Those who follow this blog know that I each week I meal plan for 6 days Saturday to Friday (with Friday as the free day where I challenge myself to use up all foodstuffs as part of No Waste Tastes Great)
My usual routine is that I book a Saturday morning delivery with the local supermarket (Sainsburys) in advance, and then on a Friday I buy my groceries online after I have stripped down the fridge, followed my Friday routine and put together my meal plan for the coming week.
There are many reasons why I online shop, which briefly include to save money, time, energy, effort and also because I really do not like physically shopping.
However in the back of my mind I always have a thought that says I should shop locally and from an independent retailer. I advocate enterprise and supporting the community. It’s not just lip service, I really do believe this. I’m not a bargain hunter by nature and believe wholeheartedly in quality over quantity, so it isn’t price that is the motivator to shop through the big boys, it’s the fact I can do it online and it gets delivered.
So this week I decided to do an experiment.
I decided to shop at a local farm shop – well when I say local, I did have to drive there, but we used it as an excuse for a morning out with the Kids.
So how did it go? Well normally I budget £100 for all my supermarket groceries including household items.
At the farm shop I spent £31.02. But…and it’s a big but…..I could not complete all my shopping. I do have to do another shop for quite a few items including loo rolls!
Also as we used the trip as a morning out we also spent £23 on lunch for 5 people.
Simple Meal Plan 5 March – 11 March 2011
Saturday
- Lunch – Lunch out at The Farm
- Dinner – Home-made Pizzas
- Dessert – Muffins
Sunday
- Lunch – Omelettes with Salad
- Dinner – Eating at Friends (Taking cake for Dessert)
Monday (Meat-Free)
- Lunch – Potato and Leek Soup with Home-made Wholemeal Rolls
- Dinner – Pasta with Home-made Tomato and Basil sauce and Home-made Garlic Bread Rolls
- Dessert – Bailey’s Bread and Butter Pudding with Bailey’s Double Cream
Tuesday
- Lunch – Jacket Potatoes with Cheese and Salad
- Dinner – Spaghetti Bolognaise
- Dessert – Apple Crumble with Ice-Cream
Wednesday
- Lunch – Ham Rolls
- Dinner – Toad in the Hole
- Dessert – Madeira Cake and Custard
Thursday
- Lunch – Light Lunch out as Playday!
- Dinner – Beef Casserole with Dumplings
- Dessert – Yogurt and Fruit
Friday
I’ll be posting more on this weeks experiment once I have completed the shop and really considered what time and other implications there were from trying this type of grocery shop….
Don’t forget to pop back tomorrow when Rayna The Suburban Minimalist shares her story as part of my Sunday series of Faminimalism posts.
Jo,
How did the rest of the budget hold out when you finished shopping? And sorry, I have to ask (I’ll happily explain unknown Hawaiian words and foods anytime, just ask) what is toad in the hole? Sounds like something my nieces and nephews would get a kick out of… 🙂
Morning Gena! That’s the problem I haven’t finished shopping! This is really the main reason I online shop. I just cannot be doing with the shopping around, it takes so much time and effort. I now need to go and do a separate shop to get cereal, orange juice etc… (the Hubby was moaning this morning about the lack of OJ). I’ll update when I have finished.
Toad in the Hole 🙂 – I will post the recipe this week I have already promised Jenny (ex-consumer) – it’s a lot less exciting than it sounds…. have a lovely day (bet the sun is shining where you Guys are) Jo
Jo,
How did the rest of the budget hold out when you finished shopping? And sorry, I have to ask (I’ll happily explain unknown Hawaiian words and foods anytime, just ask) what is toad in the hole? Sounds like something my nieces and nephews would get a kick out of… 🙂
Morning Gena! That’s the problem I haven’t finished shopping! This is really the main reason I online shop. I just cannot be doing with the shopping around, it takes so much time and effort. I now need to go and do a separate shop to get cereal, orange juice etc… (the Hubby was moaning this morning about the lack of OJ). I’ll update when I have finished.
Toad in the Hole 🙂 – I will post the recipe this week I have already promised Jenny (ex-consumer) – it’s a lot less exciting than it sounds…. have a lovely day (bet the sun is shining where you Guys are) Jo
Jo,
How did the rest of the budget hold out when you finished shopping? And sorry, I have to ask (I’ll happily explain unknown Hawaiian words and foods anytime, just ask) what is toad in the hole? Sounds like something my nieces and nephews would get a kick out of… 🙂
Morning Gena! That’s the problem I haven’t finished shopping! This is really the main reason I online shop. I just cannot be doing with the shopping around, it takes so much time and effort. I now need to go and do a separate shop to get cereal, orange juice etc… (the Hubby was moaning this morning about the lack of OJ). I’ll update when I have finished.
