AIBU TO BE SHOCKED BY THIS INCREASE?!

[Kate0902900908]

So I’ve just gotten over the fuel increase, made some changes and become more aware of the energy I’m using both at home and car.

Went to Lidl today. I buy 2 tubs of cream cheese a week, Lidl Goldessa Classic Cream Cheese 200g. It’s been 65p for as long as I can remember. Today shop assistant was sorting shelves and organising labels ect. New label £1.19. I asked if that was the price of the 65p cream cheese to which she said Yh, it’s not changed yet it’s 75p now but will be £1.19.
HOW? How? Can something almost double in price? Also when I was it 75p 😵‍💫

I noticed the other cheeses all being marked up too some by 80p-£1. Add this increase to even 1/3 of a shop and it’s going to be unmanageable!
Has anyone else noticed prices on things they buy almost doubling?
What is the plan to keep costs down?
Where do we go from Lidl’s own soft cheese 😭

They always come back you always miss one or two and boom more potatoes. Problem is growing enough for a whole family for a whole year that takes space, storage and different types being ready at different time without disease and hoping you time it right for the frosts and no wire worm.

Well there's hope for me, I love potatoes, fried, boiled, mashed, roast, baked I love them all. I guess I'll just have to live on potatoes.

DD left us with a supply of lentils when she went off to uni abroad. I've been using them as I didn't want them wasted and also to save a few pennies. I have to say they've been great for adding to various dishes, thus limiting the amount of other protein. I've since gone out and got a couple of packs of lentils for us, perfect for bulking out tomato based pasta meals, curries etc.

Not according businesswaste.co.uk who estimate 60% of all food waste comes from the home

I'd want to know the source before jumping to 'outrageous'.

Also remember to join olio if it’s in your area. It a place people can’t give away food etc in date. I use it because we buy the big multi type crisps and nobody eats one flavour we used to just throw them away but now I pop them up on there and someone gets free crisps and I don’t bin them. Win win

Actimel!!
Small package on SALE - £3!!!!!!!! Wow

I agree cheap food is not always bad for your health. I am worried about people buying very cheap food like those packets of noodles when food reaches ridiculous prices. Coleslaw isn't a necessity, but I like it and I can still afford it for now. I only buy cheap fruit and veg which is on offer too and go to the market to get it cheap.

I think one of the things that has made a big difference to me is meal planning. I hate throwing things out cause I've not used them. Also understanding 'best before' dates ...

I'm thinking of going on the 'one meal a day' diet. My brother, who's quite wealthy, did it a few years ago and shed pounds. I need to shed pounds and also shed ££ pounds!

I said 'if that is true'

I’d check with food banks if they take baby milk. I’m sure some don’t as they can’t guarantee supply and swapping and changing isn’t good for a baby. I think they can refer to HV instead.
Cost of baby milk will mean families water it down or wean early. I remember a case where a baby died of salt poisoning parents were a young couple trying to save money by weaning a young baby on Smash/gravy and readybrek.

there are cheap unhealthy meals as their are cheap healthy meals as there are pricey unhealthy or healthy meals.

we are eating a super cheap meal tonight. Red lentils made into my gran’s trademark time-tested Tarka Daal (sans the ghee!) - and also copied from her - her measurement-free freestyle wholemeal flour Naans. Plain Greek yoghurt with tandoori powder and chopped onions and cucumbers raita. And mango pickle.

tonight will be another super cheap meal. Penne - with Aldi price-matched peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and Redmere Farm onions, and a massive fillet of yellow stickered mackerel that we wouldn’t have bought whole price but quite happily bought with yellow stickers from Tesco as at 5 pm. Entirely random. But v nice.

If I didn’t enjoy cooking though, or didn’t genuinely find it interesting and stress busting - I might opt for unhealthier cheap eats to count the same number of pennies in which case of course there are longer term health implications.

Tomorrow will be* I meant - we aren’t eating two dinners in a single night!

Your dog is your family. How dare they suggest this?

www.independent.co.uk/news/salt-in-food-led-to-baby-death-1108931.html?amp
I suspect there will be similar cases to this.

@DuarPorte thanks for the suggestions. I think I need to start meal planning with the aim of having at least a couple of deliberately cheap nights. I do love a Dahl. I haven't made Chole Bhature in ages either.

Lots of people are really cautious about use by dates and throw food away. I’m very relaxed with dates but if you don’t get sick pay I can understand being cautious if getting food poisoning means you can’t work for a few days eg if you work in food or as a carer you can’t work with D & V.

It's the price we must pay to stop Russia

Here’s my current dinner plan ongoing 1st to 10th July in case anyones interested -

(*Caveat: we love spice as it’s a half Asian half White household that I’ve conveyed over to entirely Asian 🤣 by now) -

1. Keema pulao (pork mince 20%, yellow stickered plant chef “mince” 40%, growers harvest mixed frozen veg 40%)
2. Broccoli, spinach & chorizo “smoky” spaghetti (needs not much chorizo)
3. Chicken biriyani (frozen chicken portions from 2 kg bag and frozen mixed veg)
4. Chicken casserole (from same 2 kg bag as above) with carrots, onions, parsnips (yellow stickered); sweet potato mash (95 p for bag of sweet potato)
5. Bengali Egg curry and rice with onion salad
6. Penne with Mackerel (yellow stickered) and the peppers onions and Tomatoes mentioned above
7. Jacket potatoes with chilli con carne (the exact same % mix as Meal 1 Keema pulao - with plant “mince” and pork mince - saved half of the total mince to become the chilli basically )
8. Ommelette (lots of eggs, remainder of the chorizo and the various veg mentioned), toast
9. Tarka Daal, naans, raita
10. Homemade pizza night (uses last of the ring of chorizo!)

The 10th to 20th July plan is likely to be entirely different based on what’s available, what fish has been yellow stickered, what veg on offer and what we fancy.

I find cooking a huge stress relief and enjoy cooking lots which def helps us.

In the ideal world, money is not for pets, but if you've had a pet for a long time many can't just give them up, they're your pet and part of your family. We're on a tight budget, but not on benefits - we've already had this discussion and no way are my cats going.

Get you milk delivered in returnable glass bottles @ £0.89 per pint.🙂

Bung a tin in towards the end of cooking spag bol, shepherds pie base etc. So that they have time to heat through take up flavours. It just bulks it up so you can use less meat (or go full veggie with all lentils instead of mince).

Use green lentils not red, as red lentils turn to mush really easily.

I love Indian food for cheaper meals.
I've just made a one pot chick pea, spinach and chicken biryani. I put in 2 chopped up chicken thighs, a tin of chickpeas and a few frozen cubes of spinach. This will probably be enough for 6.

I think lots of veg and stretching the meat is the way to go.

I've also made 'bolognese' with lots of chopped or grated veg, tomato tins and about 250g of mince to make sauce enough for a couple of batches.

I hope people find affordable healthy ideas rather than resorting to processed food with barely any nutritional values. It just leaves people with poorer health and craving more food.

DuarPorte thanks for the ideas- I love reading other people's menu plans.

I would also second the idea of frozen veg, it isn't quite as good as fresh, but in a casserole or curry is a good ingredient. I have started using frozen casserole veg- Morrisons is a good one- 1Kg mix of carrots, swede, leek and onion for £1.19, once it is added to a stew and cooked very acceptable.
I also like their frozen fine green beans, which can be expensive, again, perfect for my middle easterns stews.
Surprisingly the Morrisons frozen diced beef is good, £3.99 for 500g, I am wary of frozen chopped meat, but this one is great, very lean, no complaints.