Food has become so expensive. How is it sustainable?

[Prunnhilda]

I've noticed a real change in the past couple of weeks: everything seems to have gone up by 10 or 15%, suddenly. (Except junk food, which is always on special offer, naturally )

We can't go on being blasé about nipping into the supermarket for a few bits and pieces. What foods are you cutting back on to save money?

meat has been pared back to utter necessity to be replaced with eggs.

Fruit has been pared back to basics - apples, oranges, bananas, that's about it.

We are eating a lot of basic Morrison's pasta (38p a kilo)

No red meat ie beef/lamb (though we do eat mince)

The price of lamb is mental and DH refuses to eat it now on principle!!

We eat chicken and mince, good sausages, some bacon. Lots of pulses and eggs.

Prices are ridiculous.

Tin of chickpeas was £1 in Sainsburys!

We eat a lot of meat so yes, that's going to have to be cut right back (healthier, anyway).
I am astonished at the price of fruit atm. I've got so used to being able to have strawberries and raspberries just whenever (when I was a kid, they were for special).

I'd stick to read meat once a week and fish once a week.

Wait until fruits gets in season. Strawberries are still quite expensive here in Italy as they are not in season yet (at the supermarket they are selling strawberries from Spain, why would I get spanish strawberries, when in 2 weeks time I'll get local ones?)

its horrendous, i've been going to local markets etc, it was the case at one point that supermarkets were undercutting them but i find now that they are much the same and its so much better. i also use a local food coop for fruit and veg!

The thing about strawberries is that yes, they're not in season, but they've been pretty cheap all winter (bad I know not to eat in season). They're now suddenly about 50% more expensive.

We are growing veg as a sort of novelty for ds, but I think it might seriously be useful now

We have veg box (good value) - a lot of potato and onion meals coming up, I think

And DS is going to have to learn to love the lentil.

Perhaps strawberries are now more expensive because they aren't from orchards? (orchard strawberries v. bad in terms of chemicals I've been told)

I don't think food is expensive.It represents a tiny fraction of people's income.

Porridge for breakfast (about 5p a bowl)
Sandwich and some fruit for lunch
Meat/vegetables/eggs and pasta/rice/potatoes for dinner.

Moondog, I don't know about what's happening in the UK, but certainly food is getting more and more expensive here in Italy.

And people have been saving money on food progressively in the last few yrs here, which is a novelty as Italians, traditionally, saved on other voices of their expenses.

Now, while relative poverty is actually increasing here, it is also true (and this is the depressing bit) that people are choosing to save on food, more than other things (like mobiles, cars, tv sets etc)

I am obviously talking about Italy. I personally always end up spending lots on food, because I am greedy

I am also greedy and luckily have a likeminded dp who would rather drive round in his battered and bruised Panda and not wear posh clothes than go short at table.

The supermarkets always bump up the price of fruit at the is time of year so when the summer comes they can claim that they are selling it at 'half price'

Food is expensive. We have pretty much stopped buying much meat and substitute mean with beans or veggies in a lot of things.

Tesco announced record profits yesterday. Only they could profiteer out of a recession.

That's pretty much what we eat, Moondog, give or take. Add in some yogurt (natural with fruit, usually), fruit juice, and baking ingredients for bread and a fortnightly cake - we are not massive consumers. I am seeing a huge difference.

I've developed a craving for bean & sausages in a tin, esp with toast. Yum!

Stock up on tins of baked beans - so versatile.

I've cut back on meat - it's so expensive.

I think I read that the large proportion of of Tesco's profits come from abroad, it didn't do as well as usual in the UK.

The day that Tesco opens a supermarket in Italy, I'll move

11 ueros for 1 kilo is not oo bad, I think Buch

do you shop at lidl or aldi, prun? i like their veg a lot, and cheese and tinned stuff. not so keen on the cooked meat.

Is it not? We hardly ever see it down here, so wasn't sure! (it was svezzato, I'm not buying babies, the babies were much more expensive)

All staples have rocketed up, world wide.
The only one that's gone down recently is rice, and I think that is because rice went up a few years ago, before wheat and maize did, now they are catching up.

Used to go to Lidl. Will prob start again. Vats of Greek yogurt v good. Wouldn't buy meat there.

No, not that expensive. Mind you Buch, my view is clouded by Milanese prices, which are higher than southern Italy, I suppose.

I have always bought fruit whatever the cost but have cut down on lots of things lately and the one thing that has helped has been just going to the supermarket once a week except for milk. I will only buy fruit in season and from the UK except from bananas from now on. I should be food shopping tomorrow but that won't happen as I have had a £61bill for treatment for DD and DS2, £75 at the vet and £119 at the shoe shop today.

Op - have you tried your local greengrocer for berries? £1 for a smallish punnet of strawberries at ours and £1.20 for the same size punnet of blueberries (enough for my cereal and yoghurt for about three days)

Eggs - is there any allotments near you anywhere? We just a got a tray of 18 large, fresh eggs from someone's allotment and a half a dozen duck eggs (what does one do with duck eggs?) for £3.

Meat - We always buy whats on reduced to clear and freeze it for using later

Fish - If you are lucky enough to live in a harbour town or village go and hang about at the pier early on a morning and the fishermen are usually happy to sell you some of their catch (or ask in pubs/clubs near the beach - Dh knows someone who fishes a few times a week for Mackeral)

Farmers markets are also really good for cheaper cuts of meat which can be done in a slow cooker as well as local veg and eggs.

I favour good quality meat, but less often. Our main meal is often pasta with fresh tomato sauce, with either parmesan or mozzarella, or pancetta cubes to make amatriciana or other vegetables. It is cheap and always a favourite.
Plus at the supermarket I always buy pasta on offer, I often buy De Cecco at 70 cents instead than 1.15 euros.

Bread has become more expensive.

I read a tip on here which was good - we did it when really skint.
You plan a week's shopping and try to double up on as many storable/freezable things as you can (special offers and whatnot).
Then you have a whole week per month only buying milk, ie saving a week's shopping money.

Technically we are not skint but if we carry on going to the supermarket every two days, we will be. I also have a sort of moral objection to eg chick peas at a pound a tin.

If you buy in bulk it makes a huge difference.
I always have a 25kg sack of basmati rice on the go.

With meat, you need to look at other cuts.
Pork ribs are cheap and delicious.
Ham shanks too.
Don't think you have to have a big lump of meat as part of a meal. You don't.