I picked up my Christmas delivery slot weeks ago. My order is for fresh veg, fruit, cream, individual chilled desserts, seafood, and our usual between the holidays Indian (there is always an offer on this time of year). Made a note of the shop which totalled £142.18. I went to update the basket ...... £208.11. Bear in mind, this order hasn't changed in anyway. This isn't just a few pennies ..... So, I am saying prayers and wishing many blessings to all of us who are off work, low paid, struggling with families and the like. We aren't doing turkey this year ..... Got a lovely big chicken and a small beef joint which worked out half the price of turkey for the same weight of meat. And, I have avoided buying big ready prepared desserts and am making chocolate mousse, caramelized oranges, and a baked cheesecake with berries (altogether came in less than one supermarket dessert). If you have any recommendations or ideas on bargains, maybe we could all share? Just an idea .....
Christmas Grocery Prices: I picked up... - Fibromyalgia Acti...
Christmas Grocery Prices
Absolutely crazy isn't it? Saw this the other day, politics aside, the whole of the UK is struggling so badly right now it's criminal. This poor man has now got the help he needed but how many more out there are suffering the same?
Cost of living Crisis
twitter.com/LBC/status/1601...
Cheesiest, that was heartbreaking to listen to. Thank you sharing.
I managed to do all mine for £120.00, for 3 of us, I bought chicken legs instead of a whole chicken, got lobster and langoustines for me, bought fresh veg, and it’s all cooked and frozen gateu 2 small Xmas puds, and tins of custard , and got some great bargains in Iceland for in between. and Xmas dinner. I was quite surprised at myself how I managed to use my brain for bargains this year and got it all. 😀
Good morning everyone 
may I just ask everyone to bear in mind the rules of FMAUK
Religion and Politics should not be discussed here as it is hard to not offend someone in discussing these thank you.
Momo
Sorry I can’t see where religion is discussed here, do you mean saying happy Christmas is not allowed now 😳
Maybe not discussed but " So, I am saying prayers and wishing many blessings"
So a light reminder to anyone who would like to add further to above.
Like I replied please feel free to post on the December celebrations topic that as been posted. That also includes xmas wishes.
If you have any further problems with my reply feel free to PM me or any member of the admin team and please may I ask you donot continue it on this thread thank you.
Just to add that the comment by one of our mods to not discuss politics / religion is not unusual and something we will make from time to time. This was actually more about the potential politics angle to this thread.
LhasaMomma there was nothing wrong in your post and it is a good topic but sometimes we will try and prevent a discussion going off track. HealthUnlocked and our own rules that people agree to when they sign up are clear about certain topics being off limits and this group is about supporting each other.
There are plenty of places to talk about politics or whatever and this group is focussed on supporting one another and fibro. Having discussions about the rules on the boards is almost always counterproductive hence we ask people to contact the admin team directly and keep the conversation on there.
Hopefully that helps explain things a bit.
I think Iceland is a great place to shop and save. I have been pleasantly surprised. Not a shop I usually use to be honest. But would definitely give them a big thumbs up.
Also hubby said a big drop in petrol prices at sainsbury yesterday. The lowest he's seen in a long while so another 👍 helping to save the pennies.
A friend of mine does her main shopping at Waitrose but regularly drops into Iceland. She says the quality is far better than the price tag suggests. Would love to be able to give them a try but they've sent in our area 
Apologies .... I didn't mean to upset anyone by talking about Christmas ..... Our family also celebrates Hanukkah so no offence was meant at all.
No offence taken. But sadly sometimes politics and religion can quickly spill over into certain posts. Then it can become distressing for many of the members. Especialy as the world is going through a very tough time. Hence the need to draw attention to the rules of the forum. Thank you for your understanding ❤️
Please feel free to post any celebrations in our December celebrations post. Xx
I just took the post to mean exactly what it said on the packet. - That prices were going silly. They are! I thought anything political anyone replied was extremely mild and they were all reigning back. I know you have got to be careful as a website but I think the degree of anxiety that is around at Christmas especially, with both money and survival deserves a mention as it might help some of the stress we are all feeling around the celebration that is perhaps enhanced due to our condition. Difficult not to allude to anything that affects the purse. Some helpful suggestions I am thinking about alternatives and the app. Appreciate your stewardship of this site though and how you welcome in new people ... I haven't posted yet !!! - Hope you can relax and enjoy your Christmas day. x
I have found an App which is great for being able to price foods from all the different supermarkets.
