Elmerfudd 5 Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 6 months ago we made a family decision to stop using supermarkets. It was about the time that dairy farmers made the news with record suicide and bancruptcy rates. It is BLOODY hard! It's not until you stop using them that you realise your dependancy. We started with the usual stuff, using a local butcher, baker and greengrocer. That bit wasn't so hard with better quality, local produce for (very surprisingly)much less than the supermarkets charge. It's only when you get onto tinned and cleaning products that you feel the squeeze. We've found that using fresh as opposed to tinned is both cheaper and tastier, but when you really have to buy some baked beans, the extra 20p from your local, privately owned shop is hardly noticed. Local farming shops (cornwall farmers and Mole valley down this way) supply us with our eco-friendly washing stuff and we are now reducing what we use and producing more food for ourselves and it's making us in the region of £3k a year better off for a family of 5! If you've ever wanted to support British farmers and producers, or help the small shops in your high street, now is the time to do it. Another 10 years of this pressure and all our food will be from abroad supplied by Tecmorrisdasbrurys. It IS cheaper (it's only the supermarkets that tell us it's not), it is definately tastier, and it gives you a warm feeling inside to know you're helping fellow Brits! Give it a go for 6 months, and you too might get as obssessive as me! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tiff 36 Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 it's easier said than done, but worth it in the long run. I've stopped going to WalMart and other large supermarkets, although I've not completely kicked the habit due to some things just being too expensive (double the price and up for OTC medications, etc). It has made my shopping easier as I'm not standing in line for ages and I tend to get all I need in one trip a week rather than going 2-4 times in a week. Less impulse buying too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Elmerfudd 5 Posted February 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 it's easier said than done, but worth it in the long run. I've stopped going to WalMart and other large supermarkets, although I've not completely kicked the habit due to some things just being too expensive (double the price and up for OTC medications, etc). It has made my shopping easier as I'm not standing in line for ages and I tend to get all I need in one trip a week rather than going 2-4 times in a week. Less impulse buying too. You hit the nail on the head there. You pop into Tesco for a loaf of bread and leave £30 lighter! I always had a basket of crap that I didn't need. Multiply that by the 2-3 times a week I'd pop in on the way home from work and you're losing big style! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Simoman 110 Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 I agree in principle and take my hat of to people who take the time and effort to shop around and we use local farmers at roadside stalls to get our fruit and veg and a small local butcher for meat but as for a monthly shop then I'm afraid its convinience and cost, our nearest shop is 7 miles away and next door to Tesco. The little shops near us just don't stock the variety and harder to get goods..................When I'm out the house at 0700 and in at 1900 the last thing I want to do is trawl around the shops.............. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kay 3,709 Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 well i shop local basically because i dont have a car & i find it no more expencive to use the butcher & milkman & the local coop, i wont drag bags back on the buss stuff it , i get what we need & only stock up on tinned food every now & then as a standby I even had a go at making bread the other day Quote Link to post Share on other sites
shepp 2,285 Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 Good on you Elmer, not many people stand by there guns like you mate Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sweaty 0 Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 I've worked for tescos for the last 4yrs,in a warehouse,believe me if you knew what went on there you wouldn't shop at any of the supermarkets,not only do they treat their suppliers like crap but also their staff,i nor any of my workm ates shop there even though we get 10% off Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Halfinch 51 Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 well i shop local basically because i dont have a car & i find it no more expencive to use the butcher & milkman & the local coop, i wont drag bags back on the buss stuff it , i get what we need & only stock up on tinned food every now & then as a standby I even had a go at making bread the other day And how did the bread turn out? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kay 3,709 Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 well i shop local basically because i dont have a car & i find it no more expencive to use the butcher & milkman & the local coop, i wont drag bags back on the buss stuff it , i get what we need & only stock up on tinned food every now & then as a standby I even had a go at making bread the other day And how did the bread turn out? well i didnt actually kneed it or weigh out stuff i used a breadmaker Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Malt 379 Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 I've often thought about it, good for you for sticking to your guns! I've noticed myself, that the cost of shopping has gone up sharply at the supermarkets. If you notice, the supermarkets always advertise against each other, to make their prices seem cheaper. It's not just at one chain of supermarkets, that's getting more expensive, they all are. I reckon there's definatly some sort of price fixing going on between them all, some sort of 'gentlemans' agreement, or something. