Forum Topic

Has the recession changed your shopping habits?

Last night I watched a Money Programme 3-part special with Greg Wallace investigating consumers food shopping habits now we are in recession.  It appears that value own brands are on a massive increase and organic produce sales have decreased by around 11%, although Fairtrade products are up.It got me thinking about how I have economised since a) having a son to look after and b) since watching my pennies in the recession.Have your shopping habits changed?  And if so in what way?

Diane Gill ● 6299d61 Comments

No change in shopping. I still avoid it. However savings matured with a fall in value :-(

Graham Weeks ● 6299d

We have discovered the joy of collecting stinging nettles and making nettle soup and nettle tea. Wish I still had my wine making equipment!

Peter Wright ● 6299d

Collecting nettles could be called foraging?Was watching that Hugh Floppyhead bloke and want to try catching Crayfish, anyone know of a river locally where they live?Never fished so have no idea, but the signal crayfish are a pest and if they taste good...Any help welcome.G

G Lord ● 6299d

Defintely has changed. No savings to speak of but no income either (limited) so no meals out/takeaways at all, no shopping other than for essential food and always buy cheapest now whereas used to shop in Waitrose. Very bleak

Penny Crocker ● 6298d

Have discovered sardines on toast.  Since we're not overly fond of fish the ones in tomato sauce are more successful.  They are about 45p per tin.  My mother talks about eating these. So instead of teaching the kids cordon-bleu I reckon they need to learn about the different meals that can be on toast!  We've had it too good.

Philippa Bond ● 6298d

Instead of using the chippy for F&C every Friday we now get oven-ready from Tesco. Saves money and less fat.

Peter Wright ● 6298d

Instead of relying on ready made meals and foods its a lot healthier and cheaper to make things from scratch - something that I have noticed not many people are able to do nowadays.

J Smith ● 6298d

If I had the stomach for it and knew what I was doing, we would never have to buy meat again because of the road kill, down here in Dorset. Deer, rabbits, badgers, pheasants, most of it still warm, the deer seems to disappear very quickly from the roadside.

Peter Wright ● 6298d

I had nettle risotto once; jolly tasty.

Susan Kelly ● 6298d

I've never relied on ready meals/processed food and have taught my son to cook using fresh ingredients.  I'm also a great fan of home made bread - I use a breadmaker, a loaf costs around 25p a time and more importantly, I know what's in it. Padding dishes out with pulses helps and cooking in bulk and freezing the excess means that there's always something there if I don't feel like cooking from scratch. Loading up the freezers with supermarket specials on meat/poultry keeps us going too. I've basically followed what my mum did when we were growing up (not much money around) and adapted it to take account of mod cons like freezers and microwaves (great for reheating home made food).

M. Anderson ● 6298d

Are there any video descriptions of what to do with road kill?  I wonder whether Hugh Fearnley Eat-it-all can just drive past?

Philippa Bond ● 6298d

I doubt that very much - he is probably hiding behind a bush waiting for the animals to be hit by traffic! Along the similar lines the earlier post about catching crayfish seemed interesting, does anyone have any information about this?

J Smith ● 6298d

I'd love to be able to shop daily and make from scratch but I leave the house at 7.30 and get home at 19.00 so not a lot of time ! Work in the middle of nowhere too

Penny Crocker ● 6298d

I shop and batch cook at weekends - as a single working mother I'm in the same position as you, Penny - no time during the week, but having food in the freezer means that it's still a home cooked meal in the evening.

M. Anderson ● 6298d

When you next come to the area, call on me and I can let you have some equipment.

Graham Weeks ● 6298d

Previous post was in response to Peter Wright.Best ever road kill was a small wild boar in Northern Nigeria. Over 200lbs of fine pork.

Graham Weeks ● 6298d

What about guinea fowl?

Philippa Bond ● 6298d

I am a single working mother too and batch cook from scratch and put stuff in the freezer. I have just spent the last 3 weeks emptying my freezer to defrost, it was scary how much I had actually made over the past few months!  My son is at nursery during the week so gets very well fed there but I still like to provide proper meals at weekends for him and can do this easily and at a reasonable price too now I go out and seek bargains rather than just head for Waitrose!

