What's your grocery shop timetable?

piglet6

I'm currently recuperating from a major op, so have been shopping online for the last few weeks (the vouchers and discounts board has provided me with a free delivery code each time, so it hasn't cost me any extra for delivery :j).

However, I am a very fussy so-and-so, so have mostly bought heavy/bulky/non-fresh items and have continued to pick up fruit/veg/meat locally or send Mr P for it.:p I find this has worked best for me, as I have no issue with somebody else selecting my cat litter/baked beans/tinned tomatoes/loo roll, etc, but I am fussy about the fat on my ham and the use by dates/appearance of my fresh veggies.

Also, I find that although I save money in one way by shopping online (as I am not tempted by impulse buys :rotfl:), I can miss out as not all the special offers are available online - e.g. I went to Asda tonight (2nd time in 7 weeks!:rolleyes:) and bought 2 huge boxes of Kellogg's Rice Krispies for £3 which were priced at £2.18 each - as the 2 for £3 was only printed on certain boxes, this discount was not advertised online... However, I also found that there were certain offers advertised online which were not advertised in store, but which still gave me the discount at the till...

The way it worked tonight was that I had already compiled an online shopping list (as I was not planning to go in person this week - it was a last minute decision...:p). I then printed out my online list and took it with me. I purchased everything on the online list (including taking advantage of 2 online offers which were not offered on the shelves), plus I was able to choose my own fresh stuff and take advantage of "on-the-spot" offers as and when I found them. This was definitely the best solution for me, and I will try and do it again going forward if I am feeling well enough. I spent more tonight than I would usually spend in a weekly online shop, but I bought several things (like cat food) in bulk to take advantage of an offer, so probably won't need another online shop for the next 2-3 weeks, thereby saving money until then...:D

Piglet

Elliesmum

natzini wrote: »

I shop online-I work full time and have a disability, so that's the best way for me. I find it easier time and money wise, as I'm not tempted to buy anything I don't need, and can go back and forth to the kitchen cupboards to check if we have anything in or need anything in particular.

People have different ways of shopping, so try a few and see what suits you.

I have just started the on-line shopping thing and have found that you are less *tempted*. I liked the fact that the shopping arrived and within half an hour it was put away and I hadn't had to drag my 4 year old around the shop :j

Elliesmum

sorry clicked twice

plumduff55

Hi, I write my menus for the month on a calendar and do my main shopping monthly. I leave at 8.45 on a Saturday morning (so that I miss the crowds).

I firstly go to Aldi, then farmfoods (that is right next door to Aldi).

I then sit in the car and cross off all the items I've bought from my list, then go lastly to Tesco. I am usually home before 11am.

I then put my shopping away and in the afternoon do some batch cooking, eg bolognaise sauce, chilli con carni, curry, tomato sauce etc.

By Saturday night I am organised and only have to shop for milk, bread and fruit/veg during the next 4 weeks. It does take the full day but once it's done I can forget about it.

When the children were still living at home I had the same routine but fortnightly instead of monthly. It's just habit for me now and makes life easier !

soappie

I do my grocery over the weekend.

The only meal planning I do is that Sunday is roast day and then Monday naturally follows as a do something with what's left of the roast day (stir fry, shepherds pie etc.). If it's chicken for Sunday roast then Tuesday is a chicken 'stoop' made from stock from the carcass, loads of veg, potatoes, and thick home made bread doorsteps.

The rest of the week I just do what I fancy doing on the day (depending on who's in and who's not and whether they want dinner or not).

I make full use of my freezer for this. On a Saturday morning I'll go to the market and buy my veg there. When I get home, I put enough in the fridge to last until Tuesday and then freeze the rest (after prepping, blanching etc.) in portion sized packets.

Then either later on Saturday or Sunday I go and do Tescos and get in the rest of the stuff I need. I make full use of all the special offers (today, my washing powder was on special so I bought 5 cartons of it) and the 'reduced' shelf. Anything in the way of meat that we won't eat within the next couple of days gets put in the freezer.

At the moment, they have an offer on chickens - 2 for £5.00 so I have bought two and jointed them myself putting the joints in the freezer in 1/2 person portion bags. The carcasses are being boiled up as I type and the stock will be frozen for use at a later date.

Doing it this way means that most weekdays for me are no spending - I take my own lunch into work - apart from the odd bottle of milk towards the end.

pigpen

I shop online and buy exactly what we need and nothing more.. then I browse through the special offers see if there are any which are exceptional value and add those.. sometimes substituting offer products for ones which I would normlaly buy a different brand..

I do as many orders as I can to take advantage of as many offers as possible.. eg.. this week I did 3 tesco orders, 1 asda order and 1 sainsburys order.. I save £92 in codes and had loads of free stuff because I took advantage of everyones offers.. I spent a grand total of £250 for a months shopping for 10 of us.. including pull-up type nappies for my 6 y/o (they were on offer at tesco too!) I just have to buy fresh fruit and veg for the remainder of the month now which is a definite bonus now my school dinner money expense has gone up from £15.50 a week to.. £64.50!!!! (I'm going to look into pack ups!!)

The only drawback is I don't get to browse the reduced items which I do like doing.. but.. we have a tesco express at the end of the street which reduces and puts out all the cheap stuff at 2:30.. so I nip inbefore I pick the children up from school.. I got 4 stuffed carrier bags for.. £7!!!! a few weeks ago.. it included salmon steaks, chicken drumsticks, cooked ham 6 loaves (9p each!) and sausage rolls.. loads of stuff!!!

Debt_Free_Chick

I only go to the Supermarket (Lidl) every 3 or 4 months and then it's to stock up on tins, dry/cupboard staples & cleaning stuff.

Weekly, I just shop for meat and, occasionally, veg (grow most of it myself).

JAMIEDODGER

in termtime i do an online shop at tesco on a sunday to be delivered on a tuesday evening. i order enough milk to last until saturday. i shop at lidl for fruit, veg, jam, crisps and yoghurts. i pick up medicines and toiletries once a month in boots to make as much benefit of the vouchers from the ac machine as i can (but without buying stuff i dont need!) eggs come from our own chickens. pet food, bedding, straw and cat litter for 4 cats, 2 chickens and a hamster comes from our local animal feeds store (who sell stuff in HUGE quantities for a great price) we have a local shop called trading post which sells stuff really cheap (3ltr bottle of juccee squash for 99p etc) i go there once a month to pick up bargains and sugar! i usually do a small shop at tesco express on a saturday morning (less than a fiver) to pick up milk to last the weekend and some sweeties for the kids and anything else that cant wait until the tuesday delivery.

however, during school holidays my shopping routine goes out the window as the kids hate being dragged round the shops therefore i resort to doing one online shop at tescos per week and suffer the cost rather than the wingeing):(

Horasio

We shop Thursday nights as a rule.

purpledaffodil

May sound unlikely, but I have found Waitrose (Ocado) really good for online shopping: free delivery over £85, rarely out of stock (selected from warehouse not supermarket) and if you use them every few weeks then there is usually a special offer to tempt you back- free bottle of wine, even 15% off order! Also you don't get the stuff on its use by date that Tesco and even Sainsbury are prone to. Added to which you can check the cupboards as you go as others have said. Worth a try!:D