grocery shopping - branded, shops own and value.

good_advice

I did a Tesco shop yesterday and now looking at the reciept to see what I could have done better.

I shop once a week with a list. Vouchers.Shop after 4pm for yellow stickers.We splash out on

This week I spent £80. Some foods are for the week, some for the storage cupboard/freezer.(going into other weeks)
Take meat for example - I bought x2 packs of stewing beef and a sausage pack. on 3 for £10 and x2 pork chops £2.09.
The stewing beef is going in the slow cooked. Both packs to bulk cook. Then half in the freezer for a diffrent week.
Sausages and pork chops have also gone in the freezer.

I brand down and now buy tesco's own pasta sauce @ £1.15.
Cheaper than the branded jars.

We splash out on Heinz products. This week BBQ sauce. 2 bottles for £3. This is an offer as usually £1.79 each.I think the Tesco own brand might taste vinegary?
I also bought HP brown sauce on offer @£1
(no, I do not make my own sauces.)

Bread - named brands. I do well here. We eat what is on yellow sticker.

I bought value biscuit barrel. frozen sw.corn.
Often flour, but did not need any this week.

Cereals x1 branded, I tesco own and x2 value. = will last more than a week.

Dinner plans for the week ( some things from freezer)

Spaghetti bol (mince = £1.66)
Mexican chicken with rice(value chicken pieces from freezer)
Corn beef hash ( corn beef tin £2)
Veggie lasagne
HM flan = broccoli & tomato, Bacon & egg.(have the bacon pieces from last weeks shop 80p)
Fish


This is just a general chat and reflection on my shopping.
I always buy milk, bread, marg, eggs, potatoes, fruit and veg.Cheese.

All adds up and 3 meals a day to cater for, & snacks

Comments welcome and other members shopping lists.

CH27

I never buy pasta sauce in a jar.
I get a 29p carton of passata from Aldi & add my own herbs & spices depending what flavour I want.

AnnieO1234

In respect of pasta sauce I never buy premade - it's so expensive and not to our taste half the time. Instead I have some kilner type jars and bottles from ikea. I'll make a huge vat with past their best tomatoes, peppers, celery, courgette, carrot, onion, garlic and herbs. I add a little passage if it's too thick once it's blended. Then jar it up properly.

When it comes time to use, I add a few quartered cherry tomatoes, fresh onion and herbs along with whatever meat. It really costs get little and I get loads of meals from it.

X

Skint_Catt

BBQ = 2 for £5 is not an offer if they are usually £1.79 each!

I never buy jars of pasta sauce - you can bulk make your own for half the price & freeze in portions - it's only passata, herbs plus onions & mushrooms/peppers if you like!

I don't buy any branded products & even if you could notice the difference on a blind taste test, you won't after a few try's of own brand alone! I rarely pay £1 or over for any mayo, tom sauce or bbq.

TheDoolallyDilly

I'm fine with own brand anything, except tomato sauce and salad cream - I buy Heinz because I don't like the taste of the others (and yes, I can tell the difference!).

It's worth shopping around with cheese - sometimes pre-grated cheese is cheaper per gram than a block of cheese ...

maman

Well done for shopping just once a week and with a list! I get really cross with people who say they drop into shops for 'a few bits' and spend loads. My DD2 is a huge culprit.


My comments would be based on whether or not you have a range of shops close by and have the time for a bit of shopping around.


I do the same as you and buy meat on offer/YS and portion it up for the freezer then I 'shop' from my stores and only put absolutely essential extra ingredients on my list. Fortunately I do have the spare cash to buy in offers when I see them but you need to be strict and only buy things you can freeze/keep or use immediately. And avoid junk offers, there are too many of those around for sugar/fat loaded rubbish. The best way to save on those is not to buy them IMO.


I shop in Aldi every week and call in at Sainsbury's on the way home for a few branded things I like. That's my basic shop. BUT, every now and then I go to Lidl (luxury muesli), Farmfoods (kitchen/toilet roll), Asda (chilli sauce and beansprouts), Iceland (frozen fish) or browse the £ shop (for anything good value). I may buy other things when I'm in these shops but this is occasional for storecupboard items that I know are best value.


