That was my shopping trip yesterday, I do not enjoy shopping. I do not like pushing a wonky wheeled trolley up and down. I do not like searching for elusive "exotic" ingredients like Semolina! I asked 2 separate employees where I may possibly find some and both looked at me as if I had asked for a class A drug.
To gather all the contents of my quite small list I had to visit 5 shops. Tesco, Lidl, Home Bargains, Poundstretcher and Farm Foods. Thankfully the last 4 are all on the same small complex.
I should rephrase that. To get the most for my money I had to visit 5 shops.
I could have got the lot in Tesco, but at a price that I would not be happy to pay.
I did go on to the shopping comparison site but halfway through compiling my list I almost lost the will to live. The cheapest option was Asda, but only compared to doing the entire shop in Tesco, the petrol used would have wiped out the savings.
The only item that I bought in Home Bargains was a 3 pack of Hartleys jelly for 89p, they are over 50p for one block every where else.Yes I could have bought leaf gelatine ( another exotic item!) at a price.
I only bought a jar of coffee in Farm Foods, I saved a whole 1p, but I do that every week, 52p per year, do that on every item and it is a considerable sum.
look after the pennies......
I did stock up on pulses 79p per 500 gms and tinned chopped tomatoes, 25p per tin in Poundstretcher and very good quality.
The largest part of my Tesco shop was fruit and veg, both fridge drawers were empty as was the fruit bowl. Btw the root veg packs were 49p so I bought 3 and as a bonus they come on a clear plastic tray that will fit over my small seed trays. perfect for window sill sowing. Along with a huge cabbage from Lidl 65p and the cauliflower that I froze last week I have plenty of veg for the week.
Unless I have a house full of hungry people I will not need to shop any more this week, and only for milk, fruit and veg on the next trip.
I will be in Neath on Monday and will go into Morrisons in search of semolina, if they have it I will buy 2 packets. I use it in my shortbread, crumbles and Bakewell pudding.
That,s enough of that.
No sewing happened, I concentrated on my knitting. Both sleeves on the Miette are done, I did not bind off but left the ribbing stitches on waste yarn. Once the body is done I will try it on and see if the length is okay. I must look for button for both my cardigans in Deb,s wool shop on Tuesday, and a set for Francesca,s cardigan. I must print the pattern off as I will be casting that on next.
The SO has picked up a nasty strain of the cold come flu bug, he spent most of the day in bed. There has been lots of honey and hot lemon and as much sympathy as I could muster. He sounds dreadful, bunged up nose and raspy throat and he doesn't look that wonderful either.
Today I hope to clear the heart sewing and get the bunting strung together ready to hang.
The weather forecast is pretty dire so it will be an indoor day.
porridge for breakfast sound good, soup for lunch and something comforting for dinner. I will see what the SO fancies.
Ben has had his walk and breakfast.
Now I am off to make that porridge.
TTFN Pam
It's beautifully sunny here at the moment but may change later. Really sorry SO is feeling so rough. It's been a bad winter for nasties of many types. Hope he feels better and you remain Well.
ReplyDeleteJ x
I went through it over December but no where near as bad as he has it.
DeleteI finally finished my DH upcycled shirt quilt yesterday-3rd WIP on 2018. I love semolina-it’s the one pudding I would break my no dessert rule for and enjoy. I’m going to cast on another cowl in time for CTM tonight and relax and enjoy. Our menu is exactly like yours today as we no longer have Sunday Dinner. Catriona
ReplyDeletewell done on the finish.I could not eat semolina pudding if I was paid but it adds a lovely texture to baking, I roll out my pizza crust in it.
DeleteI'm exactly the same Pam ! It's great to roll French baguettes in too!!
DeleteWe only go to Tesco or Sainsbugs if we need a particular item, we have a Lidl close to us, which is very good. We pop to Home bargains every other week, we can wander around now we have lost the habit of throwing everything we see into our basket. Hubby gets loads off line, coffee, teabags all the brands we love at the best price. Now we have more time our shopping is changing.
