Who doesn't have a stock cupboard

Popperwell

Confuzzled wrote: »

alas, we don't have any near me (i'm in fife) though i do periodically check to see if one has come close, i couldn't shop in one regularly as the bus/train fares to get to one would be prohibitive if that was the only reason i was going but i'm nosey and want to know what everyone is going on about :rotfl:

AF works for me despite shipping as i have to take the taxi just down the local lidl due to bad knees AND the delivery driver knows i have problems so he carries the boxes up the stairs for me bless his cotton socks (never had a taxi driver do that )

i suspect BM probably gets their stocks from the same companies selling off surplus/old stock etc. i would love to be able to actually physically see some of the things i purchase first to check ingredients or cooking times etc so if by some minor miracle we ever got one here i would def go and just incorporate it into one of my marathon trips where i squeeze in as much things that need doing as possible to save on taxi fare

That is exacty the situation I'm in Confuzzled...regarding mobility and taxi fares etc...and the cheaper supermakets are all in neighbouring towns so you cannot carry much on a bus(taxi's are too expensive)and any saving is lost after using one...

The only good news is that they are buiding an Aldi at the bottom of my street(if I can afford to stay where I am and they don't try and move me)

Popperwell

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

Confuzzled
I actually didn't think about stocking up on butter and cheese as well. Of course, it is all made from milk, thanks for that I feel such a doofus
I try to avoid the coffee whiteners because they are so high in carbs, and I have plenty of butter in the freezer, because farmfoods have wykes farm butter .....2 for £2 at the moment. I will get some more cheese though, because I go through lots.

Tesco's, Anchor butter is £1 at present...even the cheap Everday range butter is rather nice...

I haven't any coffee whitener(I'll put it in the list)

Fruball

Oh terrific - just saw the news and they said prices are going to shoot up as crops such as broccoli are having to be brought in from usa!!! due to flooding of crops here - same for potatoes, carrots, cabbages... lots are flooded and rotting in the ground as machinery cannot get in to harvest them

Guess I am going to stock up with tinned potatoes whilst they are still 18p in Mr T!!!

Popperwell

Frugal wrote: »

Oh terrific - just saw the news and they said prices are going to shoot up as crops such as broccoli are having to be brought in from usa!!! due to flooding of crops here - same for potatoes, carrots, cabbages... lots are flooded and rotting in the ground as machinery cannot get in to harvest them

Guess I am going to stock up with tinned potatoes whilst they are still 18p in Mr T!!!

I heard that on the radio a few minutes ago, yes I think I'll have to pay an early visit to the supermarket and get some more tinned veg in(and yes, that includes potatoes)

Shaping up as a good year...Not!

Butterfly_Brain

That will probably mean that wheat prices will be affected as well which will mean price rises on bread, tortillas, flour, and all products made with flour and wheat not to mention animal feed so that will mean more expensive meat So it will be a fun winter Not!

Popperwell

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

That will probably mean that wheat prices will be affected as well which will mean price rises on bread, tortillas, flour, and all products made with flour and wheat not to mention animal feed so that will mean more expensive meat So it will be a fun winter Not!

Yes, cereal crops were mentioned too...:(:mad:

Perhaps, I should go to the supermarket now...

Butterfly_Brain

I think I will join you Popperwell
I am going to Bletchley tomorrow morning, I will pop into the big Asda while I am there to get some more bread flour, plain and SR. I will also get DH to take me down to the local butcher and get some more meat, it is more expensive than Asda, but the meat is lovely quality and fresh so I don't mind paying a little extra.
I have some potatoes inside a couple of tyres in the garden and I have grown potatoes from ones that I have bought in the local Greengrocer, so I am ok on the spud front. I have instant mash if I need it, but I am not overly keen. I will also get another 3kg bag of pasta (Made from flour)

GreyQueen

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

I heard on the news that the farmers are to strike during the olympics in protest at prices.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fa5db596-c78d-11e1-a850-00144feab49a.html#axzz207Bq92Io
So stock up on fresh milk and cream and freeze it if you can and also have some dried LL and evap as back up, especially if you love your cuppa and cereals. I don't mind cooking with dried milk, but I can't stand to drink it even if you follow the rule for every litre you add ½ tsp of sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract then chill overnight in the fridge. It is not panic buying to have a few extras just in case, and even if nothing comes of the threat, you will still be able to use your stores.
But if they do strike that is when the panic will begin and I would rather err on the side of caution and avoid the scramble that will ensue. I remember the sugar shortages and bread strikes of the 70's and I worked in Tesco then. Believe me, it was total madness once the panic set in and stocks were rationed to one per customer if we got any at all. Some people even started fighting and the police had to be called in (We didn't have security guards in those days)

Oh migoodness, I can recall the supermarket lunacy in the 1970s as a wide-eyed youngster looking at this woman who had a trolley loaded past full with just kilos of sugar. However did she get it home?

Frugal wrote: »

No fresh brocolli, hardly any fresh cauliflowers and low on carrots in my local Mr T this morning. Other shelves were looking fairly empty but I didn't look at the labels to see what was missing.

