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

COOLTRIKERCHICK

hi.. jennyjudd.....

the challenge for me personally...was to try and not buy in supermarkets and find alternative shops..... like local or independant shops markets etc.....

as i was just fed up with the way supermarkets had brainwashed us into thinking ( and getting us into the habbit of ) that the only place to shop was them... plus they make us believe that they are the cheapest and best value for money ..plus they are squeezing the suppliers so in the end.. they are giving up. so now thats why a lot of food is imported..as they have ruined the farming industry etc....

i found along with alot of others who changed their shopping habbits ......i found by not shopping in supermarkets i actually saved money as i was only buying what i needed, no impulse buys etc......ok... yes i was getting less for my money buy i did spend less..

yes there are some things i buy and i think omg thats expensive compared to tescos... but if you even it out, as i say my overall shopping bill was cheaper...

plus my rubbish i put out every week is practically zero....( ok apart from the stuff for recycling )

you will find the quality fare better....

and i must admit when i actually started looking.. i found some wonderfull shops.....i used to use my butcher anyway....for most of my meat....i bakers which the bread is to die for.... a pet food supplier which will deliver for free once a week and the tins of dog food work out 20p each cheaper than the supermarket.....and fruit and veg, there are various markets ..around during the week, and they all have diff offers etc.......

so how you do the challege is up to you.....whether its just not buying meat/bread or your veg from the supermarket or whether you just dont walk through a supermarket door again its up to you.....there were one or two things that i could not find in local independant stores so if or when i run out of these i use the co-op..and its only these products i buy there..

good luck... and keep us informed....i still shop this way , and i love it.....:D

Psykicpup

jennyjudd wrote: »

I'd like to try this challenge, that is after i get my shopping delivered from tesco today.
I've not spent very much though, just some wag dog food that was BOGOF and some fish that was too!
My Hubby works in a supermarket though, does that count?

You can order Wagg dog food straight from the manufactures - I buy the Working Dog for about £12 for huge bag including delivery!
http://www.waggfoods.co.uk/

clutterbunny

I had to laugh last night.
We went to a bit of a posh restaurant. We hadnt been out in over a year as a couple so it was a huge treat.
Anyway looking at the menu there was a bit of a preamble before you get to the food about the importance of local produce blah blah blah. Then they listed where they source all this superior food

---

exactly where I get mine!!!!
The wonders of shopping locally!!

Thier cooking was better than mine though. It was the best food I have ever eaten in my life. Well worth every penny.

CB

aimeelister

Well i think im not doing too bad still.

Ok so i havent used the butchers as much as i would have liked and have used the supermarket occasionally but...

I get my fruit and veg from a v local greenbox scheme
I do get meat when i remember from the butchers, when i dont i go to the co-op which to me is better than a supermarket
I have also got tins and things from the co-op
I found a local petshop that i get my cat and pig food from
I use the local hardware store for those kinds of bits.

The only things i still supermarket it for are:
Washing tablets
big bag of pasta and rice

I havent been into a supermarket for some time and have been running down my supplies and when i do need something its the very local co-op. I have seen the money it ploughs back into the community and it hasnt driven local business out (wasnt much to start with!). I also tend then to buy uk produce or if there isnt fair trade products, yes i know they will have traveled but to me its that little bit better than bog standard stuff.

The other thing i have noticed about the challenge is it made me look at my waste. The only thing i tend to throw away now is plastic wrappers as i either recycle it, or dont have it with the products as i used to.

Thanks to everyone for the eye opener and its amazing how habits change!

