Where do you buy your 'alternative' foods?

WantToBeSE

Thanks everyone. I have asked for Amazon vouchers for Christmas so that I can buy some online, but will keep an eye out for the H&B sale too.
I don't have a Sainsburys near me, so cant go there unfortunately.

grandadsmith

judexx wrote: »

I also use iherb although more for supplements than food (though did get some lovely rice crackers) - many supplements are much cheaper (even allowing for p&p). Have ordered with them for many years and never had a problem.

Other departments are there at iherb, groceries,superfoods,etc :j

ladybabe

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Not sure if 'alternative' is the right word


I mean things like Chia seeds, Coconut or Almond flour, nuts and seeds, coconut flakes, things like that.


Holland & Barratt is very expensive and I am wondering if there is somewhere else I can buy it from (not in bulk though) that is cheaper?
Thanks

i buy from a couple of decent indian and caribian market stalls in the main market also there is an multicultural area near me that has great shops and so much cheper than the supermarket :-)

schoolhouse

I have recently started using Real Foods an online company,they have the loveliest raw coconut oil. Also do all the other items you are looking for and more, it is a right treasure trove. Delivery is free if you spend more than £24(easily done on just coconut oil-I loves it I do).Saves on traipsing yourself all over town and no heavy carrying as it comes to you! Think they have a store in Edinburgh. Hope this helps.

january_23

Usually buy them from H&B during their sales. I have a rewards card and use my rewards vouchers on items when they have a good offer - as the vouchers last a good while you can wait for the good deals.


Sometimes I'll get items from Mr S or Mr W if they have really good offers on (we have a Nectar card for Mr S and a my W card for Mr W). We usually get deliveries.

zzzt

The best place is from the internet. I often buy them off Amazon. It's much cheaper, and the postage is free, and I usually get them within 1-2 days (despite using super saver delivery).

Holland & Barrett is very expensive. The high street is the most expensive. I have an outlet store near me and even though it's cheaper, it's still expensive. Their website is expensive as well. The fact that they have a perpetual "buy one get one half price" or "buy one get one for a penny" deal on EVERYTHING should serve as a warning that the items are overpriced. And yeah, the rewards card means you recoup a few pounds, but it still works out as more expensive. Their target market is very much health conscious middle class people with more money than sense.

january_23

zzzt wrote: »

The best place is from the internet. I often buy them off Amazon. It's much cheaper, and the postage is free, and I usually get them within 1-2 days (despite using super saver delivery).

Holland & Barrett is very expensive. The high street is the most expensive. I have an outlet store near me and even though it's cheaper, it's still expensive. Their website is expensive as well. The fact that they have a perpetual "buy one get one half price" or "buy one get one for a penny" deal on EVERYTHING should serve as a warning that the items are overpriced. And yeah, the rewards card means you recoup a few pounds, but it still works out as more expensive. Their target market is very much health conscious middle class people with more money than sense.

It depends on what you buy.


I buy things like spirulina, maca etc in the penny sales (I like them in my smoothies). It's the cheapest way so far I've found to buy them.
I also wait for good offers on their 100% nut butters as I don't really like nut butters with added salt, sugar or oils. Recently for example I had a till spit out that gave me half price off my highest cost item. I used that on a 1Kg tub of cashew nut butter getting it for £7, I don't think I could have got that cheaper anywhere else (Amaz0n certainly don't sell it that cheap).
I buy tins of tofu in the sales - don't work out cheaper that I know of elsewhere. (They are more expensive to buy from Amaz0n).


The bit in bold is a little presumptuous to be honest. My OH and I certainly can't be labelled as middle class (although I was brought up in a middle class family). I am health conscious though I will admit that. More money than sense? No chance. I always look for ways to buy the things we do buy cheaper to get our money to go further, something my parents taught me to do.
Basically the things I buy in their sales are things that are expensive everywhere and I found them to be cheapest during their sales.
The main thing is to look around for deals and work out where is cheapest for what you are wanting to buy. A few minuets searching online can save a lot of money.

zzzt

january_23 wrote: »

The bit in bold is a little presumptuous to be honest. My OH and I certainly can't be labelled as middle class (although I was brought up in a middle class family). I am health conscious though I will admit that. More money than sense? No chance. I always look for ways to buy the things we do buy cheaper to get our money to go further, something my parents taught me to do.
Basically the things I buy in their sales are things that are expensive everywhere and I found them to be cheapest during their sales.
The main thing is to look around for deals and work out where is cheapest for what you are wanting to buy. A few minuets searching online can save a lot of money.

I guess it depends on what you buy. I actually do still shop at H&B, which is why I know what their prices are like. Everything I've ever bought from them could have been bought cheaper on the internet though, but I'm aware of this and often just go there for convenience.

I don't generally buy food there though, mainly supplements, which generally cost 1.5-4x as much as if I was buying online.

Occasionally I'll buy a big bag of nuts from them, which do seem cheaper than at supermarkets. But I'm sure I could get them even cheaper if I shopped around. Nuts in supermarkets are often sold in small packets at high cost (outside of Christmas) so it's not difficult to be cheaper than them.

You have to ask yourself, if they can afford to sell you any item for a penny so long as you buy one other item AND give you a reasonable amount of reward points, then what are their profit margins like? Someone else can most likely sell you things much cheaper, if only you can find them.

Frogletina

january_23 wrote: »

(A few minuets searching online can save a lot of money)

I might give it a whirl :rotfl:

january_23

zzzt wrote: »

You have to ask yourself, if they can afford to sell you any item for a penny so long as you buy one other item AND give you a reasonable amount of reward points, then what are their profit margins like? Someone else can most likely sell you things much cheaper, if only you can find them.

I think it's more the fact that most people will buy lots of different price products in the penny sales and they take the higher half for the price and the lower half as the penny.
When we shop there we make sure to buy items of the same value in each transaction making sure to get it at Y+1p so basically half price for each item.
A bit of faff but the savings are huge.