The Winter of Discontent #2 Food, energy, transport, jobs, housing etc

[Littleelf]

that is actually shocking. Are you in a position to swap supermarket? Some people aren't due to transport, living area etc. I shop in Lidl and I find it much cheaper. I can't get everything there but I usually only need to go to the supermarket for 2 things which I can pick up on my way to work to so pretty easy.

Me and hubby have had a conversation in the car on the way home from this particular shopping trip and agreed that from this week we will be swapping to Lidl and we will see how that goes. I was so shocked at the tills, we simply can't afford this every week! We have shopped at tesco just out of convenience for some time, its closest to us and I do save up my club card vouchers for Christmas and other big things but I think its time we changed how we do things.

As a family living pay check to pay check, facing redundancy in the new year, with another baby on the way things have got my very anxious to say the least. We don't earn very low wages, we are quite average earners its scary how unaffordable living is becoming.

 

[GobShyte64]

Thats why i shop with tescos... because of the points and it helps with christmas. Apparently iv only earnt £4.50 this year in points. I know every penny counts but £4.50 doesnt even cover the cost of a kilo of chicken. I went in Lidl the other day and they did big trays of chicken for a fiver I think it was. talking like 3kilo of chicken!

I'm gonna have to switch at this rate because they are having a laugh.

 

[no-no]

There were no offers at all, I try to only buy things with the club card prices or if they are on offer when I'm in tesco.

This has been the biggest difference for me. I always opted for meals using the offers. Now all my essentials are full price +20% increase since 2020. There are still lots of offers about but it’ll be on random stuff you can’t string a meal together with. I got Birds Eye hash brown waffles for £1 reduced from £2.30 before with Clubcard, but that’s the sort of junk you get these days I’ve tried using Lidl but their fresh produce at my local store needs to be used within a day or two and every bag of spuds (except the fancy ones that are the same price as a supermarket Maris piper) have been black inside if I go in every day for fresh stuff I end up spending more so I’m just going to have to overhaul my meals.

 

[rainbowlemon]

Inevitable really wasnt it?! Altho, its nice to see that people are donating again as I remember going in my local asda and at one point, there wasnt anything in it a good few times but now it's starting to fill up again to the point where there is like 2,3,4 trollies worth of food. In all the tit the government throw at us, there will always be people out there that are willing to help. I love that.

I thought so too.

We've been heading for a survival of the richest scenario for a while now.

My local aldi put up a collection point in store next to the security guy.

Saw this on reddit.- how long till the bubble pops?

 

[GobShyte64]

This has been the biggest difference for me. I always opted for meals using the offers. Now all my essentials are full price +20% increase since 2020. There are still lots of offers about but it’ll be on random stuff you can’t string a meal together with. I got Birds Eye hash brown waffles for £1 reduced from £2.30 before with Clubcard, but that’s the sort of junk you get these days I’ve tried using Lidl but their fresh produce at my local store needs to be used within a day or two and every bag of spuds (except the fancy ones that are the same price as a supermarket Maris piper) have been black inside if I go in every day for fresh stuff I end up spending more so I’m just going to have to overhaul my meals.

Do you have a company that delivers fresh fruit and veg to your door? Like, near me we have a company called Arthur Bretts and they deliver boxes. You can get just fruit boxes, just veg boxes, or a mixture. Schools use them and restaurants etc. There are probably other companies too that deliver fresh fruit n veg. Iv bought a few and I've had loads in there thats lasted ages. Proper big veggies too not like the little ones u get in the supermarkets.

 

[rainbowlemon]

Oh that reminds me I got a letter from oddbox previously, they sell odd shapped fruit and veg. It might still work but to get 50% off your first box use the code STAYODD.

 

[Purrrrrrr]

I'm lucky I'm surrounded by farms with free-range animals and eggs. the farm shop is old school type, not posh and expensive but cheaper than the shops. a tray of 30 free-range small eggs cost me £3 T
Sacks of potatoes are much better value to buy than those small bags.

