Saving money on food my way

Battleaxe44

Here I go sticking my neck out and I am sure opinions will differ.

For several months I have trying to find better bargains or let's say better quality (still not the right term) and less food miles and still save money.

We tried the Aldi challenge but had to factor the fuel costs and the having to buy other things we could not get at Aldi even with substituting,,, that didn't work. I wote to Aldi Head Office and provided proof, it cost us a lot more than shopping at the local Tesco.

Still on the search for shopping my way, I have finally the proof and the solution for ME, i realise this might not be for everyone and bear in mind I am not prepared to compromise on the quality, this is my choice.

We have a local farm shop a mile and a half from where we live read that as full butchers shop, delicatessan and vegetable farm.

I have managed to save £120.00 this month on a normal shop. this includes meat and fish.

I will not skimp on meat, so I pay for it, but in comparison to the supermarket, unless of course it is a supermarket special, my meat bill is lower and we are eating fillet steak once a week, have a baked dinner once a week, fish twice a week and the rest is normally a grill of some sort. I buy my fish from a fishmonger in the local market,

We have full cooked breakfast everyday, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, grilled mango, hash browns and a meat of some sort, generally gammon.

Lunch is salad or sandwiches. I amke my own cakes using locally ground flour, the bread is baked locally with no presevertives, i buy two loaves and freeze one. Butter is also locally produced as is the cheese.

I have had to top up at Tesco's for bananas and mangos. The eggs come from a local farmer who has free range chickesn, the chickens are out in the fields scratching around and all the eggs at the moment are double yokers. We pay £2.00 a dozen for these eggs, I know they can be bought cheaper elsewhere, but as I said I am trying to cut down on food miles, so it swings and roundabouts.

I shop at 99p or Poundland for cleaning producrs and other non grocery lines

I think saving £120.00 this month is evidence that at least in Summer my bank balance is healthy.

My shopping methods will not be the same as others, there are two of us and three cats in the house and I refuse to skimp on food. I am 69 and husband is 71 and neither of us are on any type of medication, both have clean bills of health and do not smoke or drink.

I am sure people will say I could save further by substituting products, but this is something I am do not have to do. I believe by buying the best I can afford and eating healthily we have kept ourselves out of the clutches of the doctors (this may be case in time to come, but for now it is fine).

So no more Aldi challenged (so frustrating) and I am going to support the local farmers in our area and still help my pocket to remain healthy.:mad:

I did say in the beginning, my method is not for everyone.

oh I grow my own herbs and some seasonal vegetables. At present I am freezing excess garden produce for winter and bottling the lovely fruits we have been able to buy at good prices:T


All typos are my own:eek:

NigeWick

Battleaxe44 wrote: »

Here I go sticking my neck out and I am sure opinions will differ.

Of course they will or there would be no conversation. I am trying and get SWMBO to have liver once a week as it has a lot of nutrients and is just about the cheapest form of meat one can buy. When she's away looking after the grandchildren I also eat kidney and heart, on thinking about it I must try tongue too. I get most of our fruit & veg from either Lidl or Aldi which are within walking distance. We also buy "pie fish" (offcuts of various varieties) from Sainsbury's, and get their Basics salmon which is a comparatively reasonable price. We do check out the local market for fruit & veg to make sure we're getting best value for money. I try and buy organic where possible which means Lidl's carrots & onions and Aldi's milk, although I only have milk in my early morning cup of "wake me up" tea.

We too grow our own herbs and I just planted three apple trees, a plum and several soft fruits in the garden. I will also be shoving vegetables amongst the flowering plants too. Then there's free fruit as a quarter of a mile away we have a public path with bullaces, blackberries and apples growing alongside it. I take a plastic bag in their seasons and pick them. We put some in the freezer and get puddings and jams from the rest. My daughter bought me a book on wild plants for food so I shall have to try nettles and other weeds that our ancestors ate.

maman

NigeWick wrote: »

When she's away looking after the grandchildren I also eat kidney and heart, on thinking about it I must try tongue too.

You must try 'sharp end' it's an excellent cut.;)

OP, assuming you'd welcome comments on your shopping, it's difficult to know whether you're getting value for money by shopping locally or not. So you've saved £120. That sounds admirable and you're obviously pleased but £120 shaved off what size budget?

Battleaxe44

I forgot to add, where i live eons ago the Royal Airforce swa fit to plant fruit trees in the playground areas and in gardens of the houses. We have two types of cheriies , several different varieties of pear and apples, we also have Blackberries, all coming to to the picking stage, so I have been out walking with my bags and of course foraging. I have already bottled cherries for sonsumption over winter and keeping my eues on the pears and apples. I made some delicious cherry and blackberry icecream, there is tub still in the freezer.

Liver is yummy, as I can get the bacon at a very reasonable price from the farm shop and of course all the lanb's liver I can use for £1.00 a kilo, this also gets cooked up and frozen in the onion and bacon gravy. it is so warnming on a cold evening.

We don't eat kidneys, heart or tongue ( this is personal preference). i do remember eating crumbed brains as a childm but you don't see them on sale these days.

Nothing like giblet gravy from the chickens.