I don't particularly like Tesco but would call in for a really good offer.

Sequeena

Making your own pasta sauce will be cheaper and healthier. I use 1 tin chopped tomatoes, 1 onion diced, some pur!ed garlic (I hate faffing with cloves), 1 tsp brown sugar (or normal), 1tsp mixed herbs, 2 tsp soy sauce (can leave it out but it's really really nice in the sauce) and 1 tbsp tomato pur!e. You can of course add in more veg but that's my standard go to sauce.

It's really worth making your own pasta sauce. It only take 20 minutes or so. Enough to combine all the ingredients and to simmer it down.

Meat wise I use mysupermarket to look at their 'savvy' deals and I also buy reduced meat and freeze it. It really reduces the cost.

good_advice

Back again Funny how members are saying about buying pasta sause. My friend said the same and other people nodded when I kindly took over a HM lasagne for lunch. Yet all the sayings" if I shoud have said "(know when to keep quiet) cup a soup, tinned pie filling and more.Not so Hm after all in their cupboards?
It just comes down to choice.

Skint-cat = Thank you I did press the wrong number. It should have read 2 for £3.
This tells you to buy x2 bottles of BBQ sauce when you only need one. Spending more pennies to save. Putting the extra one in store.
Grocery tactics

The doolally = I have been buying the x2 bags of grated chedder for £5. This lasts 2/3 weeks. Again, you have to buy 2. This is putting the weekly bill up. Instead of buying smaller quantity per week.
This week I bought Pilgrims choice. A block. This is delli cheese. New shop tacked. Cut up and clingfilm. Stick various prices on diffrent size blocks and put on end of shelf near their counter. Stand back and watch.
With the block cheese I still have to grate. If I were to leave it for family. They would make door step cheese sandwiches.
I think buying the grated would have been better.

maman = thank you for your coments and Annie.CH27
I get on well with shopping once a week. My list is on strips of cut up food boxes. Very MSE.
I sometimes make a list of freezer dinners and tape it to the kitchen cupdoard for referance.

On the odd occasion Oh gets more milk. Depends if we have had visitors. He has strict instructions for milk only and is very good.Will pick up a loaf if reduced.

Dinners are getting more portion controlled. Gone are the days of lots of meat and cheese. Then letting family have seconds or putting in the fridge(like sausages) just to snack on.

Right! off to walk the dog. Spoilet rotten or Queen bee gets sausages tonight as it is doggy class. Cut up sausage and some biscuits in the treat bag.

Ps. sp check is off line at the moment so have a laugh at my wrong words.

jackieblack

AzariahAquila wrote: »

When it comes to grocery Target suits me the most,I have purchased a lot of my stuff from that place and this is why it started becoming my preference.So yeah this is how i do my shopping.

I'll take a wild guess - you're not in the UK?

Happygreen

I always go with a list for staples but do respond to good offers because I depend on offers for my cooking plans which I make up as I go along. There's nothing wrong with bulk-buying or 2 for 3 offers or similar if you are going to use them. Cheese never goes off in this house and I prefer to have a well stocked food cupboard to choose from as we live in the middle of nowhere. I try to avoid driving into town just because I'd run out of milk! If I have to go into bigger cities for appointments I nip into B & M or poundstretcher to see what they have. I'll start from today to add up my grocery bills as OH has no idea what I am spending to keep this family fed. It hopefully will help me keep track of my budget.
To avoid missing this theard completely I buy mostly unbranded but sometimes give in to a treat (Heinz Salad Cream or Ketchup, HP Sauce), cereals always unbranded, bread I make myself which saves a fortune.

good_advice

Morning all
Just reflecting on what we have...
I have 1.36Kg of green grapes £3.70 on yellow sticker (To much,on looking back. Note to be more careful on price)
value banana's @ £1.15 and yellow sticker banana'a @71p to eat first.
we have apples from last weeks shop.

That's fruit for the week.