Groceries more expensive in London?!

zenshi

I posted a question on the food forum this morning but no replies so thought I'd ask you lovely lot

My daughter is relocating to west London, probably Richmond and as an avid reader here and watching the pennies, we wondered is food much more expensive to buy ? For example, our local Aldi has the super 6 at 59p.

Just really trying to get a grip on future budgeting and would appreciate any input from those who are local to the area, thanks guys

determined_new_ms

Hi zenshi I think actually if she is in the mindset she could probably do very well with groceries in London, lots of markets and asian supermarkets where she can get things at prices I can only dream of. But being young might scamper it a bit - I think being frugal is often a maturer attitude! How exciting for her though

Hermia

I expect no one has answered because it is not a simple question. If you just compare the prices in a particular supermarket they may charge more in London. I always found London great for grocery shopping because there are so many choices. If she just sticks to central Richmond she may find only rich people shops (she is presumably quite wealthy if she is heading for Richmond?!!!). If she has a Oyster travel card she could presumably shop around a lot. When I lived in London I shopped in ethnic supermarkets a lot. I also found street markets were great for fruit and veg. Even delis could be good because you could buy small amounts of meat etc. They do have Aldi and Lidl in London, but there are a lot of other cheap supermarkets that I have heard northerners talk about that aren't down here.

TBH, I am not sure if you can plan ahead much. She needs to move in and actually start talking to people to find out where people shop. The awesome ethnic stores I used to use when I lived in London don't even have websites so you wouldn't find out about them until you moved there.

London has a reputation for being expensive. The property and travel can be really expensive, but everything else can be as cheap as you want. Sometimes it is easier to live cheaply there because there are so many choices.

Cornucopia

The only issue is which outlets your local area happens to have. There are two sorts of problem areas - those that are very posh so that the local supermarket is a Waitrose, and those that are so poor so that there are no large supermarkets at all, and they are only served by smaller, more expensive shops that may also have a very limited range of things like fruit & veg.

Hermia

Cornucopia wrote: »

The only issue is which outlets your local area happens to have. There are two sorts of problem areas - those that are very posh so that the local supermarket is a Waitrose, and those that are so poor so that there are no large supermarkets at all, and they are only served by smaller, more expensive shops that may also have a very limited range of things like fruit & veg.

True. I think it depends on whether she is working in Richmond or not. If she is commuting into the centre of London she will presumably get a travel card and can visit neighbouring areas for groceries.

OP - out of interest why is she moving to Richmond? It's a pretty place, but too expensive and too far out from where everything is going on for my liking. And there can be a lack of community friendliness IME. I did work there about ten years ago so it may have changed, but it always seemed full of retirees and young families who lived in a bubble. Not the best place for making friends. The theatre is nice though.

SailorSam

I know you pay through the nose if you want to go for a pint, but i thought other things were often cheaper. They seem to have a lot more street markets down there, not just for food but clothes and things. I suppose you'd need to know where to go.

ThemeOne

I spend time both in London and outside it, and have never noticed a difference in prices in the big supermarkets.

But it does boil down to which supermarkets you have easy access to, and you're more likely to have access to a wider variety in a larger urban area.

Hermia

SailorSam wrote: »

I know you pay through the nose if you want to go for a pint, but i thought other things were often cheaper. They seem to have a lot more street markets down there, not just for food but clothes and things. I suppose you'd need to know where to go.

Exactly. I think that is why there is a limit to how much research can be done before she gets to London. She needs to move in and then speak to people and just look around.

The price for a pint can be frightening. Mind you, I once had a pub in Birmingham try and charge me £4.50 for a coke. They must have heard my London accent and thought I was an idiot! Eating out in London is one of those things that looks expensive to outsiders, but you can do it really cheaply. Even some of the really high-end restaurants have amazing and affordable off-peak or lunch set menus.

zenshi

Sorry, been at work.

She's very frugal with a mature head, sadly not loaded or I'd have got her to help me with my debts . Worked her way through uni and her MSc. Moving to Richmond ish as her new post is based in Kew and Richmond is slightly more affordable. A fair few rooms are affordable and on a bus route to work, and that would be a good a place as any to start when you don't know the area

She wasn't a student who lived on pasta....she can make something nice out of pretty much anything.

A quick google showed mostly waitrose but an Aldi is a couple of miles away on the bus route.

Hermia

zenshi wrote: »

Sorry, been at work.

She's very frugal with a mature head, sadly not loaded or I'd have got her to help me with my debts . Worked her way through uni and her MSc. Moving to Richmond ish as her new post is based in Kew and Richmond is slightly more affordable. A fair few rooms are affordable and on a bus route to work, and that would be a good a place as any to start when you don't know the area

She wasn't a student who lived on pasta....she can make something nice out of pretty much anything.

A quick google showed mostly waitrose but an Aldi is a couple of miles away on the bus route.

TBH I would just tell her to wait until she gets there. There may well be some butchers/greengrocers/indie shops etc that aren't going to show up on a quick web search. Kew may also have some suitable shops. And Waitrose do basic ranges that she can buy whilst she finds her way around.

One thing I noticed about living in London is I tended to pick up bits and pieces from small shops rather than do a weekly shop. Many of my friends/colleagues did the same. She may find her may of shopping changes and supermarkets aren't used as much.

Smodlet

Hi, would this be of any help?

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/shelves/PersonalOffers_my_Top_Offers_in_Ocado.html?LandingScript=Forms::{"ID":"Register","context":"homepage_btn"}