Examples of surprising prices

London_1

I dug my butter 'curler' gadget out of the back of my cutlery drawer.It makes lovely little 'curls' of butter from a block.
 I have a glass dish that I put around a dozen or so 'curls' of my block butter in, and cover, and leave on the worktop.This time of the year it stays soft enough to spread , and as I only do about a dozen at a time its more than enough for me a couple of times a week.

250gms of butter done this way is under £2.00 in a block.I prefer unsalted butter anyway, so my little butter curler comes in very handy. No way would I fork out £4-5 for butter. Occasionally I use Flora 'light' buttery spread on toast or in a sandwich as its got the nearest taste to butter for me, but will only buy it if its on special offer.In a sandwich its just a base for the filling really and on toast its usually got pate or marmalade on top.

I guess you can still buy a butter curler in  the shops I have had mine for more years than I care to think of  , right back before soft butter was much on the market, around the time I got married in the early 1960s at least . I think I paid 5/- for it (25p)

JackieO xx

General_Grant

YorksLass said:

The only cereals I eat are porridge oats or corn/wheat flakes (the cheaper basics ones).  I do like the Nestle Curiously Cinnamon Cereal (I think they used to be called Golden Grahams) but I'm afraid they're way out of my budget nowadays.  The same goes for crisps - plain unadulterated ones please, not whatever weird flavour they can conjure up.  Even then, if I have a packet every other month then I'm probably exaggerating!  

As for Aldi price match (or price lockdown or whatever), I think that's definitely a con.  Once the price match/lock finishes then you'd expect the price to revert back to its original.  Not so, it's always higher than previously.      As JackieO says, the SMs must think we're daft and don't notice what's going on.

maryb's spot on with M&S - in and out for what you want and ignore the temptations!

I like them too.  They were Cinnamon Grahams (Golden Grahams were plainer).
I think Lidl's may do their own version.

jackieblack

arnoldy said:

In terms of low prices: Potatoes, highly nutritious, versatile, tasty. Very cheap.

Many people need to learn to bulk out meals with potato. And seasonal veg - at the moment carrots, cabbage/brassicas all very cheap. 

Unless you’re diabetic, in which case they’re practically poison. Carrots are not far behind them (along with any veg grown underground).

London_1

General_Grant, yes Lidls do a cinnamonbased cereal and its £1.85 for a 500 gm box, so a lot cheaper than the Nestles one and just as nice.

JackieO xx

bouicca21

Butter curler?  I think I have one somewhere, but I simply cut a bit off and put it into a small dish (actually a glass dish that a Gu dessert once came in) and leave it out.

Auntycaz

arnoldy said:

Floss said:

arnoldy said:

 Maybe the common theme is branding, some people (often those who can least afford it) put great store by it. E.g. They buy Lurpak rather than own far cheaper own brand butter despite the fact Lurpak is c30% water and cheaper oil emulsified into it. 

I presume you mean Lurpak Spreadable, and not Lurpak butter.

It may be taste too - I was brought up on Lurpak not Kerrygold like my ex-husband & I prefer that taste.

Yes I mean Lurpak spreadable, most of the spreadable butters have quite a lot of veg oil and water packed in them. I would have thought it easier to buy a butter dish leave the butter in an ambient place and be done with it rather than spend more money on butter emulsified with oil and water. 

I always buy Lurpak spreadable when it's on offer and freeze it. Lurpak is my favourite butter but all butter gives me really bad acid reflux nowadays, but I can tolerate the spreadable one. It is my little luxury and a tub lasts me ages.  

YorksLass

YorksLass said:

WeegieWumman said:

Lidl in Glasgow today.  4 pack of Heinz baked beans,  £3.49.  All Shelves are full.

At that price, no wonder the shelves are full!  I'll stick with my Hubbards brand (Sainsburys basics) at 25p a tin, thank you.  They were 21p a tin until the other week so it seems even the basics are going up.  To be expected I suppose if people are ditching the branded stuff.

Update - noticed in the Co-op today they have 4 packs of Heinz baked beans on at £4 and 4 packs of Heinz tomato soup at £4.40.  

bouicca21

Sometimes it’s the little things that surprise you.  Lidl pastel del nata were 49p a week or so ago. Now they are 55p.  That’s a rise of 12%, definitely above inflation.

General_Grant

bouicca21 said:

Sometimes it’s the little things that surprise you.  Lidl pastel del nata were 49p a week or so ago. Now they are 55p.  That’s a rise of 12%, definitely above inflation.

I suppose the general rate of inflation counts those 12% increase items along with those at 4%, nil or even negative ones.  So all part of the mix.

Grumpelstiltskin

This article from BBC today.

Prices of pasta, tea, chips and cooking oil soar - BBC News