Toad in the Hole 🙂 – I will post the recipe this week I have already promised Jenny (ex-consumer) – it’s a lot less exciting than it sounds…. have a lovely day (bet the sun is shining where you Guys are) Jo
I know what toad in the hole is, but I don’t know how to make it.
I must be hungry, because it all sounds especially good this time!
Gip
Gip – I’m starting to wonder if you have British ancestry! Jo
I know what toad in the hole is, but I don’t know how to make it.
I must be hungry, because it all sounds especially good this time!
Gip
Gip – I’m starting to wonder if you have British ancestry! Jo
I know what toad in the hole is, but I don’t know how to make it.
I must be hungry, because it all sounds especially good this time!
Gip
Gip – I’m starting to wonder if you have British ancestry! Jo
I’m trying to change the way I grocery shop too. My new system involves a once a month large supermarket shop for staples, a weekly veg delivery and then local for everything else..butcher etc
I went a little over budget last month, but hopefully this month I should be ok.
I’m looking forward to how you do 🙂
Hi Laura – this sounds like a good way of doing it, but requires a lot of planning. I’d have to know my months meal plan (which I could do). The main thing that puts me off is storing the months supply, I like to see my supplies diminish each week. But if I wanted to use the Farm shop I probably would have to do this bulk shop to make it work for us. The veg delivery is another experiment I fancy trying – thanks for the inspiration! Jo
I’m trying to change the way I grocery shop too. My new system involves a once a month large supermarket shop for staples, a weekly veg delivery and then local for everything else..butcher etc
I went a little over budget last month, but hopefully this month I should be ok.
I’m looking forward to how you do 🙂
Hi Laura – this sounds like a good way of doing it, but requires a lot of planning. I’d have to know my months meal plan (which I could do). The main thing that puts me off is storing the months supply, I like to see my supplies diminish each week. But if I wanted to use the Farm shop I probably would have to do this bulk shop to make it work for us. The veg delivery is another experiment I fancy trying – thanks for the inspiration! Jo
I’m trying to change the way I grocery shop too. My new system involves a once a month large supermarket shop for staples, a weekly veg delivery and then local for everything else..butcher etc
I went a little over budget last month, but hopefully this month I should be ok.
I’m looking forward to how you do 🙂
Hi Laura – this sounds like a good way of doing it, but requires a lot of planning. I’d have to know my months meal plan (which I could do). The main thing that puts me off is storing the months supply, I like to see my supplies diminish each week. But if I wanted to use the Farm shop I probably would have to do this bulk shop to make it work for us. The veg delivery is another experiment I fancy trying – thanks for the inspiration! Jo
I used to do exactly what you do, plan my weeks meal then get a delivery (Tesco’s) because it was to far to get to the supermarket and i do not drive, now i have moved near the high street and i am right next door to Sainsbury’s but it does not have great variety and is expensive, and i am all up in the air with the meal planning etc, i am definitely going to need to get back on track!
Hi Naomi – meal planning for me is definitely the way to go. Online does make it easy but it can be done shopping locally it just needs a little more preparation. Good luck with it – let me know how it goes? Jo
I used to do exactly what you do, plan my weeks meal then get a delivery (Tesco’s) because it was to far to get to the supermarket and i do not drive, now i have moved near the high street and i am right next door to Sainsbury’s but it does not have great variety and is expensive, and i am all up in the air with the meal planning etc, i am definitely going to need to get back on track!
Hi Naomi – meal planning for me is definitely the way to go. Online does make it easy but it can be done shopping locally it just needs a little more preparation. Good luck with it – let me know how it goes? Jo
I used to do exactly what you do, plan my weeks meal then get a delivery (Tesco’s) because it was to far to get to the supermarket and i do not drive, now i have moved near the high street and i am right next door to Sainsbury’s but it does not have great variety and is expensive, and i am all up in the air with the meal planning etc, i am definitely going to need to get back on track!
Hi Naomi – meal planning for me is definitely the way to go. Online does make it easy but it can be done shopping locally it just needs a little more preparation. Good luck with it – let me know how it goes? Jo