BBC: " Family food shop up '£15 a week'"

LillyJ

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

We mostly shop at Waitrose, plus butcher, greengrocer, etc. It's our nearest supermarket, and isn't as expensive as you might think.

I think it is really expensive! It is my parents local supermarket as well, but I find that it costs a fortune more. I agree the stuff there tastes nice, but it just isn't for me, especially for the weekly shop. I would buy from there for a special occasion.

I don't think I suffer on quality for buying cheaper food, and it isn't like I haven't tasted more expensive stuff!

I think Waitrose is particularly expensive for people who buy ready made stuff but for you neverdespairgirl I suppose the difference is not as big as you buy raw ingredients.

abaxas

LillyJ wrote: »

Wow homemade wine and beer, that sounds amazing! I do think it is difficult for people whose parents can't cook. My boyfriend never learnt from his mother as she tends to eat stuff like salad with cold meat just straight out of the fridge(which is fine but doesn't involve cooking!) and ready cooked chicken wings etc.

Since living with me he has learnt alot and he now likes cooking. He especially likes to make stuff from the store cupboard when it looks like we have no food!

http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/

Get yourself/other half over to Jim's beer kit. The turbo cider (see the forum) is especially good and cheap as chips.

PasturesNew

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

We do eat Matzah by the ton, though.

I've never ever heard the word. I just had to google that.

Ah, hard crispy things ... I'd make a lot of mess with that! I like bread soft and doughy.

neverdespairgirl

LillyJ wrote: »

Wow homemade wine and beer, that sounds amazing! I do think it is difficult for people whose parents can't cook. My boyfriend never learnt from his mother as she tends to eat stuff like salad with cold meat just straight out of the fridge(which is fine but doesn't involve cooking!) and ready cooked chicken wings etc.

Since living with me he has learnt alot and he now likes cooking. He especially likes to make stuff from the store cupboard when it looks like we have no food!

OH also learned to cook at home, but completely different food, mostly middle eastern and north African. So we have a great variety!

My mother has always cooked loads of things, always from scratch, and is a fantastic cook. She also makes and knits clothes, and she and my Dad grow loads of veg between them, and fruit as well.

neverdespairgirl

LillyJ wrote: »

I think it is really expensive! It is my parents local supermarket as well, but I find that it costs a fortune more. I agree the stuff there tastes nice, but it just isn't for me, especially for the weekly shop. I would buy from there for a special occasion.

I don't think I suffer on quality for buying cheaper food, and it isn't like I haven't tasted more expensive stuff!

I think Waitrose is particularly expensive for people who buy ready made stuff but for you neverdespairgirl I suppose the difference is not as big as you buy raw ingredients.

I suppose their ready-made meals and so forth might well be expensive, but we don't buy them.

Waitrose is nice and handy for our flat, and has a great range of organic raw ingredients, so it suits us well.

neverdespairgirl

PasturesNew wrote: »

I've never ever heard the word. I just had to google that.

Ah, hard crispy things ... I'd make a lot of mess with that! I like bread soft and doughy.

They are a Jewish thing, like thin cream crackers. At the moment, as it is Passover, there are special Kosher-for-Passover ones, which are different in some mysterious way.

LillyJ

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

They are a Jewish thing, like thin cream crackers. At the moment, as it is Passover, there are special Kosher-for-Passover ones, which are different in some mysterious way.

We have them at home too! My mum can't eat yeast so although we aren't Jewish, a lot of Jewish things are good for her to eat. Living in North London/South Herts they have an abundance of jewish shops to visit as well!

Phirefly

Probably not so much among the ranks round here, but generally, people are unaware of how supermarkets have been using ridiculous loss leaders to keep prices artificially low. With the prevailing economic climate, they are struggling to maintain this strategy. People are getting a massive shock that their food spend is increasing, when really its just that its been reducing YOY for such a long time, with suppliers and farmers at the sharp end of this squeeze. Now its becoming impssible to paper over the financial cracks with the price of grain and all that malarkey. Same with clothing. But don't panic, I won't start on down that route now...

LillyJ

I agree, farmers have had a terrible deal recently. It is really sad to see it.

WTF?_2

LillyJ wrote: »

I agree, farmers have had a terrible deal recently. It is really sad to see it.

They're not quite as hard done by as you might think.

I agree that the supermarkets are shafting them on prices paid for their produce but they enjoy high levels of grants. Yes, foot and mouth hit many hard but they got compensation. Can you say the same for the rural tourist trade in the areas hit?

Moreover, the price of agricultural land has sharply increased in recent times and if you can get planning permission on a patch here or there you can make a whopping profit. Even more so if you build the house yourself.

Now, with food prices taking off they are in a really strong position.