ReplyDeleteI like Lidl but they do not have everything that I use. I do buy some things on the net.
DeleteI've heard lots of people mention Home Bargains, none near us though, although we do have a B & M which I'm guessing is quite similar. The bunting etc for Fran's room....is it for a special occasion? Hope SO picks up soon (and you don't catch it!).
ReplyDeleteThere is a B & M i Neath but I find it more expensive than Wilkinsons. Fran is coming for a long weekend at the end of February, I know that valentines will be long gone but just wanted to "bling" her room up a bit.
DeleteKeep yourself warm Pam x and I hope SO feels better soon xx
ReplyDeleteThe house is lovely and warm and I am keeping my fingers crossed for a speedy discovery.
DeleteWe visit all the shops you mentioned, it's amazing how the savings grow and the differing prices.
ReplyDeleteI am amazed that an item can vary by up to 50% from one shop to another at the normal price.
DeleteIt is a beautiful day here, the sun is shining and clear skies. Long may this last. Hopefully SO will feel better soon and he hasn't passed it on.
ReplyDeleteWe have had bright blue skies, with a freezing wind from the North East.
DeleteDriving to 5 stores to get " bargains" makes no sense...time is money, no you can't get your time back. Go to ONE store for your shopping.....!
ReplyDeleteI drive to Tesco and then retrace my route for 3 minutes to the small complex that houses Lidl, Home Bargains, Poundstretcher and Farm Foods. There is an Argos there as well. I do see some people drive from shop to shop rather than walk a few yards. It is then a 15 minute journey home. I have to drive over 35 minutes to get to my nearest Asda which really does not make sense.
DeleteI can't imagine what one store works for you! Here in the US, prices can differ immensely from store to store, I think because the retailers count on consumers not knowing what a reasonable price is for any particular item. So people apparently toss some insignificant item like tea bags in their cart, without noticing that they're paying twice what they might in another store nearby. But they have gotten advertised "bargains" on other products and think they come out ahead.
DeleteAdmittedly, I have time to shop in several places, with no children dragging on my leg and begging to go home, but I still think it's worth knowing which stores have the best prices regularly on items you regularly buy, and setting aside the time to make the most of your money with a shop at several stores.
Sunny but very cold here. We have a wind warning out that makes the temperature feel like -45 C. Perfect weather to stay in and sew, drink copious amounts of hot beverages, and keep warm.
ReplyDeleteA penny here, a penny there, it all adds up.
God bless.
Hi Pam :) I feel the same way about shopping. That's why I do my best to only shop once a month. It's a lot of prep but my gosh it's worth it because it's a 2 hour drive to the city with all the grocery stores...it's a day-long waste of time. I shop for sales too, so a trip will usually mean up to 10 stores. I do a little veg and milk run to the local place every few weeks, but I still feel like it's such a waste of my time!
ReplyDeleteThis year's flu has been a really nasty one for sure. Hope you don't get it and hope the SO recovers quickly. It tends to drag on and on!
ReplyDeleteI online shopped this week. I had a voucher for free delivery and everything I bought was on offer so even though I could have gone around the houses which is how my mother used to shop in town at the high street pre big supermarket days, and I do now sometimes, I do love the convenience of online shopping. I've yet to have a bad experience at it too. Get well soon Mr Pam xx
ReplyDeleteTime is precious to me and so is fuel. I have no discount stores locally except for good old Aldi. Choices have to be made. A spoonful of semolina in the mix for shortbread always works well. I remember semolina pudding as a child. I quite liked it :)
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how prices can differ so much from shop to shop. We've got a Lidl opening here within the next couple of months and there's going to be a Home Bargains eventually too, I'm looking forward to seeing what bargains I can get as our nearest supermarket, which is just by the side of where Lidl and Home Bargains are going to be, is Tesco.
ReplyDelete