Despite a busy week at work (2 parents' evenings) I have been giving a lot of thought about using supermarkets. I really want to stick the fingers up to them but my purse would be a lot lighter. As a rule I'm not swayed by their BOGOF offers mainly as it's never on anything we eat. But I do enjoy scoring a yellow sticker bargain or two! For example yesterday's Apple and Plum Chutney was a result of scoring punnets of plums in the summer for 19p. And this morning I got a large joint (2.5kg) of British beef reduced by 50%.
I didn't have any apples for the chutney so I popped into Blairmains Farm Shop which is just a few miles from my front door. I got some Braeburns at £1.95 a kilo (they're £1.85 a kilo in Sainsbury's this week). They have a policy of stocking local and Scottish products as far as possible including chickens and eggs from the farm next door. A whole free range chicken was about £10 and included the giblets. Pricy but I can see exactly where they roam in the fields next door! And when was the last time you got giblets with your chicken??
Since getting chickens I am more determined that I will pay a fair price for ones that been scratching around freely in the dirt like mine (see above for yesterday's garden trashing!) I must admit that I wondered if I'd be put off actually eating chicken but no I haven't!! Although I am eating less but of a higher quality.
As well as trying to find out practical alternatives to the supermarkets I've been investigating buying directly from some of the brands I use. For example if I bulk buy Doves Farm gluten free flours I can save money and get free postage but then I have storage issues.
Yeah, I need to work some more on this but I could maybe rely LESS on the supermarkets and use MORE independent food producers to find some kind of balance that satisfies my need to spend less without compromising principles.
You are completely right, it's finding the balance.
ReplyDeleteI've started to 'use' the supermarkets, I will buy their 'loss leaders' and take advantage of some of their offers, but I will not be swayed in any way shape or form to buy what they want me to buy, vouchers or no vouchers. I decide what I want and what I buy. Their end of aisle 'bargains' that cost the producers a small fortune to put their products on are mostly ignored and I go armed with my list and very rarely veer off it unless I find genuine reductions in something we use.
Your chickens are a lovely bunch. the middle one has the same feathers as Mother Goose with a darker head to body, she is the only Hyline we have ever had with such distinctive feathering.
That's it!! I should 'use' the supermarkets on my terms to get things that can't be sourced locally or directly. And always try to buy local/Scottish/British. Disappointingly a local farm's butcher shop sells their own beef and pork but then offers EU sourced chicken!!!
DeleteMiddle chicken is Ginger Snap, she's a Blacktail. She's really scrawny and thin but feisty so I know she's getting her fair share of food :-)
We hardly use supermarkets, it does take time, but the internet helps, local butchers and farmshop's, our meats are more expensive, but we eat smaller portions, our purse is not taking too huge a hit, but we do buy more items in larger scale.
ReplyDeleteGood to know your purse isn't taking a big hit. And portion control is something we need to work on!!
DeleteUse the supermarkets instead of letting them use you; take advantage of all the offers that you will actually use, all the marked down reductions, everything. I use the local Co-op when I can, but have to resort to Tesco to get some heavier stuff delivered if I can't get a lift into town; Tesco at least is British owned, unlike Asda. I no longer have the luxury of transport from home, so have to think a bit harder about all sorts of things now.
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