Grocery Spend

I find that buying cheaper items is often false economy; in the long run you save more buying the more expensive versions. For example, I tried buying cheap household surface cleanser, it was so dilute I used it up about four times as fast as a name brand cleanser, and I still had to scrub much harder to get things almost as clean.

I've also found that cheap kitchen towels and toilet roll are so thin that you are constantly using up rolls and having to buy new.

I agree with that.  I buy Ecover washing up liquid which is quite pricey but I need literally a drop to do a sink full of dishes so it lasts for ages.


Vicky

Yeah you do have to pick and choose. I've found the Tesco value dishwasher tabs are fine and we're happy with the value loo paper & other paper products, so that is a bit of a saving for us. I can't use any cheapo laundry detergent or soaps etc though, they make us itch!

A big thing on the news right now in the US is the saminilla poisoning from tomatoes. All the fast foods have stoped putting tomatoes on the burgers.

I agree with that.  I buy Ecover washing up liquid which is quite pricey but I need literally a drop to do a sink full of dishes so it lasts for ages.

I agree too.  We use Ecover and it lasts for a long time.

A big thing on the news right now in the US is the saminilla poisoning from tomatoes. All the fast foods have stoped putting tomatoes on the burgers.

Yeah, that was on my local news here in NM - I think NM and TX were the first states to get the warnings last week and the stores started removing their entire stocks of tomatoes!

Yeah, that was on my local news here in NM - I think NM and TX were the first states to get the warnings last week and the stores started removing their entire stocks of tomatoes!

The chef on the noon news today sluffed it off and said to wash your tomatoes off with soap and water?

We have changed the way we shop.  We go up to Costco and purchase our meat in bulk and freeze it.  I also get our cleaning supply, toilet paper and paper towels in bulk from there.  We are lucky because we have the space to store it.  Laundry soap and the like will last at least six months along with the toilet paper and paper towels.  I take the meat and freeze it in two person size portions.  All I have to do is take it out and cook in the evening.  I try and make my bread but if I see a clearance sale of bread I buy several loaves and freeze them.  Again we are lucky we have the space in the house for a full size up right freezer.  I also buy frozen veg as I find we waste the food otherwise.  We have a farmer's stand near our house that sells from the farm.  We go there ever once in while and buy fresh.  I am not keen on buying fresh veg at the grocery store as I think it has been sitting around way to long for my liking.   

We both work near Sainsbury's and H use to go there every night to pick stuff up.  This was costing us loads not only in money but in calories as he would buy high fat puddings.  Since I am on a diet no puddings in the house.  I am also trying to reduce my love affair with refined carbs so I am increasing my veg intake. 

I plan our meals for the week.  We have two/three days of fish, two/three days of meat and two days of veg meals.  H buys his lunch everyday at work but I bring mine. 

I'm starting to wonder if I should rethink how we shop as well. It's starting to seem appealing and sensible to maybe do one monthly shop for cleaning stuff and store cupboard stuff - maybe at Costco. And then do a weekly shop for veg and bread and daily for meat. We're trying to cut way back on our meat consumption and as a result we're eating higher quality meat. So if I went to the butcher two times a week it might make more sense.

Sorry, just really thinking out loud here. 

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet, but buying rice in bulk is a lot cheaper as well.

We bought 5kg of jasmine rice for 9.95 when we usually spend 1.86 on 500g.  I don't know where we're going to keep it though!

We bought 5kg of jasmine rice for 9.95 when we usually spend 1.86 on 500g.  I don't know where we're going to keep it though!

It's that storage thing, isn't it? In SF my apartment had a HUGE larder. So I had normal cupboards for food, a big dresser-type cabinet for my dishes, and used the larder for bulk stuff. At my mom's house I've got a couple of boxes packed FULL of big glass jars that I kept flour, rice, etc. in. Sigh. Someday I'll have a pantry. That's my mantra!! 

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet, but buying rice in bulk is a lot cheaper as well.

We bought 5kg of jasmine rice for 9.95 when we usually spend 1.86 on 500g.  I don't know where we're going to keep it though!

OMG is that for 2 of you?! Once you've opened it I would decant it into smaller, airtight containers to avoid getting weevils etc unless you plan to eat a LOT of rice very soon! It'll be easier to store in smaller quanities too.

There is also the issue of stuff getting mouldy quicker here than in the US. I fin that food here sometimes turns green before the sell by date.

There is also the issue of stuff getting mouldy quicker here than in the US. I fin that food here sometimes turns green before the sell by date.

I find that weirdly comforting - bread seems to have less preservatives. I just binned a brand new loaf because I didn't have room for it in the fridge. I felt AWFUL about it but it was my own fault. Our kitchen is really, really warm in summer so bread has to go in the fridge within a day or two....

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet, but buying rice in bulk is a lot cheaper as well.

We bought 5kg of jasmine rice for 9.95 when we usually spend 1.86 on 500g.  I don't know where we're going to keep it though!

We bought a 25 kilo bag of jasmine rice at Costco last year and we still have 2/3 of it.  We bought it when the price was still really cheap and paid £ 10 for it.  We just keep the rice in our pantry and never had an issue.  I once had flour in an airtight glass jar that got weevils so I do not think being in an airtight container will protect the food.  H loves rice and we eat it a lot.