Diane Gill ● 6298d

Do you use a slow cooker?  (It isn't really the weather for it now of course but it is good when it is colder.)

Philippa Bond ● 6297d

No I don't but it's a good idea so I am going to look for one and see what the prices are like. Lots of lovely stews in the winter!

Diane Gill ● 6297d

You can also use a crock pot to make jam and marmalade - I haven't tried it as have mainly used to make a casserole. Think you could possibly cook a slow roast joint at a push.

J Smith ● 6297d

You can get a nice chicken at Tesco for £2. Cooks extremely well in the combination oven, I then carve it the River Cottage way, that's to say rip the meat off the carcase. Next day, the bones go into the slow cooker for soup, instead of the bin as used to happen.

Peter Wright ● 6297d

LOL love the "carved the River Cottage way".Yes, I use the slow cooker for making stock. It's easier than using a pan where I sometimes used to manage to let it boil dry which made me cross as one minute I'd be thinking how nice it was I'll just leave it a little longer and the next it was too long and it had to be thrown out. (In the food waste bin of course.)You can also make porridge and rice pudding in it.  There are some good recipes on the Sainsbury's forum.

Philippa Bond ● 6297d

Wow a crock pot it is then!I discovered neck of lamb in the winter months - lovely to casserole and cheaper cut of meat too.

Diane Gill ● 6297d

"Crock pot"?Sounds as good as a popty ping!

Alan Brainsby ● 6297d

Don't forget that meat is not the only protein.  Pulses tend to be cheaper. Indian, Middle-Eastern and Italian cuisines use these more.  There are lots on on-line recipes and videojug and the other little vieos can be a good confidence booster for anyone nervous and unused to cooking.

Philippa Bond ● 6296d

Pulses, are they the things that contribute to the gasses that damage the ozone layer........ if you follow my drift........ or perhaps not!!!!!!!!!!

Peter Wright ● 6296d

Re  I use a breadmaker, a loaf costs around 25p a time and more importantly, I know what's in it          xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx        exactly, have used one for 9 years and only had to buy 3 loaves in all that time. Yesterday bought one for neighbours in Southampton and they are so pleased.

Tony Price ● 6296d

Re  I had nettle risotto once;               xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx        very telling

Tony Price ● 6296d

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2274995/Cow-farts-collected-in-plastic-tank-for-global-warming-study.html?source=newswidget

Philippa Bond ● 6295d

Oh dear!More "cod" science...

Alan Brainsby ● 6294d

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7646857.stm

Philippa Bond ● 6294d

Even more "cod" science...

Alan Brainsby ● 6294d

I bet you're not a vegetarian or vegan!

Philippa Bond ● 6294d

If we had those gas bags down here in Dorset, we could be an energy exporter. Better still, fit them to Ealing Conservative councillors.

Peter Wright ● 6294d

I try and buy anything that is reduced in the supermarket, but mainly I now waste less. I used to throw away a lot of food, but now I only buy what I need on a daily basis. This has saved me money.

Faith Wardle ● 6293d

I eat out less and go out for the evening less generally but when I do go out I tend to spend more as it is 'special'. Anywhere you eat in the evening will cost you at least £10-15 a head so makes sense to go out half as much but spend a bit more when you do.

Tricia Arbuthnot ● 6292d

There are quite a lot of meal deals around at the moment.

Philippa Bond ● 6292d

As this thread seems the most logical place to put it:in reference to statements made about the Forum and content make I make the following suggestion:we notify each other of  offers in local shops, big and small.eg  Poundland , West Ealing, 1.5 kg Whitworth's sugar - £1Sainsbury's WE, own brand Canadian Cheddar £4.35 kg (as BOGOF)

Alan Brainsby ● 6292d

Good idea. 99p stores in West Ealing weetabix weetaflakes.  They are the same as Special K!

Diane Gill ● 6291d

If you do eat out you can google to find restaurant deals.  Pizza Express has one running at the moment.

