Feeling the Pinch!

Slinky

Londo

 I always check the prices online at Tesco,Asda,Sainsbury's and Aldi's, all of my local supermarkets to me. I price up what I want and the best price is where I will buy it.I know it sounds a faff, and if you have a family, jobs,children as well its probably a bit too much, but as I'm retired I think of it as budgeting to save some loot which I can use on something else. I've always been a canny shopper (gene came from my little scots Mum, who could make a shilling do the work of three if she could ) 

I use the Trolley app to check for bigger ticket items like branded coffee, and cat food, to work out which of my available supermarkets are the better option at any given time. I'm not obsessional about every single item, but I'll use it to stock up and keep my spend down. There's no way I'm paying £8.10 for Kenco coffee in the Co-op, when with a bit of effort I can find it for £5 somewhere else. Coupled with that I'll use a Chase card to get 1% cashback, and whatever card scheme the supermarket offers.

London_1

I too use my Chase card and OK its not a lot but added up over time it soon mounts up. Last week I found a huge bottle of Heinz Ketchup 1.3kg for £4.00 in Poundand with chase cash back only cost £3.96 so maybe on pennies here and there but I think in the first year of using it I had accrued over £20.00 odd in cash back I'm buying the stuff any way so its about getting it for the best possible price and its not just food, its anything you buy with your chase account so petrol and even when I top up my Shell energy account with it I get cash back so win-win.

JackieO xx

DiamondLil

London_1 said:

I too use my Chase card and OK its not a lot but added up over time it soon mounts up. Last week I found a huge bottle of Heinz Ketchup 1.3kg for £4.00 in Poundand with chase cash back only cost £3.96 so maybe on pennies here and there but I think in the first year of using it I had accrued over £20.00 odd in cash back I'm buying the stuff any way so its about getting it for the best possible price and its not just food, its anything you buy with your chase account so petrol and even when I top up my Shell energy account with it I get cash back so win-win.

JackieO xx

Me too - I love the Chase app; interest on my groceries pot and instant transfer to the spending account with cashback.

greyteam1959

I used to love this thread.
Hope it gets resurrected.
😁😁

London_1

I think we are all feeling the pinch at the moment .For many who got paid early, before Christmas its a looong wait until next payday I am pretty good at budgeting ,but I have been doing it for a very long time. I am a pensioner so price watching is second nature  

I watch the prices keenly and check the best price for stuff I need before I go near a supermarket. The prices are still rising in the shops, albeit slightly slower than they were, but rising all the same.

I think you notice it more when you go to buy something that perhaps you've not needed for awhile, then think 'Crikey thats a bit high'
 I think this year the fresh veg prices will rise, because of the appallingly wet winter, spud will go up in price for sure. I have a small stack of new potatoes in tins I bought before Christmas in case of bad weather  and when batch cooking in my slow cooker I added a tin to a casserole about an hour before it was finished I cut them all in half and when I portioned it up once cool to freeze they are just as good as fresh for the chicken casserole. I had a portion earlier this week and it was fine .So my stash will come in handy as the spud prices rise. Small savings but even a small saving is useful.

I was in the Waitrose outlet in Dobbies yesterday (I was looking, not buying ) and the prices were more than a bit absurd .Lurpak butter with the Christmas decal on the lid was £4.79 for 500 gms Yeo yogurt tub  was £2.85, but the absolute daftest one was a bag of brussel sprouts 'reduced' to £1.79 as in was on its sell by date and they were going yellow ! No one is going to pay those sorts of prices, well no one I know at least. I buy the equivalent soft butter from Aldi's with their Nordland lightest at £2.09 for 500 gms and its fineI usually buy tescos low fat Creamfiels plain yogurt for 35p a tub and add my own chopped fruit or honey or at a pinch ever a dollop of jam for flavour.As for the brussels this time of the year if they are those sorts of prices you are better off buying frozen veg I got a bag of green peas and a bag of broccoli and cauliflower from Tesco's for £1.00 a pack which is fine. I do buy fresh greens if they are a reasonable price or a sweetheart cabbage but I certainly wouldn't pay over the top for my veg.