It’s called Trolley.co.uk
So say you want to check for a certain item, such as Lurpak butter, type that in the search box and it will show you prices from Asda, Tesco etc …… so you know where you will find it the cheapest 😀
Hope that helps people on here xx
It's good isn't it? I use that too! Then I shop in them ALL 🤣🤣
yes that’s me too! Always on the look out for deals since everything has gone up on price. I don’t think the site shows Home bargains though? I love that shop! X
Yes making your own desserts is so much more rewarding isn’t it. I always keep apples in the freezer for crumbles and always make my own custard, I make a lemon drizzle BBC good food guide a lovely sized cake and so reasonable too make. I keep left over chicken too make a curry, or even knock up Coronatiom Chicken goes down well with a jacket potato Yes price of food is ridiculous and the cheapest place I could find a bag of castor sugar was Aldi it had doubled in price. I diffently think restaurants /.pubs will be affected as people choose too stay home this year, I m differently happy too be at home and grateful for the roof over my head . I given help during the year too the homeless charity thay my friend organises , I think we are always conscious of the people that have it tough all year round ☹️
Our London friends are part of a group that goes out for a special meal every month. During Covid, when they were permitted, they started doing the old dinner party thing instead. They worked out that even paying for a ready made hand crafted dessert and someone to come in who does the clean up, and without costing alcohol, the group was saving over £700 a month - there are 12 in the group so around £60 each. When they costed in alcohol that became £90. They were stunned. Decided to continue on and our friends saved over £4000 in a year which paid for a holiday. This year, they were going to dine out for Christmas but instead they met for a dinner party last weekend and bought a load of frozen turkey breasts/legs, packets of Paxo stuffing, and jars of cranberry sauce so that the local food bank could make up Christmas dinner bags.
I am completely with you on home cooking! Cheaper, healthier, and so satisfying. And, quite frankly, my Hubs loves the feeling that I am looking after him.
I agree, it's hard to see so many homeless people nowadays, especially in the freeezing weather - and as a family, we always give what we can to them. If we haven't got any money on us and they are outside a shop, we often buy them a sandwich or something else.
It makes you realise that although most of us are struggling this year with the cost of living, (which is really tough for many) things could be a lot lot worse....
I think supermarkets are making a killing as many increases are not justified,
All sounds delicious! I always reckon there will be cheap turkey meat after Christmas. My son and daughter in law are having us for vegetarian Christmas Lunch but my son has instructed us to bring Turkey too as he still eats it so I shall be taking a pre-cooked stuffed breast. - When his oldest girl was five she informed me very seriously that she didn't eat animals! Well, I was put in my place, wasn't I! - Children, cats and dogs, that's what my best Christmas is about although cats and dog long gone. - Boozing is out, gluten, most cheese, although I cheat with mozzarella and just suffer after, but I'm looking forward to the Lovemore Lemon Polenta cake which I will have on Boxing Day. Yay! Have a great Christmas.
Yes, I also usually buy a turkey piece when they are drastically reduced after Christmas and then freeze for Easter.I
Prices are utterly ridiculous. I noticed that smaller pieces of turkey (like escalopes) are missing off the shelves. I buy those sometimes, put stuffing between the escalopes and build up about four layers then string together like a small joint. When I asked I was told that they didn't have shelf space but the lady manager who I speak with told me that Head Office instructed them to remove so it forced people to buy the bigger turkeys. By the way ..... Try to avoid buying crowns as they usually work out twice as much as a whole turkey, and it is remarkably easy to remove the legs, freeze them, and enjoy in soup or curry later.
