sent to me in the post, as i am never going back!!:T

the_optimist

little_miss_thrifty wrote:

Glad you mentioned this - i have lost 4lbs, and can only think of my shopping as the cause, as before nothing would make a difference. I have just stayed the same for ages, not putting on, but not losing anything either, then a couple of weeks into this supermarket strike and the scales go down!!
Money wise, i budget £200 a month for 4 of us (toiletries inc) and i still have £65 left to spend in 10 days!!

:mad: You don't know how jealous I am :mad:
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but well done you :T

kscour

Forgive me fellow rebels for I have sinned ....... today I went to morrisons:o
and bought ........ a mug of tea & a hot chocolate! & 2 bottles of wine.
Me and OH were off delivering stuff and called in cos we were gasping (not for the wine though!:D ) It was a pretty big store and it just seemed, um gosh I don't know quite how to explain it but it was like in a horror film when you see this really pretty girl and then catch sight of her reflection in a mirror for a split second and she's a shrivelled old lady.:eek:
I saw things as I'd never really noticed before - The bright lights, the stratigically placed bogof chocolate biscuits, the way things aren't in the right place on the shelves - it really does make it hard when they are higher up or down. And the robot on the till who asked me with my two bottles of wine "do you need help packing your bags?" I nearly said yes!:rotfl: :rotfl:
OH and I didn't even have the urge to shop we had left the store when OH said "why don't we grab a couple of bottles of wine" and it is wine so how could I refuse:rolleyes:
Please forgive me!!:D

rach

absolution granted

withalj

I haven't been to a supermarket for over 5 years... I do all my grocery shopping in a local organic farm shop which, before you say isn't moneysaving, is cheaper for most things than supermarkets (in season produce is even cheaper than the non-organic in the supermarkets - I did a comparison for a college course I was doing). I also spend less because I don't buy all the extra stuff I don't really want. I live in the country so I understand farm shops may not exist in cities (you do have buses to compensate ) but there are local shops, box schemes, markets and the internet.

BTW I've also noticed that I'm healthier, no migraines especially.

lil_me

withalj - well done, just curious as to where you manage to buy cleaning stuff, toiletries, loo roll etc ? Also things like flour, sugar, tea, coffee etc those typesof store upboard essentials.

withalj

lil_me wrote:

withalj - well done, just curious as to where you manage to buy cleaning stuff, toiletries, loo roll etc ? Also things like flour, sugar, tea, coffee etc those typesof store upboard essentials.

The farm shop sells almost everything (have a look... http://www.theorganicfarmshop.co.uk/shop.htm). I don't often go anywhere else, except maybe Boots because the make-up's a bit expensive in the farm shop... I'm trying to get my head around the Boots-tart thing at the moment.

kscour

withalj wrote:

The farm shop sells almost everything (have a look... http://www.theorganicfarmshop.co.uk/shop.htm). I don't often go anywhere else, except maybe Boots because the make-up's a bit expensive in the farm shop... I'm trying to get my head around the Boots-tart thing at the moment.

I am soooo jealous!

[Deleted User]

another biggie for me is that I am buying much less petrol. I have to drive if I go to mrT as it is too far to walk or cycle. I filled my car yesterday after 6 weeks since the last fill!! it isn`t just the fact that I have more money in my purse but I think I have saved about £40 on the car fuel

and it is making me use my brain more ie what do I do with what is in my fridge. Today left over rib of beef (craigfarm, it did 4 meals for 2) minced with dried (my dehydrator) tomatoes, red onions, porcini and a good strong stock all tenderly wrapped in a rich organic butter pastry and lots of riverford organic veggies. Cauli, broccolli, seakale all cut small and steamed together. Woah my dh is going to be over the moon yet again. He must love coming home to home cooking (and me of course)

My goodness direct order came yesterday and as usual I was very pleased. I only did a £36 order and they still added a nice free gift of dried fruit