Philippa Bond ● 6291d

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/supermarket-coupons#printable

Peter Wright ● 6291d

I was just about to post that myself! They have all the current restaurant deals on one site. I haven't paid full price for a meal in months!Also, if you have a Tesco Clubcard, you can exchange Tesco points for restaurant vouchers and they give you 4 times the value of the points e.g.if you have £2.50 worth of Tesco points, they will send you a £10 voucher to spend in places like Cafe Rouge. This is running until November.

Faith Wardle ● 6290d

How do you exchange your Tesco clubcard points for the vouchers then?

Diane Gill ● 6290d

they normally send instructions when they send you the vouchers - this usually happens once a quarter. You need to go on the tesco clubcard site, register then click on the relevant section for current deals which is 'More Ways to spend my voucher' and then on 'Partner rewards'.http://www.tesco.com/clubcard/clubcard/

Faith Wardle ● 6290d

Great thanks!

Diane Gill ● 6290d

You may find this useful.http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/?AffiliateID=3536&AffiliateName=CantBarsed.com&AffiliateBannerID=0&utm_source=AffiliateWindow&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_content=0&utm_campaign=3536

Peter Wright ● 6290d

Sainsbury's Feed Your Family for a Fiver recipes are good and don't have a lot of ingredients.www.lovefoodhatewaste.com and the Scottish equivalent site are good.  So is www.eattheseasons.co.uk tells you what is in season and has some recipes.

Philippa Bond ● 6290d

After a week in gGeneva I have no more grumble about prices here, only about taxes.

Graham Weeks ● 6289d

I'd have thought they'd have high taxes in Switzerland?Just had to buy some herbs because I've lost some of what was growing in the garden.  Grow your own herbs - it is much cheaper than buying each time you want them and they're at hand!

Philippa Bond ● 6287d

Talk about growing your own, I am currently growing tomatoes, courgettes and peppers in grow bags and I don't have a very big garden at all - it's amazing what you can do for very little outlay and its really satisfying eating what you have grown yourself too!

Diane Gill ● 6287d

My dentist says business is down.

Graham Weeks ● 6287d

Dentists are expensive and people see their teeth as non-essential!  It's amazing how many people I know haven't been for years.

Diane Gill ● 6286d

Now here is a supermarket that has changed over the past couple of years. One time of day I wouldn't set foot in one but since times are tough I have started going to the massive hypermarket in Watford on the odd occasion to do a 'big' shop. Their range of organic/free-range/recycled has improved beyond measure. I still refuse to buy any meat there but they do have some great offers. Yesterday I bought two packs of pre-prepared mangoes & pineapple for £2 and lovely they are too!

Diane Gill ● 6286d

That's a long way to travel to shop!Be careful as buying in bulk can mean that you use more. It isn't necessarily any cheaper if you consider the length of time that something lasts for as well as just the cost.The BBC Food website is very useful for searching out recipes for something that you have in the fridge and need to eat.

Philippa Bond ● 6284d

I only shop there as I have alot of friends over that way and travel to see them, I don't make special trips.As far as using more I certainly don't use more nappies, wipes, washing liquid and other household goods than I need to use.I am a confident cook and bake alot so waste very little as far as food is concerned, but thanks anyway.

Diane Gill ● 6283d

My father used to put a toothpick in the top of the washing up liquid bottle because he maintained we used to squeeze too much out at a time!I don't believe that as much soap as the manufacturers' recommend you use in the washing machine is necessary.  The trick is noticing who has spilt oil or something difficult before it goes in the wash as that probably won't come out without more attention anyway.

Philippa Bond ● 6283d

I agree, Philippa. I use only about half the recommended soap powder in the washing machine, with no ill effect. That's why I will only buy loose powder and not tablets.

Susan Kelly ● 6283d

Well I am allergic to all the scents and the powder makes me sneeze so I do buy tablets but have taken to only using one unless the washing is particularly dirty.I have also been using ecoballs and now use those for most dark clothing.  Whites tended to be more problematic so I've stayed with soap on those.  I also use a magnoball instead of all that water softening powder/tablets.What is wonderful is that I no longer have all that sludge/scum gunk in the washing machine or drain.

Philippa Bond ● 6279d

Am I the only person who has no idea what the difference is between biological and non-biological washing powder?

Susan Kelly ● 6279d

Isn't that to do with enzymes?

Philippa Bond ● 6274d