WE'RE CHEAPER

Now I'm game for a bargain but wouldn't embarrass myself scrabbling around for cheap food that's nearly out of date.

Aldi and Lidl - not pleasant to shop in IMHO - warehouses - which I'm told on good authority aren't really that cheap.

We're back shopping at Morrisons - primarily because of convenience - pop into the attached petrol station - fill up - park close to the store (large car park) - and shop. Nice staff who we have over the last couple of years built up a good rapport. All of these factors are more important than the shop being cheap .

 

Yes, our dollar has dived. Unfortunately this is going to affect a lot of people just across the border. Very few Canucks are going to go there shopping when we have to pay 1.40 for their dollar. I feel sorry for the folks who are going to be put out of work.

A friend asked me to pick up a shipment for her there so I committed myself to going. I certainly won't be dropping my usual 4 or 5 hundred this time!

Guess I'd better look into buying some more seeds for things that I am capable of growing and don't want to pay supermarket prices to purchase. My big capital expenditures are over so now it is pretty well only seeds and soil that I need to buy.

 

How could you know if the staff at the likes of Aldi and Lidl aren't just as friendly and open to rapport with *their* regular customers, unless you have given them equal amount of time shopping there?
If you "have it on good authority" about their prices, then would it be fair to suggest you haven't taken the time to make your own comparisons?

I went to a Lidl, just before Christmas and was able to purchase a 2.5k of potatoes for 29p, a bag of carrots for 39p, a bag of sprouts for 39p and onions for ... 39p!
I went to Morrison's about a week or so later and the prices were at least double that!

I do not find it "embarrassing" checking out (and, most likely, buying) items from a reduced counter - on the contrary, I find it quite profitable. I am able to cash in on items others may not have the knowledge or experience to make the most of! As a knock on effect, money saved on food items can be channelled into other spending/saving pots

I hope no-one looks down their nose at people who are prepared to harness those best before dates or those stores who stack it high and sell it cheap(er). We all have to eat to survive; we don't all have to throw hard earned money away to do it

 

Aldi is probably the only supermarket I shop in and that is only about every two months or so. I get my cereal from there as eg granola in there without a brand name is £1 cheaper than Tesco.
The only thing I've found Aldi expensive on is meat but I use our local butchers for that as we still have two independents.

I like to eat food not brand names so I decided I wasn't going to pay for brand names as they only get thrown in the bin.

 

Blimey! You is posh if you throw branded goods in the bin!!

On the Aldi/Lidl subject, I do confess I don't shop there by habit, probably because I'm more of a make-it-from-scratch kind of housekeeper (e.g. I make my own granola ) but, I am subscribed to their newsletters. That way I can make an informed choice on whether a trip there would suit my purpose.

Back in the day when I was (in hindsight) fortunate enough to be taught Home Economics, it was considered good practise to source products at a decent price and to harness seasonal produce yadda-yadda-yadda.

I think there are a multitude of issues on our food front.

First, and foremost, in most people's mind is: affordability. We all have to cut our coat according to our cloth! While it may suit some to pay over the odds for a cauli so they can get their socks at the same time, that is fine. Up to a point!
Secondly, may creep in ethics - (depending on your income ) both in farming standards and the big debate of how much a "fair price" is! Because, on the one hand, I agree that farmers should be given a fair rate for their produce, but I also understand that the supermarkets have to factor in the cost of transportation (plus wages), stock handling (plus wages) etc., etc., (oh, those etc., include keeping the shareholders "happy" too ).
But, if you are hungry, or on minimal income, you do not give as much care as to where it comes from just so long as you can get it!
Of course, there is also food snobbery. But that is ok too because those who choose to pay premium prices will continue to do so. Any surplus, from the suppliers, equate to the food reductions aisles
Farmers are given subsidies, from the EU budget, to keep their arable land sustainable (or, at least, they were the last time I read up on it). The more pressing concern, as I see it, is the task of keeping farmland afloat, with or without subsidies, when the big boys come in offering silly money to the farmers to purchase their land for "development" aka housing/fracking/whatever.

At some point, someone needs to reign their neck in and say, "Whoooa!" If we give up our farmlands, we give up our bargaining powers when it comes to exports! We have a unique (and still prolific) environment for growing a vast array of produce. If we give *that* away, then what do we have left? Nowt!

We cannot survive as a pure, and solitary, "service industry" provider! We *have* to have some resources to draw upon to keep us marketable as a nation. What we have left (predominantly) is our arable land because we no longer have the mining industry or the wool industry.

The balance has to be drawn between farmers and shoppers! But, neither should be held to ransom by the big boys

*steps off soapbox and apologies for going on ... and .... on ... and .... on! *

 

Sorry " M ", I didn't mean the food. I was talking metaphorically, as in the box goes in the bin wether it's got a brand name on it or not.

 

I shop the deals and discount sections only. We eat well and cheaply doing this. The only shops i dont use are asda and waitrose anyone else is worth a visit.

 

Any particular reason for not shopping at Asda and Waitrose, @WeeTam ?

 

Asda is expensive and is like a giant nursery school with kids running everywhere with really unappealing meats/fish/chicken.
Waitrose I find is a somewhat depressing all white expensive soulless place to be in. But thats just me I guess

 

Why on earth do they let kids loose with meat/fish/chicken??
Weird by anyone's standards

 

Cauliflower
$2.97
product of U.S.A. /

chou-fleur


In today's No Frills flyer - guess someone is pulling our leg.... the pic of the seven dollar cauliflower came from a viral facebook post....hmmm.....

 

I have to confess! this morning Kev said he'd like to take me to the new Tesco extra store in Newmarket! I of course protested but he said he thought id like it because it was very spacious & clean! I reluctantly went (I had to go in that direction as I'd been called back to work) I was pleasantly surprised by the layout, variety of goods & customer service, but it wasn't enough to make me feel that I needed to go back in a hurry! I checked several prices & I have to say a lot of their prices were more than waitrose & sainsburys, they probably had more offers. I didn't buy any meat, but I did a general shop, there wasn't much difference in cost to be honest