AIBU to find food prices bewildering?

[GuyMontag]

Like I think most people I've tended to always keep a weather eye on food prices, buying here and there, near work, near home, maybe a wee top up in b&m/home bargains from time to time, kind of aware of shelf prices, getting things cheap when I can.

But fuck me, not any more. Prices are all over the place now. Massive increases, but really uneven across the shops, so that I don't know what to do or how to buy . All I know is that everything is scary expensive compared to even a few months ago and I can't shop around it.

Anyone else?

[sittingonacornflake]

I went to m and s food this week and they really don't seem to be hiking prices like everywhere else. I was pleasantly surprised. And stocked up on butter which was 24p cheaper than Tesco.

[RockinRosie]

At the beginning of August I ordered a Fairy Non Bio from Tesco. The largest available so 3900g and a 60 wash box. £11 which worked out at £2.82/kg. Put one in my basket yesterday… it’s now a 50 wash pack, 3250g and £10 … £3.07/kg.

Cadburys Creations Popping Candy … £1.80 for a 180g bar. Then a few months ago they reduced the size to 160g and priced at £1.60. Fast forward to a few weeks back and the 160g is up to £1.75.

As for the 24 packs of Cushelle … £12.50 in Asda yesterday.

Every week things are just going upwards - shopping is taking so much longer comparing prices, looking at own brand stuff (some of which has been a revelation!).

[Crikeyalmighty]

@itwasntmetho I shop mainly at M&S with a bit of Waitrose or sainsburys for tinned/packet /jars etc. i honestly don't think I spend more than many on here but I shop sensibly- I'm lucky enough to be able to pop in person at 6pm and I buy tons of yellow sticker stuff and freeze. I dont buy snacks or cakes etc - and I buy lots of 3 for £8 on fish and chicken . If you actually look properly and resist the delicious but 'novelty' (marmite butter etc) some of the stuff is really reasonable and good quality.

[Dixiechickonhols]

@itwasntmetho

Off the back of this thread I did an Ocado M&S order this week, some things were pennies more some same as Asda/ Lidl but when I opened the page my voucher codes deal bot thing showed me £20 off first shop if it's over £60.
I feel really well stocked now I never do that much shopping all at once.
I didn't get cleaning products or toiletries though as they only had brand names for most of those things, it was more food staples butter, eggs, sausages, veg, canned fruit. President butter was £2.04 😊

I use Ocado and Lidl/Aldi. I used to use Asda but swapped to Ocado. If you shop carefully and use offers it’s very competitive. Especially on the bundles. My favourite feature if you amend basket and check out close to cut off is flash sale - lots half price.

[itwasntmetho]

Off the back of this thread I did an Ocado M&S order this week, some things were pennies more some same as Asda/ Lidl but when I opened the page my voucher codes deal bot thing showed me £20 off first shop if it's over £60.
I feel really well stocked now I never do that much shopping all at once.
I didn't get cleaning products or toiletries though as they only had brand names for most of those things, it was more food staples butter, eggs, sausages, veg, canned fruit. President butter was £2.04 😊

[MadisonAvenue]

@MayISuggestSomeThickCutSteakChipsToGoWithThat

Do you have a B&M where you live? At the moment Coffee mate is only £1 for a 500g tub. I can only drink coffee if it has coffee mate inside it as well. For some reason it just doesn't taste right with normal milk inside it and makes me feel queasy afterwards. Although I could go to a cafe and order a latte or cappuccino and it tastes fine. The Asda coffee whitener is also good and I find as it's not too creamy a teaspoon in tea is ok too

Thank you, I’ll have a look next time I’m near one!

And that’s exactly how milk in coffee makes me feel if I make it at home, fine in coffee shops though.

[WhatALoadOfWankyness]

Bbq baked beans in sainsbury usually 90p yesterday they were £1.50
For one bloody tin !!!

[MayISuggestSomeThickCutSteakChipsToGoWithThat]

@MadisonAvenue

I was adding things to my Tesco order for next week earlier today and noticed that milk has gone up another 10p since I received this week’s order yesterday.

I drink coffee but only like it with Coffee Mate added. That was £2.15 a few months ago, it’s now £3. Ginsters Pasties in a pack of 4 were £2.75 for ages at Tesco, now they’re £4.

I’m also finding Tesco’s lack of choice for home delivery items frustrating.

Do you have a B&M where you live? At the moment Coffee mate is only £1 for a 500g tub. I can only drink coffee if it has coffee mate inside it as well. For some reason it just doesn't taste right with normal milk inside it and makes me feel queasy afterwards. Although I could go to a cafe and order a latte or cappuccino and it tastes fine. The Asda coffee whitener is also good and I find as it's not too creamy a teaspoon in tea is ok too

[MayISuggestSomeThickCutSteakChipsToGoWithThat]

@Sophieleigh26

@mamabear715 have you noticed that although prices of cereal are going up massively, box sizes are now tiny and have about 4 portions in! Used to be massive when I was a child (late 90s/early 00s)

Yes I noticed that the other day. Don't buy cereal that often but the other day I fancied a bowl of something to pick at whilst watching tv. £3.30 for a piddly sized box of cinnamon churros. £1.60 for those individual (not the multi pack ones) on the go boxes of cereal. Some of the bigger boxes of branded cereal were knocking on to a fiver

[Againstmachine]

The yogurts will be due to milk prices increases.