Reason - EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS!!!!!!! There was a yellow printed label explaining on each of the empty baskets.

We have had hardly any rain here altho I know other places have but still, to run out of those items after 'some' areas were hit by rain just shows how quickly the shops run out of stuff when faced with any sort of problem.

My Dad was working on a farm in the extreme winter of 1962-63. For those of you who weren't alive, snow fell in early winter and stayed around for months. Bitter cold. Dad said that the crops were frozen in the ground and couldn't be go to market. In desperation, they were once set to try digging up parsnips with pick axes.:eek: Flooding can also mean that harvesters can't get onto the fields to harvest. All this wetness will mean more stuff rotting and more slug damage, so going to be a toughie.

I was chatting to the Magic Greengrocer last week and the subject of broccoli came up; last week it went up over 100% on the wholesale market and he left it there as his customers can't pay that much and he can't risk the losses as an independant trader.

Popperwell wrote: »

More great advice...I'll buy some more long life milk in the next day or two(Not much room in the fridge for fresh milk:mad:)and the freezer part is too small(I did not realise when I bought it)how small it is.

I could perhaps buy a small additional small freezer but then the energy bill will increase. But I do buy fresh milk that is usually filtered so until opened it has a longer date on it than ordinary fresh milk.

So I might be able to do that...I could probably store 6litres at a push...I have some powdered milk, evaporated milk in stock. May have to check the dates again...as it was purchased before I started the store and before Mum passed away and I was alone...

Hi Pops, I have a small countertop freezer which stands on top of an undercounter fridge. To the unobservant, it appears that I have a 3/4 height fridge freezer. The little freezer is a cube with a shelf across the middle (removable) and holds 50 litres. The fridge holds 151 litres. That's more space than a fridge-freezer of the same size, I think.

Mine is A rated (freezer) and I've had it 4.5 years. It used 175 kWh a year and it's arrival co-incided with a price hike and I didn't notice an increase in my leccy consumption. They're very thrifty. You'd be looking in the region if £150 for an A rated and £100 for a B rated.

I lucked out on Anchor butter at 45p a block (up on it's BB date) so bought about 8 packs and froze them. I only relatively-recently discovered that hard cheeses and butter and milk are all eminently freezable. Haven't room to freeze milk but will get some long-life next time am shopping. Only use if for tea but would rather have it than not. Going to check out tinned tatties, too, as well as the homegrown ones which should be ready soon.

Going to be a hard winter and the burden will be unfairly-felt by the poorest, as per usual.

Butterfly_Brain

Just watching Britain on the Brink on BBC1. They say it is as bad now

Popperwell

GreyQueen wrote: »

Oh migoodness, I can recall the supermarket lunacy in the 1970s as a wide-eyed youngster looking at this woman who had a trolley loaded past full with just kilos of sugar. However did she get it home?

My Dad was working on a farm in the extreme winter of 1962-63. For those of you who weren't alive, snow fell in early winter and stayed around for months. Bitter cold. Dad said that the crops were frozen in the ground and couldn't be go to market. In desperation, they were once set to try digging up parsnips with pick axes.:eek: Flooding can also mean that harvesters can't get onto the fields to harvest. All this wetness will mean more stuff rotting and more slug damage, so going to be a toughie.

I was chatting to the Magic Greengrocer last week and the subject of broccoli came up; last week it went up over 100% on the wholesale market and he left it there as his customers can't pay that much and he can't risk the losses as an independant trader.

Hi Pops, I have a small countertop freezer which stands on top of an undercounter fridge. To the unobservant, it appears that I have a 3/4 height fridge freezer. The little freezer is a cube with a shelf across the middle (removable) and holds 50 litres. The fridge holds 151 litres. That's more space than a fridge-freezer of the same size, I think.

Mine is A rated (freezer) and I've had it 4.5 years. It used 175 kWh a year and it's arrival co-incided with a price hike and I didn't notice an increase in my leccy consumption. They're very thrifty. You'd be looking in the region if £150 for an A rated and £100 for a B rated.

I lucked out on Anchor butter at 45p a block (up on it's BB date) so bought about 8 packs and froze them. I only relatively-recently discovered that hard cheeses and butter and milk are all eminently freezable. Haven't room to freeze milk but will get some long-life next time am shopping. Only use if for tea but would rather have it than not. Going to check out tinned tatties, too, as well as the homegrown ones which should be ready soon.

Going to be a hard winter and the burden will be unfairly-felt by the poorest, as per usual.

Interesting post...I'll think about the freezer(if I can afford to run one I may think seriously about having one)

Someone asked me jokingly if I was expecting a nuclear attack or a siege or becoming a hermit.

No, I think it's just common sense. I think I should get more items in...but I don't really want to buy any more crates(that just adds to the cost)even though they are half price and so far I have saved £40...I still had to pay £25!

I'll watch that documentary later on the internet BB when I have unlimited access(in bed on the laptop);)