I have talked the butcher into letting a lamb get to the hogget stage. I am going to get one of the legs salted and make poor man's leg of ham. Our farm shop is mostly all organic vegtables.

The Hobbit says I sould be renamed the Hedgewitchm as I forage and try all sorts of recipes using what Nature has provided. I am fortunate to live in semi rural area, with lots of hedgerows and even if I say so myslef I make a rather nice rose hip jelly.

I am so glad I had two grandmothers who cooked. My mother was a fantasic cook and she made we all knew how to cook and sew. I have passed these skills on to my daughter and son and in turn these skills are being passed on to the grand-children.

I try to buy the staples for the pantry in bulk, this is not so easy to do here in England.

Oh I grow my potaotes in old tyres and make all my own compost.

Nice to see someone else likes the old fashioned ways.

sophlowe45

Can I come and visit? Your food habits sound wonderful with access to great produce.

No medication costs, side effects, no smoking or alcohol, and it sounds like you are a really active person.

Battleaxe44

maman wrote: »

You must try 'sharp end' it's an excellent cut.;)

OP, assuming you'd welcome comments on your shopping, it's difficult to know whether you're getting value for money by shopping locally or not. So you've saved £120. That sounds admirable and you're obviously pleased but £120 shaved off what size budget?

Maman, I used to spend around £100.00 a week on everything for food and cleaning, sometimes it cost more but £100.00 was the average a week. You have to factor in two hot meals a day for two people. I have a substantial staple pantry. You open the larder door and you will see 20lbs of sugar and other things in large quantities.

If I can buy a whole salmon and it is reasonabley priced I will buy that and cut it into meal sized portions and freeze it. I take the opportunity if we are having guests to make my own gravalax and I know this is not the norm for most people, as I said in my original post this is MY way.

I have to admit I cook a lot of cakes and send these in with the Hobbit on the days he works, for his work colleagues and use good quality chocolate (expensive) for anything with chocolate in it. I don't think we have a typical lifestyle, but to save £120.00 has been an achievement, with prices increasing. Life isn't too bad at all when things are averaged out, apart from the abnormally high fuel bill this year, but this quarter's bill is way down.

Oh at the moment I am aslo negotiating with the local council to be allowed to put a water tank in the garden to take the rain water off the roof and try set the house up to use grey water for the garden. they aren't too receptive to this idea at the moment. We have halved our water bill over the last five years. We are on a meter, one of the smartest moves done.

It's the shopping bill I am chuffed about and I hope next month to save even more if possible. Buying in bulk certainly helps with negotiating a deal.

I have thought about forming a co-operative to get the staple supplies at a reduction, but no-one seems keen on the idea.

Oh one other thing, I use Rapeseed oil for cooking, I buy this in bulk directly from the grower.

it is sometimes a matter of thinking laterally and tweeking to be able to afford the things we like to eat.

Battleaxe44

sophlowe45 wrote: »

Can I come and visit? Your food habits sound wonderful with access to great produce.

Sophlowe you would be more than welcome to come and visit.:j

Ilona

You do the best that you can for yourself op, that's commendable. It is my understanding and is widely publicised, that meat is not very good for you, so I am thankful that I don't eat it, and love fruit and veg. At 64 I've never smoked, and my alcohol intake is down to one can of cider a week, and one bottle of wine a month. I weigh in at just over eight stone, and believe I have a fantastic diet costing me £15 a week.

There is no one size fits all where diet is concerned, you highlight that very eloquently in your post. May we all live to be 100. I'll let you know if I am still fit when I reach 69. Cheers :beer:
Ilona
PS, I don't think Aldi is cheap either.

GemDoll

Battelaxe44 do you buy organic fruit and veg/food in general?

Battleaxe44

GemDoll wrote: »

Battelaxe44 do you buy organic fruit and veg/food in general?

Hello Gemdoll,

Yes I do, it is preference thing for us. When I was married to the husband before Hobbit , we went into a holistic lifestyle, sadly he was a heavy smoker before he met me and did not have a very healthy diet, but in 20 years that improved. Sadly he died after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, but it wasn;t the cancer that killed him, it was a contributing factor, it was something else that was contaminated. All of the men at work became very ill that Friday but K was not able to fight the bacteria because his immune system had been compromised. When he was diagnosed they gave him about three months to live, but he lived a further 19 months, returned to work full time and was cleared to fly.

he also did not allow full dose radiation or chemo, we did everything holistically and his oncologist said it was because of his diet, he never had the weight fluctuation or other problems.

Ilona I understand if someone does not eat meat.. I cannot tolerate a lot of grain and if I eat pulses I am very ill, so it is for each person to make the choice. Hobbit has lost over 4 stone in weight since we have been married ( 3 years) and is far healthier for this. His diet was horrible.

The only processed food we eat is cheese, if you can call that processed. I do have at least one day a week that is meat free.

Allegra

Battleaxe44 wrote: »

Nice to see someone else likes the old fashioned ways.

Whatever works for you, Battleaxe ! Well done on making savings that work for you and yours.

Just a thought though - have you tried reading the "Old Style" section of the forum ? A whole community of money savers well into their "old fashioned ways"....