Hello. I've just been out for a second walk tonight. It's very windy, but dry, I quite like walking in the wind. There are a lot of comments from you, with your mileage, that's great. I'm chuffed that you are doing so well. Anyone who hasn't yet checked in can do so at any time, just go back to that same post on the 1st of February, then it's all in one place.
Oh dear, someone was a little too enthusiastic covering up in the litter boxes yesterday. Heidi uses them, usually does a poo in one, then goes into the other one for a pee. Sometimes Mayze might do something in one, but she mainly goes outside.
Oh dear, even more mess today. She has stood on the side of it at one and and her weight has flipped it up. Best get the dyson out.
I am eating plenty of eggs this week, managed to get two boxes half price from the £1 shop.
I was over the other side of town on Tuesday so I called in at Morrisons to check for yellow stickers. here are some of the items I was lucky enough to find. I got quite a lot for my £5.35. The Naked smoothie is very nice, but I wouldn't pay £2.32 for it.
I've just been reading that there is a shortage of fresh fruit and veg in the supermarkets and they are rationing some items to two or three per person. Prices have gone up as well. It's all down to bad weather in European countries. I suppose the story will trigger panic buying now.
Feeling a bit tired, I'm off to bed now. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip
I'm wondering what the upward prices for fresh fruit and veg looks like now? Up to now your regular prices are much less than in North America. It doesn't make sense to me but that is how it is. I'm also wondering how it will affect sticker pricing. I'll be watching for your future posts on your food shopping. Here I've noticed prices are just unreal. I read about that some time ago. Prices are up much higher than the 1.4 % inflation increases they pay the pensioners. It seems to be like that for some years now. I was also in Chinatown the other day to a very discounted produce store that is well known here. I came away disappointed. Most items were no less expensive than where I live with the exception of perhaps 4 items which were very inexpensive.
ReplyDeleteHi. I'm not sure what you mean by 'upward prices'. When I was in Morrisons I noticed that their veg prices were slightly higher than Tesco prices, but maybe that's because of the shortage. Last week I asked for spinach in Aldi, but they didn't have any.
DeleteThe amount of yellow stickers offered for sale depends on how much is unsold at the normal price. These items are never the same and change daily, depending on what people are buying. That's why I go with an open mind and can be flexible with my eating.The 75% off which I get at Tesco will still be a good buy even if the normal price has risen slightly.
I don't think there is much point in comparing food prices across the globe, unless you are going on holiday, or planning to live in another country. It will never be a level playing field due to cost of shipment and transport. The best thing to do to get a shopping bill down is try and buy local produce, and seasonal, and which hasn't had the cost of flying it half way round the world, added to it.
Speaking of cat litter, my Mom's rescue kitty (from an animal hoarder) is allergic to regular cat litter. Aparently the SPCA here uses the same wooden pellets that people use on pellet stoves as cat litter. It is so much cheaper too! She now buys 40 lb bags of pellets for about $8 which is considerably cheaper than cat litter in Canada. Not sure about where you live but with so many furry cat butts at your house might be worth an inquiry :)
ReplyDeleteHi. Thanks for the tip off. I only have two pussies now, and they don't do much in the litter boxes, so it's not costing so much. I prefer the clay based clumping litter, easy to scoop out.
DeleteHi!!,Another late comment,lol..Ive got 5 cats and ive started useing shredded up news paper,with a bit of Tesco Value Cat litter scattered on top of it.My friends give me their newspapers and i cut some of them into shreds,and use it that way.I can still scoop out the poo,flush away and tip the rest into my compost pile.....which i dont use for food growing,lol.Only for plants.Debi,Leic,x
Deletefood pricing in the US is influenced by the FDA, which is controlled by the meat and dairy industry, these food items have farm subsidies, making them affordable. it's why a burger at the fast food place is a dollar and a salad is five. the fresh foods aren't subsidized.
ReplyDeleteIn other words the meat and dairy industries are given tax monies to keep them afloat, the produce growers aren't, and what is shipped from Mexico has shipping charges
Ok, thanks for that. I can see the connection now, why a lot of people in the US are overweight. They eat a lot of meat because it is cheaper than salad. I'm glad it is the other way round in the UK, though we also have people who eat a lot of meat.