Smart stuff Cookie LM! I like the Easter idea and the small joint idea sounds interesting. I get turkey occasionally so I get the serotonin to sleep better. - Now I'm about to tackle sixty more Christmas cards. Hubs couldn't get 2nd class stamps but at least it's given me longer to write them. We like to keep in touch at least once a year and not doing so many emails this year as the cards are supporting something local. Not enjoying their cheap envelopes though. Lick and stick and then sellotape! Run my finger under the tap now but still have to sellotape. Bah! Humbug!
That is how the big supermarkets can muck about our budgets , especially at Christmas by encouraging people to sign in for delivery slots very early when prices of things are still lower or on offer but charging the new inflated price for demand products when the order is actually packed and sent.
The only delivery supermarket I use is Iceland , it's prices are better and they still offer free delivery on orders which are closer in price to a budget shop. They still give bags , although I'm not happy with the new shape , but you aren't forced to have a pain trigger trying to get your shop from the boxes at your door to the kitchen. They give long dates and I find they get 5 stars on the banana and egg test ( not squashed or broken because of bad packing). Unfortunately, there product range has become more limited over the years .
I use Aldi , B and M , Lidl , Farm foods and Home Bargain which have quite a variety of cheese , meats and staples between them of much better quality than the top four supermarkets. You can arrange click and collect now , so order and get a friend to collect it if you can't do that yourself.
During COVID , when it was nearly impossible to get a delivery slot anyway, I began research on my local providers that also deliver. I got better quality and price on doing a monthly shop for Meat and Fish and one or two weekly supply of dairy/fruit and veg with local businesses and never went back. They are considerate , give loyalty discounts and the quality is better from local suppliers, plus I found I save money each month. I also support a local supplier of eggs , honey , milk products and a baker whom delivers too.
At the same time , I started ordering my staples from BuyWholefoodsonline .co.uk which have a good quality range of products delivered nationwide. They have regular discounts and offers especially just before Christmas and you don't have to order the really big bulk bags like other wholefood suppliers which is good if you are on your own or on a budget. Buying staples from them of things that supermarkets overcharge on like nuts , seeds , pulses , nut butter , herbs saves me about 25% even over the budget supermarkets.
By doing this I found I was saving 20-25% a month on my food , household products and health supplies bills with better consistency, less stress at the door and less sudden substitutions in my orders.
The savings I make through the year allow me to have a little splurge on homemade edible gifts or treats from Etsy , especially useful now I can't spend so much time in the kitchen. Etsy makers and suppliers are very careful about getting the product quality right to get loyalty and many products cost the same to order to your door from a small business as the lesser quality luxury ranges in the supermarket.
And finally , Amazon , which has links to lots of big shops , small producers , vitamins and supplements, and items not commonly available in rural and small town areas. I get the things that are hard to get from them delivered in a day . I have Prime anyway for TV so the delivery is free. If I add up the cost to get the weekly shop delivered via a supermarket it virtually pays for the Prime subscription anyway.
that is a huge increase, we been out tonight -4.5℃ no snow, the shops were empty still wore a mask, too many ailments about, who wants to be ill at Christmas.
L had lots of orange stickers on chicken pieces up to 30% off, we got some thigh pieces to add to freezer, a huge party salad 70p because bb date was today, it is now dispatched into an air tight container lasts longer in fridge, was some fish too, the uht milk is 10p more then next door so we left that till next door, if only they had small basket, the big ones too huge for wheel chair, and the trolleys are difficult with wc front wheels. a very full basket (my own) mostly discounted items was only £30
we got a kirsty gf pizza from T'other place £4.20!!! anyhow we shared it, it was a treat as not eaten tea, was late at 10pm, a less then full basket (my own) was more then £30
T has some powered wheel mobiles in some places, so if walking is a issue, although did not see any tonight.
going in person is the cheapest way, did see a prefab was 50p more online then in shop.
if need online wilko do deliver, shipping can be shocking.
hope got over shock, and amended, it to your budget.
there is something about estimates have to be within a certain percentage, at least with car parts. so as long as do not sign in would think would be within that. sales of goods rules may be able to confirm or deny.
have a great 25th day.
