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

COOLTRIKERCHICK

just come back from the weekly market in the next village.....
the market compised of 2 fruit and veg stalls and one van selling meat...

spent £17. on fruit and veg.... this comprised of

1 sack of pots at £ 5.50..... so this will last about 5 - 5 weeks

a veg pack for £2. which comprises of carrots swede.. onions parsnips and carrots....

garlic at 25p......... 4 huge oranges for £1......2 big bunches of bananas... for £2.80 these were more expensive per kg but they were not bruised like they normally are in mr t......cooking apples £1.30....8 eating apples for £1. grapes £1.70 a whole cucumber for 80p..

so next week the veg shopping will be cheaper as no sacks of pots.....

called into the bakers... and saw the person about the flour..... he said he will price the hovis flour in the supermarket.... and he normally charges a few pence cheaper than that...he was really interested about the challenge......and he was saying he throws loads of food out every week :eek: and people wonder why they havent got any money left in their purse....and that they shopping bill is soooo expensive.....

i think once i have found out the best places to buy things... it could easily be maintained......

it would be a hell of a lot harder if i was working full time... to do the shopping in various places....

i also use a lot of tinned tomatoes in curries spag bol etc...

i know this is the wrong time of year....... so when the time is right for cheap tomatoes how can i prepare them and freeze them for putting into my cooking...? as then this will save and hopefully be cheaper than buying tinned toms......

Zed42

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote:

I know this is the wrong time of year....... so when the time is right for cheap tomatoes how can i prepare them and freeze them for putting into my cooking...? as then this will save and hopefully be cheaper than buying tinned toms......

Dependant on what you want to use the tomatoes for ..... for the past couple of years we've grown cherry tomatoes, and with these I have made them in to sauces for pasta and frozen them (cooked with onion, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce and tomatoes with a little basil mixed in).

This is such an interesting thread ... I've been out this morning and bought some more bread flour from my local health food shop, it's organic, it's not cheaper ... but it is cheaper than me going 11 miles to the nearest supermarket to buy it!

newlywed

I tend to go to the local shops only when I've run out of something and need it urgently. But (having lived here for nearly a year now) did discover a lovely bakery down the road. Not a chain name either.

Also have to confess it's ages since I used a greengrocer as it's easier to park at the supermarket!!

If I didn't work full time and have such busy weekends, I'd definitely try this but in the meantime, you guys have all inspired me to look for small ways to increase my trade to local shops (probably easier to do local to work as I can pop out at lunchtime).

Goal for February - use the greengrocer that is not far from the small mr T that I go to some lunchtimes, or drive 10 minutes at lunch and go to the other greengrocers. (Don't know why I haven't tried this before as some of the fruit in mr T isn't exactly great looking). Check out the independent health food shop for pulses, raisins, nuts, flour etc.

Goal for March (have all the meat for main meals in the freezer for this month) - find and try a local butchers shop.

ViksB

This link might be useful to someone - I haven't tried it. But when my present flour stocks have diminished, I might give it a go.

http://www.wrightsflour.co.uk/

Free delivery on 3 boxes or more (but this equates to 15 x 1.5Kg flour). This works out at £12.

Good value or not - not sure price of flour at the moment?

Asda are doing bread flour for 48p per 1.5 kg but my local co-op which I bought from yesterday is selling bread flour for 99p per 1.5kg
so Wrights flour at 80p per 1.5kg with free delivery is actually quite reasonable. I think I will definitely give them ago when the last two bags run out. Unless someone find something cheaper first!!

COOLTRIKERCHICK

i am really glad this thread is being of interest to peeps.....

i must admit ..with using independant shops and traders this week... has also inspired me to cook more......

and it def feels more os than going to mr t.'s every few days....

i think its all about find the right balance..... and also keeping in budget.......

if this thread has made one person reading it.. use a local shop..... farmer.. market etc...... for part of their shopping...... then i feel its been a success....... as that means some trader has just increased their trade...

budget wise i think its going to be swings and round abouts...

some things have worked out cheaper.. some things are more expensive...... but overall hopefully it will even out..

newlywed

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote:

budget wise i think its going to be swings and round abouts...

some things have worked out cheaper.. some things are more expensive...... but overall hopefully it will even out..

Yeah but my theory is that if I buy things from a greengrocer then there's no cakes, no biscuits, no yummy extras (except fruit). So it's actually likely to save me a bit of money - along with the fact I'll buy less as I'll have to walk a fair way with the bags rather than just out the door of the supermarket to the car park.

kazzzyliz

I am in full support of this thread finding it very informative ,have myself started shopping within the last 4 weeks at my butchers in town and the market ,havent been to any supermarket for a full shop for a good while ,slowly trying to manage without ,Keep up the good work folks!

newlywed

newlywed wrote:

Goal for February - use the greengrocer that is not far from the small mr T that I go to some lunchtimes, or drive 10 minutes at lunch and go to the other greengrocers. (Don't know why I haven't tried this before as some of the fruit in mr T isn't exactly great looking).

Had to pop out to the bank and OH wanted me to get some fruit so, inspired by this thread I went to the greengrocers. Know where I'm going from now on as the sweet potatoes there are huge compared to the supermarket and the apples are very tasty!!! (not local produce but local independent shop) Will also go there next week for aubergines as they looked much nicer.

Also went to the pharmacy in the same stretch of shops, instead of the B place just a few doors down. It's not an independent chemist but still it's not the B place where I get distracted by expensive makeup and hair products :rotfl:

So, all in all, a successful trip with no extra money spent (other than £1 in the pound station for biscuits for the kids )

[Deleted User]

I just ordered 8 items from goodness direct and got free postage. Certainly beats going to tesco and like for like I`m getting better quality at a very fair price (and I`m making the road safer in the snow by staying at home)

TKP_3

I already buy meat from the butcher, fruit and veg from the farm shop, get my milk delivered by the milkman.
The rest is from a supermarket.
I need to start thinking outside the box.