Deleteabout six years ago we started a vegan diet, at the time I was twenty lbs over, and my husband was one hundred lbs over, in eight weeks I was thin, in one year my husband had lost the hundred pounds. we eat whole grains, dried beans, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables, I have eggs.
DeleteWe started walking, and adding a little more distance each time. I'm a fairly decent cook, so I make things from scratch, soak beans and cook them in a crock pot overnight in large batches, also cook up lots of grains to reheat as needed, choose the cheapest veg, like cabbage. I can't say we save as much as you, but it's keeping us healthy which makes the extra expense worth it. I had to laugh though, one day at the market they had something new in the produce section; "nutribowls" and I thought, that looks just like one of Ilona's meals, except a lot smaller, and wow the price, who would buy that? Please keep up the wonderful blog, you are an inspiration.
They are overweight because the food they eat is full of sugar and sugar products from usually corn (high fructose corn syrup). Heavily advertised, marketed, and subsidized. It is very hard to stay away from it. The lack of food knowledge is also incredible here. Our basket is full of fruit and veggies with beans and a little poultry and wild caught fish to round out the protein. I am grateful that husband does not any 4 legged animals. Ana USA
DeleteThat has cleared up a lot of things for me too. I did wonder why meat was so cheap.
DeleteThank you
Leex
Please take that with a grain of salt.
Deletehttps://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/us-touts-fruit-and-vegetables-while-subsidizing-animals-that-become-meat/2011/08/22/gIQATFG5IL_story.html?utm_term=.b24deaa4e7b1
DeleteWell done Ilona, the yogurt, eggs and cottage cheese (yum). I've heard that the rationing at some supermarkets is on iceberg lettuce and broccoli but there's no need to panic is there, just find an alternative (in fact it would be a good time for us to eat up some of the freezer vegetables instead). Thank you ming for the explanation, I always wondered why burgers etc were dirt cheap but the fresh food so pricey. Amanda
ReplyDeleteI am always amazed at the prices you pay for your food. If we are lucky the food is marked down 50% here in my part of Canada. I do shop on the discount racks and it does save but I would love to have your prices!
ReplyDeleteThere is a class action lawsuit for price fixing on milk and milk products in fourteen states including Michigan. I saw it on the local news. They had the address to register on the station's website. We'll see what happens, maybe I'll get a coupon for a pint of milk. :)
ReplyDeleteJoan, Michigan
Well after hearing Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 today talking of green veg and salad shortages all over the UK because of bad weather in Spain etc I expected Tesco's to be short of lots but it was only really the iceberg lettuces & tomatoes that were low or empty. I spoke with a very nice young Tesco man who was stocking up the broccoli etc his advice was that it was just a blip and he expected more on the next delivery. So that's enticing the public to panic buy yet again...I think I can manage without a tomato for a day or two.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to food in the USA my american Aunt lives in the countryside, it's not unlike rural Norfolk in fact, there are many small farms around growing and selling their produce via stalls on the side of the road. She shops at these stalls and use's the farmers markets that trade in her village very week, it's so much cheaper than the supermarkets. Rae x
which state does your aunt live in? the road side stalls and farmer's markets where I live are available only in the warmer months, and are more expensive because of being "fresher" that the supermarket.
DeleteI don't know why people eat iceberg lettuce anyway; it's more like an edible texture than an actual foodstuff! Doesn't taste of anything much and doesn't contain many nutrients...
ReplyDeleteThe local market down here this morning was brimming with cabbage, leeks, root vegetables, kale, celeriac, even tomatoes, okra, peppers & squashes either rejected by the supermarket buyers at the docks or grown locally in polytunnels, without exception much cheaper than (full-priced) in the supermarkets. No courgettes, no spinach, no "Little Gems" but I was still spoilt for choice of good fresh veggies. Having been on the rough end of a supermarket's rationing once before - seven active people need rather a lot more bread per week than one person, but one loaf per household was all that was allowed - I say, look elsewhere and you may be pleasantly surprised!
wow, all this in February, not in here northern US lol
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