How do you cope with supermarket prices going up and up and up?

[WildEnergySupplier]

Just back from my big supermarket shop and I’m genuinely shocked at how much prices have gone up AGAIN.

It feels like every week there’s another increase - milk, bread, meat, vegetables, even the own-brand basics that used to be affordable. Things that were £2 to £2.50 about 4-5 years ago are now all about £4 to £4.50. It feels like since last summer, the prices have exploded.

I’m really struggling to keep the weekly food bill under control while everything else (energy, petrol, council tax etc etc) is still sky high.

This is despite the government telling us last week how brilliantly the economy is doing!! It certainly doesn’t feel like it to me. And I just heard on the radio that this navel gazing by-election is apparently costing us £5 million, as it will lead to another mayor election.

So many families are worrying about feeding their kids properly and keeping the heating on. How are the rest of you managing? Any clever tips for cutting costs without it feeling miserable? Are your shops coming in much more expensive too? I’d really appreciate hearing how others are coping because I’m starting to feel a bit despairing about it all. Thanks in advance.

Whats Brexit got to do with it? We live in a temperate country where farming is very viable. Cheap Danish pork and butter mountains were half the problem.

Buy British and support our own food supplies. Once they’ve gone, your food is at the mercy of importers.

For. those of you who love Pizza, but dont want to put the oven on, this is a great recipe

https://www.gordonramsay.com/gr/recipes/mozzarella-and-rosemary-pizza/

Better then any shop bought, and nearly as good as a wood fired pizza oven

I always fry my pizza dough

one side first and wait for the bubbles and browning
Then flip over
Wait till that side browns and whilst it’s still frying add your toppings and cheese
Then straight under the grill

its the best and my boys say it’s better than any restaurant pizza Theyve had 🥳

Definitely. I have used plain flour and it CAN be done, but it is much nicer with the typo 00. And 1kg makes 5 big pizzas so maybe 30-35p per base, using m&s pizza flour.

I make the dough the night before and then let it have its second proof in the fridge. I guarantee that it'll be nicer than the nicest bought supermarket pizza. We've even part cooked them before and then cooled and frozen. We then put them in the oven for 8-10 minutes.

For the tomatoes, I drain the juice out of a tin of tomatoes that I've blended and then add 1/2 tsp of salt per kg of tomatoes. Then top with mozzarella, a handful of parmesan and some Basil. As you say, very important not to put too much on in the way of toppings.

Cheesy garlic bread isn't a million miles away - homemade garlic butter topped with mozzarella and parmesan.

@suki1964 that frying pan pizza look delicious.

My OH makes wedges that are similar to, but nicer than, the dominos ones. Literally potatoes, oil, paprika and salt. They are delicious.

It doesn't help much with mine as I'd have to take over the shared kitchen for hours, plus one of the guys never cleans the oven.

Interested in how you use the peel

Can someone post there bread recipe yet?
I have a breakfast but all the suggested recipes are fancy loafs, I just want a simple recipe that works please

@BambinaCucina , I used to hate wedges, till I got an air fryer . We eat them a lot more now ( I hate mash and we cant live on chips ) and use all different flavourings , from just salt and pepper to Cajun

I dunno what it is but the air fryer make wedges really palatable for me.

I cook air fryer, Instant pot, microwave and hob - keeps the energy usage down

I use the air fryer and instant pot ( multi cooker ) at least once a day , for most meals

I do the no knead dutch oven recipe which is ridiculously easy to make.

500g white bread flour
1 sachet of instant yeast
2 tsp of salt
350 ml of lukewarm water

Mix everything together in a bowl in the evening just until it is combined....you don't touch or knead the dough at all and then leave it overnight. Or you can put it in the fridge and leave it for up to 3 days before you bake it. You are basically giving it a really long proving time.

When you want to bake it (I leave my dough covered with a tea towel on the kitchen counter overnight and bake in the morning.) Put the oven on 200c and stick a casserole pan that has a lid in there to preheat. When the pan is hot take it out the oven, tip your dough onto baking paper then lift it straight into the hot pan, lid on and bake for 30 mins with lid on and 15 mins with lid off.

Interested in how you use the peel
I make a home made onion powder with it. I dry it out and finely grind it.

I use it as a sore throat 'medicine ' by boiling it in water strain and add honey and lemon.

My friend makes an onion tea with it. Im not keen but she likes it. She also uses it as a hair rinse.

I also put it to stews and later fish it out like you do with a bay leaf. Just gives it an added flavour.

If I don't need it for any of those its good for composting.

I get though kilos of red onion!!

GameofJones has already posted a great one that I can recommend too.

Mostly I use a bread machine so recipes are a bit different from hand made
except

Soda bread. Another no need bread but this one without yeast either

This is the one I use

If you want it savoury add herbs cheese etc
If you want it sweat add dried fruit etc

I’m not saying it’s the only thing by any means—wars, pandemic, shit government—but it certainly hasn’t helped. Surely you can see how poor fruit and veggies have become. I only have to speak to my friends in Europe and indeed holiday there to see how crappy things have become here. Everything is more expensive, but fruit and veg goes off so quickly, even from expensive supermarkets.

Look into a pre paid prescription thing, it’s paid monthly via DD and works out a lot cheaper
Your council tax is a lot less than mine, mines £230 a month 😱😡