Yes, I agree! I buy my meat and fish from small independents. They are slightly more expensive than the supermarkets but the quality jump is HUGE! However, I do buy cheap beef/pork mince from Morrison's for our fox family 😉. And I generally get our kitty food from there as it can be a few pennies cheaper. Baby Lou is raw food fed and primarily has raw steak, cooked chicken or turkey, raw venison. It is actually cheaper than kibble or tinned dog food because they are eating pure protein so only require a small amount. Most of the time, our supermarket shop (Waitrose and M&S) is for the occasional food pantry items like lentils, rice .... And for fresh fruits and vegetables. When I am busy cooking over Christmas and New Year, I freely admit that I do occasionally "cheat" and in the case of this year, the starter was going to be a ready prepared smoked salmon pate dressed with prawns (but the price has gone up 40%!).
micro fibre cloths are cheaper then kitchen roll and reusable once washed. 😉 if that helps while the prices reduce.
we have homemade Yorkshire puddings with apple sauce and gf gravy as a starter, 😁
We have an M&S food locally, although found most items have gluten in was quite disappointing, so not a shop go to.
In younger gluten eating days used to like the one in Brid. for their prawn sandwiches and prawn crisps shaped like flowers, their choc chip cookies were highly rated too for a pack lunch. then it was up the street for a knickerbocker glory😋 that had to be eaten there and then, yummy. Vacation memories.
Morrisons are more expensive for feline food 16p per box, then going in person at wilko, while not sound a lot it adds up. Now amazon has the same box of food 30p cheaper, and morrisons supplies it. just have to be a member of their club.
your Baby lou menu sounds lovely will be round later with the camping stove lol,. just kidding.
I hope you don't mind my asking, but if you are gluten free, do you have a particular bread that you could recommend? I am on a low GI diet for inflammation reasons and sometimes the two match up 😊. Currently, eating Biona which I enjoy as the base for an open sandwich but I find too heavy for a proper sandwich. Was tested for gluten intolerance but fortunately I came back clear - however, my joints definitely flare after eating too much bread ..... Looks like the low GI helps calm them.
Hazel_Angelstar - any thoughts on the bread question?
we eat the warburtons gf wraps, not loaf,
something in b free disagrees with me.
was making own gf bread although the yeast upset,
being cow dairy free stopped homemade flat breads (yoghurt) still drink plant based almond milk.
plastic fresh cows milk cause eczema on hands and arms, after a camping trip discovered eczema clear we were drinking uht. although had painful outbreaks on back, the covid shortages pushed onto lacto free which helped some the outbreaks were less, then there was no lactofree, so was pushed to almond milk (knowing oats also disagreed). the outbreaks on back stopped.
Am a Medical Biochemist - eczema and dairy have strong link in some folk so it is very important that you spotted it. I love hot chocolate made with almond milk - beautiful flavour!
the interesting thing was the allergy prick test, did not pick up milk reaction. was still on cows milk back then with the eczema on hands.
Are you a fellow Yorkie?
Hiya Lhasa,
There are many short dated food shopping sites. Approved Foods is one they will deliver for roughly the same price as a supermarket. Pound Shop are also reasonably priced too. If you Google short dated food a load will pop up. Olio is worth a look too as u can get free food near to u. It’s a free app donation site which I think is a great idea to save food wastage. Gentle hugs 😊🤗
Thank you so much for this information! I spoke with a colleague who is Salvation Army and passed this on to him also.
Thank you all so much for the guidance and hopefully information has been gleaned by all! One of my colleagues is Salvation Army. They went around to see a young Mum the other day - one three year old and six month pregnant - whose husband has left because it is "too much for him". She was diagnosed with Fibro three months ago. He was asking what support networks I knew of.
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