Nosy thread - weekly shop

[Saffron]

Brilliant post, GinaG3! I do 90% of our shopping online. The exceptions are only if we have an immediate need for something, and then we use our local shops. Plus, husband always buys his own beer (no way am I hauling bottles of ale up to our first floor flat -- the milk is heavy enough!).

When we lived on Barry Road a couple of years ago, the service from Sainsburys wasn't great. Since moving to SE4, I think we get deliveries from a different depot maybe, b/c the service is much better.

I've tried Tesco and others, but Sainsburys is the only one that always has the right flavours of catfood in stock. We probably do ?10-20/wk in catfood for 2 cats. It has to be the right flavours, or it's left uneaten and gets thrown away. The Siamese isn't fussy and will eat almost anything. It's our Himmie rescue cat who is fickle and has serious food issues (*makes rolling eyes expression* I know, I know... a cat with food issues?) from her previous owners underfeeding her quite severely. So, to make a long story short, we always buy the food she likes.

On that note, has anyone thought of bulk buying catfood? How much can you save? We don't have a lot of storage space (and also no transport), but I'd be interested in joining someone else in a bulk buy if the savings were decent.

[GinaG3]

Saffron for catfood check amazon, no word of a lie, they now sell groceries (in wholesale bulk) direct from supplier.

Edited to add; save ?14 on rrp free p&p http://www.amazon.co.uk/Felix-Sensations-Meaty-Steaklets-Pouches/dp/B003K0WD6Q/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1331049110&sr=8-3

Last month Andrex themselves (not cat food related I know) were selling 40 top quality toilet rolls for under ?10! The bargains to be found are ridiculous. Also check approvedfood, search in google. Another brilliant tool in fighting shopping prices.

[Fuschia]

Amazon good for nappies and even cheaper if you have a regular order

Though buying supermarket own brand or what's on offer is good

Be brand disloyal for nappies, washing powder etc

[GinaG3]

Great tip! Never be loyal to a brand, what makes them loyal to you? Nothing! Although I must say I have to stick to the same nappies and washing liquids due to severe eczema reactions. I think that's the only instance where money saving is my lesser priority.

Value brands for things like washing up sponges, pitta bread, pasta, tinned tomatoes, flour, frozen peas and sweet corn, chips all are brilliant and intact I like some better than brands valued at 4 x the price. All can be bought for anywhere from 10-70p. Well worth the change down. And I'd like to add, people think I'm a snob. Pah! Perrrleaseee..

[oimissus]

omigod, you're so right about Amazon, I also have fussy feral cats! Wow. It's all a bit bulk buying though, isn't it, not sure I've got the storage space, big kitchen but not actually many cupboards. Hmmm, will have to think. Thanks for all the top tips everyone, I went to Sainsbo's today, didn't even do a full shop and it was ?85!!!

[susyp]

GinaG3 how do you do it? I am way too extravagant on Ocado. My problem is I really want organic, it's my main extravangance in life really. And how does my supermarket work - can you do a shop then it just tells you which is cheapest? I just tried a little but it seemed really slow. Do you spend a long time doing your shopping or does it get quicker as you get more expert? I love Ocado as it's so quick and easy (and we have a annual delivery pass) but a quick look did seem to indicate that even Tesco is A LOT cheaper. Neither of us are working at present with no sign of anything coming in so I think I am going to have to curtail my spending a bit. But I do still want organic + free range stuff. And I just can't spend ages doing it it would drive me demented.

Susypx

[Ruth_Baldock]

Gina, that is exactly what we do! The only brands we buy are for washing/nappy based things, everything else is the cheapy cheap stuff. Makes no difference to us, it all tastes the same really!

[crystal7]

Love this thread, making me feel a bit guilty though! OH does weekly shop in Sainsburys on Saturday morning, usually takes toddler post trampolining. Have tried to get him to take baby too but seems strangely unkeen...If we're away at the weekend he goes Monday evening. We try to buy everything then, I write him a list as I do most of the cooking and plan meals in advance. It's terrible but we do throw bits away every week e.g when oh is out, naughty non sleeping children take ages to settle and we're too tired and eat bread and hummus. Inevitably some things are forgotten so I end up in the little Sainsburys a few times per week.

