Grocery bill increase

[MooseBreath]

Just been reviewing this month's spends and I'm gobsmacked by the price of groceries lately. If anything, we've been cooking more from scratch, so it should surely be cheaper?

I don't know if it's Brexit, Covid, or supermarkets taking the piss. Has anyone else noticed this?

Interesting that someone has said chicken is dearer. We always used to get a free range chicken - which cost around £11! Not even an organic one. Anyway, in the first lockdown we couldn't always get one, so bought a standard one which was about £3.50. We ended up deciding that we couldn't taste the difference so that's quite a big saving every week, no doubt cancelled out by price increases on other items. I've always eaten free range for animal welfare reasons but also because I genuinely thought it tasted better. Well it doesn't, not all the time, and the price differential is huge.

Partly brexit a friend who is head of legal at one of the big supermarkets told me they are having to create a whole new division to deal with the complexity of eu and on eu and part eu products and how it comes to the uk. I asked if this cost will be passed on. Of course

Yep. Was almost in tears this morning trying to explain to DC that they have to ask for certain foods, not just help themselves.

My food bill has increased by roughly £30, which I can't really afford without cutting down on certain things.

I can't get to Aldi, I have to do online shops as CEV. I cant even go to work and get some overtime in to cover the extra cost as I can't bloody leave the house.

Student daughter still here (which I love), teenage son home-school currently. That alone has sent the food bill sky high.
With that in mind I have started planning meals, shopping at Aldi and being thrifty, so it's helped me get my arse into gear.

I shop at Aldi and Lidl with the occasional shop at waitrose for ingredients I cant get elsewhere.
Aldi is amazing value for some items, the butter and cheese are great, basics like rice and pasta, free range eggs and veggie range (their vegan sausage rolls 4 for £1.15, are amazing).
We get cereal (the luxury muesli) Greek yogurt, cold meats, potato salad and houmous at Lidl.

Tesco club card prices are brilliant.
Aldi meat quality is poor and the welfare standards are AWFUL.
Supermarkets have been hit by HUGE costs as a result of covid so whilst people may have been eating in more it's come at a cost

@redsquirrelfan aldi do a free range chicken for about £7ish, tho I appreciate that cost is a massive issue for a lot of people now.

Btw..local greengrocer is a lot cheaper and added veg can really stretch out meals, baking a bit for treats and going for big hearty stews and soups with leftovers. No one is hungry x

@StatisticalSense

Most prices that have gone up is because of remoaners talking about price increases so much that supermarkets have had a opportunity to raise prices without taking the blame. If a substantial proportion of your customer base can be fooled into thinking that higher prices are inevitable and therefore will pay them without question you would be remarkedly stupid to not put your prices up.

This wins the MWCOTT award hands down.

Another Brexiter trying to randomly blame Remainers for consequences of their vote.

We're spending more on the same things we normally buy. It's rather shocking how much prices have increased in some areas over the past 6 months Fewer deals in store as well.. Plus, with DH working from home and the 3 teens, lunch also has to be considered since they're not eating at work/school.

@greeneyedlulu

Yes, however I switched to Aldi as I was shopping in Asda and spending £180 a week. First week I went to Aldi, I spent £75! Can't really fault Aldi for quality.

What took you so long 😏

Ours is high .I think as well Takeouts have increased in price but gone down in quality(anyone else noticed this).Dont have them very often but my DC (both older now)like them .

Yes I've definitely noticed this too.

Although in my case a part of it is because I now do one weekly shop (online) and never just pop into Tesco on the way home for a few bits. So it looks like more just because it's a one-off higher amount and not an extra £5 or £10 here and there on top.

I thought the same I do a £40 shop per week and it’s getting less and less each time I’ll have to up the budget

Funnily enough mine have gone down, but then tend to only
buy fresh stuff, not processed.

@user47000000000

Tesco club card prices are brilliant. Aldi meat quality is poor and the welfare standards are AWFUL. Supermarkets have been hit by HUGE costs as a result of covid so whilst people may have been eating in more it's come at a cost

Isn't it red tractor like the other supermarkets?

Ocado in particular seems to be making a huge profit from covid.
www.theguardian.com/business/2020/nov/02/ocado-raises-profit-forecast-as-covid-fuels-online-grocery-demand

Yes I noticed this last year during the pandemic. My weekly shop seems to have gone up by at least 10% and I meal plan and buy only what I need as usual.

I'm in Australia & definitely here too. When panic buying hit, the supermarkets stopped specials to discourage multi buying of products. Personally I think it was driven by the fact people would buy them anyway, regardless of price, because of scarcity value.

My grocery bill has increased by about 10-20%. I'm not buying any more/less food. Specials are back, but some products I use are less % off than before the pandemic (20% instead of 1/2 price). It's frustrating.

@giddyasakipper £200 a week?! Are you having lobster, caviar and wagyu beef every day?

There's just me and my husband at home but we've noticed prices are creeping up, too. We've recently moved to a town with a weekly farmer's market so we go there and we're using Aldi much more, too.

I’ve noticed as well.

Actually I remember going to waitrose just after lockdown eased and omg the prices increases.

I went to M&S and actually find it not too bad on prices

I do my mum's shopping online with mine so that we only use one slot. We are veggie and she's not and I am always horrified by the price of meat and fish. Over £3 for 10 fish fingers. It seems such a lot.
I agree it's the lack of offers that makes the difference and not being able to shop around. I'm cev and limited to Waitrose delivery. Before I used to use Tesco for the main shop, Waitrose for treats or unusual things and Asda for snacks and offers on quorn products. I'd also call at the co-op too as they often had great offers on some things and I love their fresh bread. Oh for a baguette or sourdough from there.
Butter! £1.90 a block ffs. Apples 50p each. Rarely on offer. And coffee. Jeez. I'm glad I don't drink it.