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?

[Lovesplasticstraws]

I wonder if there is up to date international price comparisons to support the believe that UK is still cheaper than rest of Europe.
The way things have risen by 20-50% any stats from last year would be obsolete.

[MrsFezziwig]

@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 ?

Even just putting them in the fruit bowl works pretty well. I think it’s a bit late to hope they will ripen on the plant.

[MrsFezziwig]

@Darcy101

Found a great app to check prices - easy to use.

trolley.co.uk

Thanks for that - I used to use MySupermarket until it folded, didn’t realise there was an alternative.

[the80sweregreat]

I bought Six loo rolls out of Morrison's for 1.95 ,it's not the quilted posh ones, but a plumber once told me cheaper the better as the thicker rolls can block up the drains where I live!
They don't last as long.
Savers are cheap , but they tend to stock the perfumed rolls and they are horrible
Going into town involves car parking fees or bus fares home, so it's not always cost saving not using a supermarket.

[WimbyAce]

It is madness, toilet rolls, butter, cheese, baked beans, ridiculous prices! A pack of 4 Branston have gone from £2 to £2.75 and then were £2.99 last week. Cheese is just horrendous, Morrisons savers were charging over £3 wtf?! Butter morrisons were doing a spread for £1 but never in stock. Toilet rolls they had a pack of 9 of their own brand for around £3.30 which I thought was good but they are now over £4. Gonna switch to Lidl for toilet roll. Also trying out Lidl washing powder this week as Daz is now £5.

[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 ?

[Arenanewbie]

We started cutting on cheddar, mainly for health reasons so I’ve discovered that pasta with vegs and Aldi’s soft cheese actually tasted equally nice. Frozen vegs are staple for a while, it helps to reduce waste enormously. I also weight portions, mainly to reduce waste again but it’s also good for financial reasons. Luckily DD is not keen on pizza, she prefers pasta. I do shopping all over but we are very lucky to have different supermarkets near places we visit anyway like work and college.

[quiteinfuriating]

@PuppyMonkey

We like Anchor spreadable butter in our house and I put it in my shopping basket for Prime Morrisons delivery as usual last week - £4.25.

For a tub of butter?

Lurpak spreadable is now £5
I'm buying Aldi Norpak. Seems to be the same stuff!

Also I've ended up doing 2 supermarket deliveries this week. Dog food and Diet Coke is so much cheaper in Asda that it's worth paying the delivery charge, when I have a Tesco pass!

[PeloFondo]

@IamTheBridge it's crazy. But then other stuff will be cheaper. The only way to get the best prices is a calculator, and shopping in about 5 different places as the prices seem to randomly change daily
So M&S for pizza, but Tesco for Aldi price match, but Aldi for conditioner, b&m for toiletries.. until next week when it all changes

[Crikeyalmighty]

@hangingbagger I totally agree. I'm buying 2kg of top notch steak mince from good farm shop at £11.95 and dividing it into 4- no different to sainsburys etc but better quality. I do all my shop at Waitrose and M&S with a bit of farm shop for veg and lots of yellow stickers and freeze and am spending no more than people on here seem to who shop at Tesco's and sainsburys - I guess one difference is I don't have kids at home anymore and I don't buy snacks/cakes/lollies etc (never did) - I do cook but don't bake . I am lucky though that I have flexibility to shop post 6pm , have a good freezer and good shops that are easily accessible and I know that's not the case for everyone . I have been down the route of using Lidl/Aldi but found whilst some stuff was fine, other stuff was poor quality and not much '3 for £8' etc- M&S and Waitrose are no different- some things are actually good value, other things aren't- anyone who has flexibility though I urge you to go yellow sticker shopping at the posher stores post 6! And buy a cheap freezer if you don't have much freezer capacity .

[cantseeme]

@fyn

The problem with food prices in the UK is that we have had the second lowest food prices in the world for years, behind only America. Prices are catching up with the rest of the world.

This! I live overseas and most of the prices that people are shocked by in this thread are the same/less than we pay here, though here fruit and veg is generally seasonal and local so inexpensive.

[PipinwasAuntieMabelsdog]

All of the contextual issues eg Ukraine, Covid, Brexit. However, food has been far too cheap for far too long. The fact that labour to collect harvest used to be so much cheaper is not something to celebrate, it was not fair on the people being paid those wages. We've also gotten used to regularly eating food that was considered luxuries even in many of our childhoods all the time now.