[Deleted User]

I`m still doing fine and avoiding mr T like the plague

but

two weeks ago I sinned: on the way out for a self-catering holiday. I had not a scrap of bread in the house so bought sandwiches for the journey and now I feel ashamed. Roast beef at £2.50 ie £5 for both of us. What a rip-off:eek: because I wasn`t organised enough. I also bought some frozen bits and bobs and a loaf which tasted like dried sandy fluff. Then I saw THAT programme about the bad practices in mr T and eating the stuff choked me

I made a large sourdough loaf as soon as I got back and riverford has delivered and the organic meat has arrived and so has the fish from Martins seafresh. Oh BLISS :beer:

Psykicpup

kittie wrote: »

I`m still doing fine and avoiding mr T like the plague

but

two weeks ago I sinned: on the way out for a self-catering holiday. I had not a scrap of bread in the house so bought sandwiches for the journey and now I feel ashamed. Roast beef at £2.50 ie £5 for both of us. What a rip-off:eek: because I wasn`t organised enough. I also bought some frozen bits and bobs and a loaf which tasted like dried sandy fluff. Then I saw THAT programme about the bad practices in mr T and eating the stuff choked me

I made a large sourdough loaf as soon as I got back and riverford has delivered and the organic meat has arrived and so has the fish from Martins seafresh. Oh BLISS :beer:

Aww Kittie dont beat yourself up about it - you were on holiday & yes £5 for sarnies is :eek: but better than being hungry esp as it was just once.

Hey if you had bought a loaf I bet you would have left it at home & it would have been mouldy by time you got back lol!:rotfl:

buxtonrabbitgreen

I am not on this avoid the supermarkets challenge, it is a bit pointless as I work in one. But i am on holiday for 2 weeks and have been buying locally to save petrol and parking. I went to the local geengrocer for potatoes, just old ones, £1.30 for 2lbs when I can get 10lbs in Sainsburys for £1.68. I don't know how you can all save money.

catznine

Just popped in to say Hi! Still supporting local businesses as much as I can but last month was spent on holiday in Florida and spent far too much time in Walmart as there really wasn't a lot of choice nearby! What worried us was the amount of plastic carrier bags the packer used up, sometimes 1 bag per item! :eek: I kept trying to repack everything into as few bags as I could! :rotfl:

Anyway having overdosed on the Walmart experience (never again!) today my shopping was done at the farmers market:-
2 bunches asparagus £4
Large tangerines £1
6 fr eggs £1.30 = total £6.30

and at poundland:-
1 tub marvel skim milk powder
100 typhoo t bags
6 boxes o juice drink = total £3.00

so £9.30 total for today

I am also on the grocery challenge and trying to use up what is in store so should be interesting. Off to read all the posts I have missed.

I am also making my own shopping bags now!

Catz x

COOLTRIKERCHICK

buxtonrabbitgreen wrote: »

I am not on this avoid the supermarkets challenge, it is a bit pointless as I work in one. But i am on holiday for 2 weeks and have been buying locally to save petrol and parking. I went to the local geengrocer for potatoes, just old ones, £1.30 for 2lbs when I can get 10lbs in Sainsburys for £1.68. I don't know how you can all save money.

something drastically wrong there..... sounds as though they charged you for new pots.....

i normally buy a large sack of pots 25kg for around the £6. mark.. but this time of the year i hang one as the new pots are a bit expensive for me to buy a sack.....

but the price should be dropping soon.....

as for saving money.... i def seen my food bill go down as there is no impulse buying etc.... as i have said in earlier posts some things are more expensive than the supermarket... and then there are some things which do work out a lot cheaper.. so overall it does even out....

since i started the no shopping in supermarkets.... apart from the co-op for the odd bits i have been in tescos twice:eek: and to be honest i glad i did.... as it just makes me realise...its a false way of shopping.......imo

i am sure that the manager of my local tescos does not know my first name... and asks me how myself and my family are doing, and gives me some freebies to try......and also if i am short.. tell me i can pay him next week.......oh.. ye.... and tells me rude jokes.....:D

newster

I havven't any choice but to use our local Sainsburys :-( We do have a green grocer, but the stuff there isn't too bril. no local butchers. Have to drive to another town for one. I do use the butchers in the other town though. I won't buy supermarket meat. I do a bulk buy of meat and freeze it down.

id do organic for a while, but because we are such a large household,it worked out too expensive :-( shame, because I loved the produce. Thing is I had to buy double, because the family boxes were for a family of 4. We're a family of 9. it worked out to £21 for the veg, and £14,50 for the fruit, then there was £5 delivery charge.

I have learnt to shop tunnel vision. lol. I just keep my eyes on my list and not allow myself to get distracted by things I don't need :-)