[georgarina]

DCs' yoghurts have always been £3 at my local shop, usually marked down to £2.50

Went shopping yesterday and they're suddenly £4.40!

I normally roll my eyes at the fearmongering 'there was no hummus at my Co-op' threads but that did give me a shock

[Tilda77]

We've always bought the supermarket basics range or supermarket own products. Never buy the big name brands. Supermarkets just get the big brands to make the products for them with a different label on. One thing we have noticed if we go to the supermarket later in the day is that all the cheaper options have been raided and all that is left is the big brands. This used to happen at Christmas and New Year when people were using their money for other things but now it's always like it. The prices are increasing every few days...makes me wonder when they will stabilise?

[Solmum1964]

@sóh₂wl̥

I've got hundreds of unripe tomatoes on my plants outside that just stubbornly won't go red 🤣

Have you tried old method of warm window sill in closed bag with apple or banana ?

Ours are ripening nicely on trays on a sunny windowsill!

[Againstmachine]

I'm very glad the price of milk has gone up it's been artificially low for too long, I hope the increases are passed to the farmers.

[Proudboomer]

@Aretheyhavingalaugh

Farm foods have a really good deal with toilet paper, they are a pack of 18 rolls but you get 4 packs so 72 rolls for £19 and they are decent quality. It works out 26p a roll compared to the ones you just mentioned costing £1.12 a roll. I'd never really shopped In farm foods until recently but it's good value for toilet roll. BUT they did used to be £16.00 for 72 rolls so those have still gone up

It wasn’t that long ago when those farm foods loo rolls were 4 packs for £13

[womaninatightspot]

@Puppetsare

I think l'll make sanitary pads from cutting up a black towel, and stacking with snappers. The expensive plastic tampons are being pushed. More women's tax.

If you’re in Scotland you can pick up free sanitary products from most council buildings. We give out hey girls products which are plastic free and made from bamboo and corn fibres, much nicer than sweaty plastic!

[pinkstripeycat]

I remember reading at the end of 2020 that during the 1st lockdown supermarkets made more money in those 3 months than they do in a whole year including Christmas because of all the panic buying.
That seems to have been forgotten. Also the chairs of supermarkets are all still taking £1m bonuses.
They don’t need to put the prices up as much and as often as they are doing

[YeOldeTrout]

I've got a Turkish houseguest. He took picture of our supermarket receipt to send to his friend back in Turkey. On balance things are more expensive here. I have American friends who comment on how things are cheaper in UK than USA, though.

[Blondeshavemorefun]

@Puppetsare

I think l'll make sanitary pads from cutting up a black towel, and stacking with snappers. The expensive plastic tampons are being pushed. More women's tax.

@Puppetsare please message me with you address and I will send over some boxes of tampax via Amazon to you.

I have prime and can be with tomorrow

it is so disgraceful the tax they put on something that woman class as essential

it is not a luxury as it is classes

[ZenNudist]

We were warned the cost of food would go up as a consequence of brexit. People voted for it. "Yes please I'd like more expensive everything." Thank god for sovereignty.

Also its fair enough that increased energy and fuel costs is adding to prices but all of the cost is being passed on to the consumer. There is no sharing of pain. Businesses are doing well still.

Im an accountant and can see for lot of my clients turnover going up massively, costs going up as well and here's the kicker: profit margins staying the same or improving. some food producers and retailers are benefitting here. Though I should imagine they'd prefer to be able to offer lower prices to drive higher demand.

[Puppetsare]

I think l'll make sanitary pads from cutting up a black towel, and stacking with snappers. The expensive plastic tampons are being pushed. More women's tax.

[stilldumdedumming]

Ah yes @GuyMontag that makes a lot of sense!

[LittleRen]

I really rate Ocado. I have been using it for about 10 years but their own brand pricing (Ocado but also to an extent M&S) is great and it’s so easy to price compare on there across brands.

[PotatoFamily]

We’ve gone from spending £80 a week to £200 easily. We don’t have the money to go anywhere fun with the kids, ever, so we just work, cook dinner, go to bed. It’s relentless

[womaninatightspot]

@BrightYellowDaffodil

We just got used to very cheap food prices. With the shock of covid (all those pared-to-the-bone supply chains no longer functioning as they should), the Ukraine war and inflation, the prices that had been kept artificially low for years came springing up like a Jack in the box. That’s a lot of catching up to do.

But some of the prices quoted about are extreme examples - Waitrose still sell own brand pasta for 85p, not £2. You can pay £6.20 for 12 loo rolls if you’ve got a Clubcard (£7something without). At least SOME of the price rises can be mitigated by simply writing a list in advance and checking the prices ( I do appreciate not everyone has the full range of supermarkets nearby, but you can at least see if it’s worth travelling to a different one).

And maybe we need to change what we eat - I don’t spend any more on food at the moment as I did two years ago but I probably cook a few cheaper meals to offset the times I want, say, steak. I probably don’t buy as much meat overall, and I cook more with what’s in season because it’s usually cheaper.

Often the basic/ own brand seems to be sold out these days when shopping in store or online. I’m an aficionado of 39p for 500g of penne/ 20p spaghetti but it’s been unavailable for ages in my local Tesco/Aldi. Perhaps the £2 pasta is what they had at the time.