[Dixiechickonhols]

It’s not always case that Aldi Lidl are cheaper. Asda are doing the yellow basics range and Tesco do stockwells and Aldi price match.
Lots of the basics are surprisingly nice and often less added rubbish - the stockwells ketchup was 59p I think and fine.
I’ve always gone for yellow stickers - get to know times. Our local co op and Booths discount heavily. Aldi has fresh stuff 75% off. Lidl reduces to 90p.I also do Ocado online sometimes if you look for offers it’s competitive.
Less fashionable stuff is always reduced- haddock, kippers etc. I’m also finding luxuries heavily reduced as people cut back - smoked salmon etc.
Lidl and sometimes Morrisons do boxes of veg & fruit they are £1.50 in Lidl ideal for soup.
A chest freezer has been a huge help. Most of our meat is bought reduced.
I also use too good to go app.

[the80sweregreat]

Meat is so expensive now too.
I feel it's a conspiracy to stop us all eating it , but I appreciate there is more to it than this!

[Waspo]

I buy toilet roll from Who Gives a Crap too. One roll lasts ages and they are a good ethical company.

I've noticed we all just eat more crap these days 😩 you can still buy an oven pizza in Iceland for £1. And things like nuggets and waffles are easy to grab cheaply.

Our problem is often cash flow. I can't bulk buy or stock up, I regularly find myself in a position where I've got a set (small!) budget to buy two or three dinners. So it is easier to buy a cheap pizza and a cucumber than to try and buy all the ingredients for a "proper" meal.

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

On the plus side we can't really afford snacks anymore. Or cheese (unless in a £1 pizza) so I am hoping it might do my waistline good 😊

[Bootsandcat]

The supermarket price increases has made hello fresh and gusto services (when you buy it at a discount) more palatable now. We are also trying to eat less meat and less snacks now to try to keep grocery bill down

[the80sweregreat]

I've started to cut down on many things such as cakes and snack foods as they are just too expensive.
I bought some first class stamps today , it's 95 p now for one and 68 p for second class.
I think I won't be sending out any Christmas cards by post this year either. Cards are also expensive too.

[bodie1890]

This was always going to happen when we left the EU but people seem so surprised by it.

[StridTheKiller]

@Manchestermummax3 Please don't apologise for being brassic and absolutely visit a foodbank if needbe. The only people who should be ashamed of themselves are ore useless tosser leaders.

[hangingbagger]

I've been shopping at Waitrose guilt-free because there's literally no saving when you go to Tescos these days. I went to buy spray carpet cleaner today though (small kids in the house) and it was £7. SEVEN QUID. I'd rather have dirty carpets I think

[Tabbouleh]

@ShockedConfused1980

Need to start eating more Legumes - kidney beans - lentils etc especially as curries with rice etc and yogurts and salads. Much cheaper and goes a long way.

That's 80% of my diet but I am used to it. Not everybody can!

[katseyes7]

Purely one example - when my friend comes to stay, l usually buy a four pack of triple chocolate muffins for to have with our coffee.
For ages, they were 99p-£1 at both Asda and Tesco.
Last week they were £1.40 at both.
Went to the local Asda yesterday. Same item, now £1.85!!
That's just one item. It's appalling. I know it isn't an 'essential' but l just used it as an example.

[ShockedConfused1980]

Need to start eating more Legumes - kidney beans - lentils etc especially as curries with rice etc and yogurts and salads. Much cheaper and goes a long way.

[Fundays12]

I used to be a Lidl and Aldi shopper mainly but now now. Both are so expensive for a lot of stuff now. Asda basis range is great and far cheaper than other places. Add on the reward app it’s definitely worth going there. Far foods are decent for bulk buy bits to.

[Ariela]

@Manchestermummax3

I had an £8 budget for a top up this week (please don't judge, it really is that bad)
I bought

wafer thin cheap chicken sandwich meat
butter (250g)
iceberg lettuce
value yogurts (6 pack, non branded)
Own brand loaf of bread
4pts semi milk
1 pack of baby Wipes
4 potatoes
2 bananas

£12!!!!!

Can you cut the wipes out - use an old T shirt, cut into squares, use with water and a tiny bit of baby wash? You can soak in a tub with a little Miltons/Napisan, drain and wash with next washing load to reuse.
For lettuce, we grow cut & come again lettuce in a tray on the kitchen windowsill (I actually have 2 trays). Just resow every now and then when it refuses to grow again, but you can keep this growing from March to October very easily, I think depends on light/heat for winter, a pack of seeds is less than a fiver.