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Sporting Agent 0 Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 6 months ago we made a family decision to stop using supermarkets. It was about the time that dairy farmers made the news with record suicide and bancruptcy rates. It is BLOODY hard! It's not until you stop using them that you realise your dependancy. We started with the usual stuff, using a local butcher, baker and greengrocer. That bit wasn't so hard with better quality, local produce for (very surprisingly)much less than the supermarkets charge. It's only when you get onto tinned and cleaning products that you feel the squeeze. We've found that using fresh as opposed to tinned is both cheaper and tastier, but when you really have to buy some baked beans, the extra 20p from your local, privately owned shop is hardly noticed. Local farming shops (cornwall farmers and Mole valley down this way) supply us with our eco-friendly washing stuff and we are now reducing what we use and producing more food for ourselves and it's making us in the region of £3k a year better off for a family of 5! If you've ever wanted to support British farmers and producers, or help the small shops in your high street, now is the time to do it. Another 10 years of this pressure and all our food will be from abroad supplied by Tecmorrisdasbrurys. It IS cheaper (it's only the supermarkets that tell us it's not), it is definately tastier, and it gives you a warm feeling inside to know you're helping fellow Brits! Give it a go for 6 months, and you too might get as obssessive as me! Well done for keeping this up; we too try to do very much the same and are trying to show our little girl (my stepdaughter) that real food is better, that its produced on farms and show her where it comes from, as oposed to in a carton, box or tin from the supermarket; and she loves to see it, loves the farmers market etc because it all makes sence to her. She sees where the potato, cauliflower, carrots and chicken come from then its cooked and we all sit down together and enjoy it; its a full cycle which she sees and understands, even tells nursery friends about where milk comes from or that cows make burgers etc..... Unfortunatly, with my lifestyle and work commitments we are not able to be as true to the idea as you but we would love to be and hope one day to be. All praise to you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lilyferret 0 Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 Well done At one time I rarely bought anything from anywhere, but the supermarket. I do still use them, but tend to shop far more from the local independent shops now. We have a smashing butcher that I buy all our (and the ferrets) meat from. Then there's a couple of small greengrocers as well. The supermarket really just provides any tins/rice/pasta mainly, as they're not so cheap at the local shops. Not that I use a lot of tinned food, but like to have a few for convenience. It's sad to see a lot of local shops disappearing. Years ago we had a fabric shop, a butcher and a wool shop just a stones throw away, and they've all gone now. I'd hate to get to a point where I only have a choice of a large supermarket, so intend to make more of an effort to source even more items locally than I do already. Yes Kay, how was the bread? I had a bread maker until recently. It was only a cheap one, and nothing but bricks came out of mine Quote Link to post Share on other sites
millie 1 Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 I have no problem with TESCOS..as I'am banned from my local branch after an unfortuate incident one friday evening..... I called in for some petrol at my local in Melton Mowbray at about 5.30 one friday evening, they where open,but they had road cones blocking the entrance so I ran the cones over and started to fill up me scooby legacy full of dogs too.. .But then over the tanoy the crazy women in the kiosk started screaming at me and I mean screaming she went feckin scranny at me swearing and going mental....quite unneeded.. How was i supposed to know they were doing a price check.....bloody prime time to do one eh I quietly walked over to the kiosk and told her to shut her hole she was still going nuts and threatening to call to feds..... I got bored and left.....on the way out I ran over the flower beds... I had no come back about the £15.00 of fuel I drove off with.. went back a week later the same crazy Bitch was on..still as mad,still as fecking ugly she said I was banned from the petrol station and the store for life....I laughed at her....that towns full of inbreds f*ck big company's ...Millie Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kay 3,709 Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 Well done At one time I rarely bought anything from anywhere, but the supermarket. I do still use them, but tend to shop far more from the local independent shops now. We have a smashing butcher that I buy all our (and the ferrets) meat from. Then there's a couple of small greengrocers as well. The supermarket really just provides any tins/rice/pasta mainly, as they're not so cheap at the local shops. Not that I use a lot of tinned food, but like to have a few for convenience. It's sad to see a lot of local shops disappearing. Years ago we had a fabric shop, a butcher and a wool shop just a stones throw away, and they've all gone now. I'd hate to get to a point where I only have a choice of a large supermarket, so intend to make more of an effort to source even more items locally than I do already. Yes Kay, how was the bread? I had a bread maker until recently. It was only a cheap one, and nothing but bricks came out of mine well i must admit i had the breadmaker stuffed in the cupboard gathering dust along with the juicer, hand whisk, coffee maker, electric knife, slow cooker & god knows how many whisks & sandwich makers oh and an electric tin opener I am an electric gadget freak , if it comes with a carry case i have to buy it the breads not to bad once cooked i must admit, and to be fair i have as yet only used a packet mix thing , not atually weighed anything in scales & added yeast but i am going to buy a loaf tin tomorrow & some flour & yeast so when i have got a recipe to follow & made some i will show the finnished result I might even attempt some scones as well Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lilyferret 0 Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 I am an electric gadget freak , if it comes with a carry case i have to buy it the breads not to bad once cooked i must admit, and to be fair i have as yet only used a packet mix thing , not atually weighed anything in scales & added yeast but i am going to buy a loaf tin tomorrow & some flour & yeast so when i have got a recipe to follow & made some i will show the finnished result I might even attempt some scones as well Must admit to being partial to kitchen gadgets meself. The kenwood Chef is me baby It's fab and does all the hard work for me. I have made bread using the Kenwood, and although it wasn't the best, it was certainly better than any of the 5 or 6 times I tried with the bread maker....And it was at least edible. Good luck with the scones. Made them a few times and they've been OK. The one thing that I've made recently though, that really has turned out delicious was all-butter shortbread. It's dead easy, too Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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