To be scared to go food shopping?

[dottypotter]

It's not pleasurable at all with all the costs rising?
No wonder lots of people can't afford food?
I saw a box of cereal for £4!!!!!!!!!
Anyone else dread it?

No

It's madness, isn't it? shopping for Christmas lunch (two adults non-meat eaters) and Waitrose veg was 30p for a pack of sprouts, and similar for carrots. I spent a lot on nice bits in their seasonal stuff as we had some guests before and after Christmas.
I don't normally shop in Waitrose except for occasions, but there essentials are great. I had very little in and so I made a stew out of (Waitrose) essential mixed beans, tin of toms, butter beans, frozen spinach and leftover risotto rice. it was amazing and lasted me for four lunches.
I'm fortunate enough to have several supermarkets on my doorstep so can yellow sticker at tesco for bread, pop over the road to the indie supermarkets for massive bowl of limes/fruit for £1, then to Aldi for main stuff. Their household stuff is not tested on animals too and cleaning stuff very cheap there.

I have a car so could go and do a 'big shop' but saving money by walking. A recent holiday over the festive period demonstrated how expensive it is to shop in small towns for some people, and if they don't have a car then they will be so limited and don't have these options

I used to shop in Lidl but the shelves are bare now. So much stuff just not available to buy. It’s not worth my time going in there or Aldi when I can go to Tesco and at least find 80% of the stuff I want (or it’s expensive equivalent 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️).

I think prices will go down at the expense of quality. So brands will re formulate. Cuts of meat will be fattier or bonier or mixed with mutton (bolognese mince). Six cake bars will be five, even four, pies will have less meat etc etc.

A town near here only has a Co-op, and it’s 6 miles to the next supermarket so many people don’t have any choice if they don’t drive.

I’m also sure the co op was selling other cereal for less than 4 quid. And you could get the bus to cheaper stores. Yes food has increased. But shopping for eexpensive cereal in s small store isn’t the way to sort this.

I agree with you, what I really don’t understand is how the brands can justify these prices whilst supermarkets own brands can produce a very similar product for half the price, it is clear they are now hiking prices just for the sake of it. Time to boycott brands

Heinz and Kellogg’s are the main ones that seem to be doing this, birds eye is another one

I’m going to sound hilariously boring here but I’ve literally just done a market research project on washing up liquids - can I ask what brand you’re referring to?

I prefer Tesco and Asda but honestly, Lidl and Aldi are SO much cheaper.

Although, I have to say that the Asda Rewards scheme seems to rack up really quickly compared to the Tesco Clubcard. There are loads of ways to get extra points too.

I've had quite a big chunk off my shopping with Asda Rewards so I do factor that in when deciding where to shop.

Just going to point out here that I don't work for Asda and I'm not on commission 😅

You can't get everything you need in Lidl or Aldi though.

Prices are increasing massively but for some years now I've been doing Martin Lewis' downshift. Try a cheaper item rather than the branded one you usually buy and bulk buy when the offers are about. Toasty Bread from Warbys is no different to Sainsburys but there is a 15-25p difference in price. If you really don't like it then go back to the branded item.
I tend to buy my meat in bulk from a local supplier who usually have good deals and buying meat this way for two of us can last 3/4 months as we chop and change between meat, fish and veggie meals. On a winner last night as they got the add on deal wrong so I got 10 large chicken breasts for free and still have joints to come in later this week which were on the original order. The freezer is full now and it's not a large one so won't be Iceland shopping for a while!! 😆
But Home Bargains is always good for a few deals especially tins, washing sachets, tea and coffee and the GCs love the little snack packs that can be bought cheaply there.
It is scary seeing the increases but surely if people don't buy ketchup at £3.99 a bottle the manufacturers will notice it when their products are not selling and will have to reduce the price anyway. I find it annoying that there are price rises now when their products will have been made with materials that were probably cheaper and that they seem to be trying to profiteer now.
There used to be a very good price comparison site for the supermarkets which has been taken down now but it let you see who had deals on for certain products and you could shop around accordingly. It would really useful to have that around right now.

Convenience shops have always been proportianately more expensive than the supermarket, with the exception of airport and train station stores they're far less profitable than supermarkets and the higher price point is necessary to prop them up or they'd not manage in this climate and would close, as many have this year, and as many will continue to do.

Given they're all some out-of-the-way areas have locally then it's a catch 22 really, especially as those areas are also often deprived.

Obviously the cost of living is very real but there are options; choosing cheaper items, bulk buying on offers, batch cooking learning to cook to make better meals with cheaper ingredients and cuts of meat, cutting down on portion sizes or treats etc. There's no point being daunted by the highest price of an item if it isn't one you desperately need or if you can buy a cheaper non branded alternative and simply avoid it.

I still quite like doing the food shop, it's the energy bill that scares me!

I know this is going to annoy you all, but it really is true that in our lifetimes we have had much cheaper food here in the UK than elsewhere, e.g., EU / USA.
It was partially subsidised by EU (which were were paying taxes into, obviously) and also due to a very competitive food retail sector.
I agree with you all about the extent of the price increases, and I'm on average income, it's a shock.
But, it is about time food costs reflected the energy and costs that go into producing them. They didn't before.
Up-thread someone said "XX for cereal?!" But that cereal has to be sown, grown, harvested, processed, packaged and shipped.
Milk - people think it should be so cheap, that dairy farmers are going out of business as they can't cover their costs.
The era of cheap food is over.

Everyone's talking about going to cheaper supermarkets, cutting back and only buying budget lines on here but what about those of us who already did that, before this?

I've always shopped at Lidl, got my vegetables at a market and bought the cheapest of most things. As I'm sure many others have done, too. The changes you are all describing as though they are something new have been a way of life for me for years.

I absolutely hate doing it, whether it's online or in person.

And I'm actually so glad to have seen your post because I felt like such an idiot for feeling so anxious and upset over it all.

Did a small, and I mean small shop last week, literally some fruit for the little one, bottle of milk, some bread, cheese, you know the basic basic stuff, £31 when I got to the checkout. My carrier bag wasn't even full.

This week we've had a bit of a set back so can't spend much, living on whatever's already in the cupboards 😩

@Rainbow1901 Try this one: trolley.co.uk

Do it o line so you can see your total and put back anything unnecessary

Also this 100%!

We got into the habit in the first lockdown 2020 of being 'cheap' with the way we bought food, like the cheapest beans, the cheapest pasta, and so on. We don't waste, any leftovers get frozen or eaten the day after. Even with us being like this and cutting costs as much as possible, the amount food is currently costing is horrific.

I do recommend the trolley site to everyone, btw. It emails me when there is a price drop on my saved items. I check my saved basket every time I'm going shopping in person and sometimes it swings which supermarket I'm going to. And if there's something I get that's a bit expensive, I try and buy a few when on offer if I can afford to.

So just don’t shop there then?

Of course it’s going to be more expensive in a small local shop than a huge supermarket.

We've all been there when money is tight and you are living on what is in the fridge/freezer/cupboards.
But it can be quite interesting to see what meals you can put together and we have had some weird meals in the past and funnily enough some really good ones where the oddest things put together made a really lovely meal.
One of my favourites has been a jacket potato with cauliflower cheese not something I would ordinarily put together but it was really tasty.
We can get bogged down in our tastes and what goes with what but you have only to watch Masterchef or similar and things are put together that you would think Nah! Never! but the judges rave about it or slate it!!

Small co -ops can't give you the benefits of a supermarket though I do think people would just buy cheaper or an alternative cereal in the co op.

@Rainbow1901 I must say I do agree there!! We've had some weird, interesting but lovely meals this week that I usually wouldn't make!