 

[openbook1]

I'm lucky I'm surrounded by farms with free-range animals and eggs. the farm shop is old school type, not posh and expensive but cheaper than the shops. a tray of 30 free-range small eggs cost me £3 T
Sacks of potatoes are much better value to buy than those small bags.

Buying produce in bulk can def be better.

 

[no-no]

Do you have a company that delivers fresh fruit and veg to your door? Like, near me we have a company called Arthur Bretts and they deliver boxes. You can get just fruit boxes, just veg boxes, or a mixture. Schools use them and restaurants etc. There are probably other companies too that deliver fresh fruit n veg. Iv bought a few and I've had loads in there thats lasted ages. Proper big veggies too not like the little ones u get in the supermarkets.

I will have a look, thanks! I’ve seen Abel & Cole vans so will browse the market

 

[Happy35]

I shop online and spend so much less than I store, I was an Aldi shopper but now do Tesco online. I eat mostly from scratch and find the fruit and veg lasts so much longer

 

[Tatooine_legend1]

I shop online and spend so much less than I store, I was an Aldi shopper but now do Tesco online. I eat mostly from scratch and find the fruit and veg lasts so much longer

I don't know if you're the same, but in store I miss out on offers. At least online I can see the offers, which helps a lot.

 

[Happy35]

I don't know if you're the same, but in store I miss out on offers. At least online I can see the offers, which helps a lot.

Yes, that’s what I do too

 

[Pesky Tarian]

I shop online and spend so much less than I store, I was an Aldi shopper but now do Tesco online. I eat mostly from scratch and find the fruit and veg lasts so much longer

Same - although an aldi near me has started doing click n collect, its £6 but I think even with petrol factored in I will save v one of the big three.

 

[kazizzle]

I’m not convinced I save much in Aldi/Lidl. I went to Aldi a few weeks ago for the first time since before the pandemic and felt like my shopping was much more than I expected it to be, and I have coeliac disease so I still had to go to Tesco after to get all my usual gluten free staples as both the Aldi and Lidl near me have removed their (already limited) gluten free ranges. Like others I also found my veg from Aldi went off really fast.

 

[HoGi]

I only really think aldi/lidl are cheaper for nuts/seeds, olive oil and nut butters. I think everything else is much the muchness.

Especially as they don't have the choice or offers and I still have to go to tesco for quite a few things. I tend to just use lidl to fill up on nuts as I need them.

 

[Jc456]

I only really think aldi/lidl are cheaper for nuts/seeds, olive oil and nut butters. I think everything else is much the muchness.

Especially as they don't have the choice or offers and I still have to go to tesco for quite a few things. I tend to just use lidl to fill up on nuts as I need them.

Yea I only tend to go in for nuts, 1kg peanut butter and the frozen veggie food. Now tesco price match aldi and with club card points I don't find much of a difference in price

 

[Pesky Tarian]

Yea I only tend to go in for nuts, 1kg peanut butter and the frozen veggie food. Now tesco price match aldi and with club card points I don't find much of a difference in price

Def think the big supermarkets have had to come in to line. Some things I save on though bag of rocket £1 v 50p aldi/lidl. Cured meats cheaper too. Got really narked at online sending me meats with 2 days best before. Nuts are good value from grape tree

 

[JoeBloggs]

We went back to aldi a few weeks ago and after three shops I gave up, my fruit and veg was off within 2 days and I couldn’t get everything I wanted to.

 

[dancingqueen5678]

I find a major difference in price personally but I think it’s cause I find the vegan food in Lidl much cheaper than the vegan food in bigger supermarket. I also find the fruit and veg cheaper

 

[Tublet83]

We went back to aldi a few weeks ago and after three shops I gave up, my fruit and veg was off within 2 days and I couldn’t get everything I wanted to.

This is my issue too.

Also thegeneral range of food is much smaller and I found I still had to go to other supermarkets which I don’t have time for.