But this month as I have been eating from my fridge-freezer and tinned stock. I've only been to the supermarket twice, and only spent £31. 29 which I am pleased about Using up stuff before buying more has east my january budget has done very well. I have one more shop to do before the end of the month but its only a small one for things I am running a bit short on so it shouldn't cost too much only one more week of january left thank goodness its the longest month it feels like of the year

But roll on the spring and hopefully a bit of dry weather for a change 

  JackieO xx

Auti

Hi @ greyteam1959  - I also like this thread and the need to watch the pennies has not gone away! 

Auntycaz

For anyone who likes lurpak spreadable (its my little luxury) the 400gm pack is £1.87 nectar price at the moment but only for a week and it freezes really well, Also cathedral city 350gm mature and extra mature cheese, tropicana 900ml fresh orange and a few other things are on nectar 1/2 price offer. Hope it helps someone

YorksLass

My budget year runs from April to March, like the tax year.  From April to July 2023 I stayed under budget for groceries, cleaning items, toiletries etc but after that I was over budget every month - apart from December, strangely enough.  This month I'm back on track and will have something left in the pot again.  Overall, I'm still within my annual budget but it's definitely getting harder so yes, the need to watch the pennies is still with us.

I sometimes use our local Co-op for odds and ends that I can't get at my usual supermarket and am disappointed they've decided to withdraw the rewards scheme (from today).  I normally earn about £10 to £15 each year on my membership card so it might not seem a big loss but it's still a loss to me.  I currently have £5.36 to spend - decisions, decisions.    They say they'll be introducing lower prices on their Essentials range but I'm not impressed.  I'm not going to buy a 400g tin of baked beans for 49p when I can get one elsewhere for 27p!

Although I prefer fresh foods, I do have a stock of tins and frozen foods that prove very useful, especially during the winter months or when fresh is in short supply.  This month Sainsburys are doing a 3 for 2 promo on frozen fruit & veg that I've taken advantage of - a bag of sliced mushrooms and a bag of chopped peppers as the "free" items now in the freezer. 

Auntycaz

For anyone who is looking for small/medium easter eggs (approx 98g -127gms), Morrisons have them for 75p each if you have a morrisons more card it works out cheaper than buying a bar of chocolate. I don't know how long the offer is on for I got mine today. Hope this helps someone.

sammy_kaye18

Hello All
Thought I would hop in and say hello. 
Feeling rather smug today - the house has been hit by some lurgy. My husband is really ill with what I suspect is ether covid or the proper flu but its draining him and hes awful. As a result I have slept on the sofa for the last 3 days because whatever he has, i dont want it. He is still in work though but its leaving him exhausted. 
Son has a cold and me and my DD are sniffling so this morning I found whatever veg I could in the fridge that had seen better days, along with a whole chicken, threw it in the slow cooker with herbs and oxo cubes and its on low now until tea time (I put it on about 9am) so that's tea sorted and husband is working away Thursday/Friday in Worcester so I will strain some broth and put it in a thermos for him to drink throughout the day. Considering making some small bread rolls as well so might do that with DD when she gets home later. 

Trying to get into a routine of buying things that are cheaper or ingredients to make my own. My small food shop this week has consisted of meals to try which in future I can batch make and freeze and will just need dumping in the slow cooker or reheating - because when the nicer weather comes I am hoping to be full effect in the garden. I have everything ready to go - I just need the nice weather now! 

Son also just rang and said they are refitting a new office block today so they have lots of skirting boards, 2x4 off cuts and ply board so would I be able to make use of some. Hes putting bits aside for himself, his colleague who is shelving out a van and said he will get a few bits and pieces to make me some storage shelves so should be good and keep him busy!