I know it's wrong but I really like going to the big Sainsburys too, without children of course and in the early days with 2nd baby would often find myself there on the toddler free days. That's what having children does to you!

[GinaG3]

I find it easy now, I've adapted easily to how I've wanted to live, if you know what I mean. We used to do a fortnightly big shop and spend ?150 but it didn't work out as well and I'd be defrosting meat or forgetting etc. it depends on your typical spends, spending habits, a lot of things. Obviously one persons shopping will be cheaper or more expensive than the other. I think for people that enjoy quality buying more at a butchers and portioning yourself then freezing makes a lot of sense and definitely I believe cheaper in the long run. If you were to meal plan say 1 or 2 weeks and alternate each week going to the butchers twice a month 'to stock' is a good idea. Organic fruit and veg, again, depending n how much you get through a box delivery may make for a better and cheaper option for you, it does for a lot of people.

In regard to mysupermarket it really is a brilliant tool, any online shopping takes a while your first few goes, but if your at home all day it shouldn't be too difficult. I love it! I look up on my meal planner, find the week we're in, write down all the ingriedients I need. I then dont browse mysupermarket but use the search bar at the top to find everything on my list and find the cheapest option. The first couple of shops may take you hour maybe even 2 but you will get faster as you learn the way and you will find better deals too. If I have money left at the end of my list I am inclined sometimes to spend what I have after browsing special offer section. I cook everything from scratch, I buy hardly any ready prepared stuff, if any. I don't buy sweet stuff as I bake constantly anyway but my cupboards are always stocked for baking, that is one of my most important cupboards!! One thing if you are going to use, be sure to book the delivery first as it will show the offers corresponding to your delivery date as opposed to now on, which will be no good to you and end up costing you more money at full price.

For quality purposes; I grew up with the luxury of waitrose food and this only my whole life, my mum and dad spent excessive amounts on top quality organic everything, meat, milk, vegetables just everything you can think of. I left home at 18, and moved in with in laws who came from completely different background. I found it really hard to adjust food wise. It makes me feel guilty to admit that, Im not snobby it's just how I've lived my life. Anyway there is a point to this! When we moved into our own place I shopped at sainsburys and tried to get back what I'd grown up with but it was impossible on our budget, from this I learnt there is a middle ground and middle ground it fine, it's still of good quality and it's still nutritional. I'm not an organic buyer, I don't buy free range meat, but I do buy free range eggs. I don't buy value meats but I buy value staples, they are fine for the intended use. Most of my weekly spend comes from fruit, vegetables and meat. And kitchen roll, I'm obsessed with dettol and kitchen roll. Germ germ germ! Anyway, the point is..

Waitrose, quality yes, price no no no. If you CAN afford it fine, but if you can't try somewhere else. It may surprise you. Never ordered online with them, no comment about delivery or service.

Ocado, quality yes (with some stuff, I've had bad experiences with them), price not too bad - price matched to tesco supposedly. If you can afford to shop here, go ahead, once again though there are cheaper options. Ordered online before, had bad experience, things leaking in bags, late delivery. Customer service took ages, in the end money back for 'bad items' and 13p compensation!!! Ridiculous, yes. Vowed never to shop with them again.

Tesco, quality, good, price fair but creeping up the most of any supermarket. Watch out. Best place to try if shifting from Ocado or Waitrose. IMO. customer service fantastic, delivery drivers all brilliant. Not many stocking problems. Clubcard points!!! Always quick and fair with complaints and normally give you ?10 off next order if anything is wrong.

Sainsburys, quality, fair, price once again creeping. I find the quality in sainsburys lower leading me to stop shopping with them. The meat want keeping as it should of been, the vegetables were 1 day from use by date etc. the one good thing is the customer service, ive had brilliant money off deals from sainsburys and customer services always compensated me very reasonably.

Asda, quality is fantastic actually, price is very competitive. Never had a problem with delivery but the one downside is that normally a fair few products are out of stock, I've switched to allow them to pick me substitutes now, which are reasonable and mean I don't sve missing items. I can give these back to the driver for a full refund if unwanted. I'm not charged more for the substitute but the original price of item I wanted.

Hope this anyone.

[dulwichgirl2]

Gina, v interesting thanks.

We are tesco fans here, partly because the few problems have been sorted out very well.