Can't get cheap food /rationing

[Shipshop231]

I feel like the cheap brand/economy type food is much less available than it used to be a few years back. I used to be able to fill my cupboards with it when money was a little tight. But I have not been able to do that for a long time now.

I do the kids main meals.

But I have always allowed them to help themselves from the kitchen as well. But things are so expensive now I don't think I can allow that anymore so i was thinking about doing them a snack box type thing. I think it will be easier to do it for My younger kids. But harder for the older ones.

No one (needs) snacks . But we would like them. We don't want/can't make them at home.

I don’t know if it is anymore. With fuel costs and the cost of basic ingredients such as butter / marg now.

It seems that they are only available in store now which to me is also a bad thing . By the time I have shopped and paid 10-13 pounds for a cab there's no point 😔

I tend to use sainsburys exclusively, and yes things have gone up massively. I use the nectar deals and buy in bulk and put stuff away and bring it out when it's out or low.

I also use nectar points and buy things when I have extra points available etc. I then use my nectar points to buy our Christmas shop and a few presents from argos. It seems to us to be the best value for money overall.

Sainsburys online has a link for food below and £1 or 2. I always check those out and top up with what I need. Including cleaning products and hand soaps, etc.

I tend to buy multi packs of crisps, mini cheddars, soreens, breakfast bars (brunch bars), mini bags of party rings, Marylands, etc. for lunch boxes and the snack cupboard.

The 5 or 6 pack mini biscuits are often on nectar deals of 85p or slightly more.

I also never put out full packs or boxes of stuff out or else it will disappear stupidly quickly. I tend to buy around 10 quids worth of crap (this includes yogurts) and only put out 2 or 3 or each to keep them interested and the snacks rotating.

For those saying this is unhealthy....no one is over weight, has bad teeth and we eat a very balanced diet. Occasional mini treats are fine by me.

Here come the comments asking you to whip up your own rice cakes as it’s uncouth to buy a Kit Kat 🙄 A balanced diet can afford having a bloody biscuit.

I’d like to echo the M&S comment. Their bread at 75p is the same cost as Asda. They do reasonably priced biscuits and snacks that we really enjoy. They’re not as cheap as back in the day savers ranges but like you, I’ve noticed supermarkets have stopped doing a lot of their own snacks.

I know Lidl and Aldi get a lot of love on here but I don’t think they’re as cheap as they once were.

Jack Monroe is a con artist who robbed many people. Not to derail…

www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4807475-jack-monroe-and-the-missing-money

@Shipshop231 I know you
say you don’t want to be making healthy snacks, stuck for time etc but what about getting your teens to make some chocolate Rice Krispies/cornflake bars/cupcakes - no need to use the electric either, just put it in the fridge. Or getting them more involved in healthy snacks, it will help them develop home skills and prepare things themselves.

I almost feel like in order to get a larger range of cheap food i would need to go from shop to shop. Which I can't do.

And yeah I don't want to bake. Litterly want to just grab something. I don't understand then comments really

I know you mean well. And it's a nice suggestion for some people. But this just doesn't work for us at all .

Your first mistake is looking at Tesco & Sainsburys.

If we’re just talking about snacks/junk to fill cupboards then go to Aldi. 6 pack of crisps for 90p ish, big pack of biscuits 70-90p, packs of jellys 40p etc

Try an Iceland delivery for the sort of food you're after. Cheap and cheerful.

Trouble is that as soon as the stocks of basics junk snacks go out, they get swept into the trollies of those who want to keep a junk snack cupboard filled up at all times, meaning people who could only afford one or two things as treats can't buy them.

It hadn't. A bag of rice was on the shelves but not online, that's all.

Aldi don't do home delivery. Time I have paid for a cab of 10-13 pounds there's no point . And I can't carry it because I get pains in my arms/bones . Even pulling a trolly hurts . It's also based on a family of 5/6 I can't carry that on my own

I’ve started to bake a lot more because I don’t want the kids having so much processed stuff.. they still do as teens and buy their own. But I’ll make big batches of cookies and they snack on those in the evening.

Do you not have any friends or family who can pop to Aldi for you?

If not, what about a local fb page? I know there’s lots locally to me who help others out who can’t get to a shop and there’s always someone happy to go for them.

As an alternative have you looked on Uber Eats? They often have offers especially with Iceland & Asda, just had a look on my app (may be different elsewhere, not sure if offers are area dependent) but as of right now Iceland has 25% off snacks and Asda has 25% off “weekend treats”. Just having a quick scroll through from Asda the 25% off has a 6 pack of walkers £1.29, a pack of chocolate digestives £0.99, a pack of 6 cake bar things £0.92.

But im basically looking for junk like crisps. Biscuits, crisps sweets jelly. Bacon, ham, choc spread.. im not sure but it basically for the junk snack cupboard

I know this makes me "that" person, but honestly OP, yours and your DCs health will be so much better for not having this crap in the house. Everything on your list is ultra processed, full of emulsifiers and lacking in any kind of nutrition. Fine if you want to eat it yourself I guess, but do you not want your DC to be as healthy as they possibly can be?

Also (again may be area dependent) Ocado has a buy any 3 for £4.65 offer on and this includes multipacks of Walkers, Hula Hoops, Sensations, Snack a Jacks and Pop Chips, all 6 packs, so 18 packs of crisps for £4.65. Ocado is also showing as having buy any 3 for £3.50 on sweets, includes things like Cadbury’s buttons, Maoam sweets etc.

Definitely worth having a look online.

And with regards to Aldi if there is really nobody who can go for you, could you go with someone and even if you just went once a month and bought all the snacks etc for a month you’d still be spending less in a month than buying snacks from Tesco etc?

I know.
but they were right about the disappearing value range

It had. It ended up being discussed In Parliament.

There seems to be alot of "that" persons on this thread . I never asked about health benefits I never asked about baking etc . I simply asked about the cheap range food. Yes agree I asked about junk. But that does not mean that's all there is in the house.

No I really do not have anyone. When I say no one I mean no one.

I can recommend Iceland. They do free delivery for orders over £40 and have fresh fruit and veg, bread and biscuits, snacks, not just frozen food.

Think your probably right to be honest. I need their shopping slot to get more than 1hr though. 1hr is not long enough.