“I shop at expensive convenience stores and I don’t cook from scratch”
Here I share the SHOCKING truth about where Skint Dad actually shops and it will seriously alarm you.
You’ve been waiting for this – waiting to call me out as not being the thriftiest person of all time! The secrets are finally revealed!
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Firstly, let me apologise as it all sounds a bit clickbaity!
It almost reads like the the opening of a daily newspaper whose stories are sometimes a bit of a fail, and are followed by scathing trolls who rip the person in the story to pieces. If that’s what you want to do here, there is a comments section at the bottom so please go ahead :)
In any case, some of you might be a bit taken aback by what I have to say here. Some of you may breathe a sigh of relief that I don’t spend my life eating baked beans from the can and I’m guessing many of you actually do exactly the same as me.
Just want to say this upfront: we need to remember that it’s ok to be different.
Hello, I’m skint
Let me just put this out there once and for all – I’m skint but I’m not broke!
Let’s see how others define it. The first dictionary definition online of broke is:
broke /br??k/
adjective informal
- having completely run out of money
he went broke owing two million pounds
Whereas the definition of skint is:
skint /sk?nt/
adjective BRITISH informal
- (of a person) having little or no money available.
I’m a bit skint just now
So I’m skint but you have to see that I have some money.
I have a little money in my savings account. The kids get money transferred into their saving’s accounts monthly. I can access my savings to spend but I choose not to. I begrudgingly choose not to go out for lunch with family at the drop of a hat as I don’t want to spend money that’s been put aside for other things. I don’t have the money available to do this and do that all the time. I’m just a bit skint every now and then.
I find that I am pulled up quite often on our shopping habits where I’m seen by people that know me as Skint Dad, and for what I’ve got in my basket. I have to say it’s very odd being spotted on the high street or in a shop, but it’s genuinely nice to meet people in real life who read what I’ve been up to and are following our journey.
However there are times when it leaves me red faced.
Last Christmas, I did a very large shop in a supermarket and needed to get a taxi back (there is no way we could have got it all on the bus!).
The taxi driver (who recognised me as Skint Dad) made a slightly snide comment about the amount of beer we had bought and I found myself making excuses that it was on offer, it was going to last us for ages and we had friends coming round for a party.
I felt the need to excuse and defend myself for spending money rather than just owning the decision and replying, “yes, thank you. I did!”
Spending less, without living without
I live by the idea that I want to spend less in life but not live without. This means that we may not always get the ‘cheapest’ but we always aim the get the ‘best value’ for our circumstances.
So with all this in mind, let me start dishing the dirt on how we spend our money on groceries!
We shop at expensive convenience stores
There is a shop just round the corner from us. It’s a convenience store and we shop there regularly! I like the store and the staff are always friendly.
Apart from being quite small to get around, I prefer going there to the Tesco’s Express which is slightly further up the road or a larger supermarket which is further away.
We don’t have a car so it’s not easy for us to pop along to the supermarket and pick up this and that. If we run out of something, we would need to plan the trip and make sure we’re getting a few bits at the same time but not too much that we can’t carry back by hand or get on the bus.
There are times when making that supermarket trip is pointless. Say we only need milk, or bread, or something random that we’ve run out of. It would work out more expensive to pay nearly £5 for a bus fare to head to a supermarket than walk to the shop around the corner and spend 20p or even 50p extra on a tin of tomatoes.
The store round the corner may be more expensive on some items but we don’t always buy them there. At the same time, some items work out cheaper or the same price as a supermarket – plus we don’t need to pay for travel. And actually, the Tesco Express up the road is MORE expensive than the smaller convenience store as it doesn’t carry a full range of the cheaper items (if any) so you nearly always have to buy branded.
As an added bonus, the convenience store also runs a loyalty scheme so I can collect points as well, but….
We don’t obsess about collecting loyalty points
I think loyalty card programmes run at supermarkets and retailers are great. I’m the first to say that I have a wallet full of the little plastic cards.
However, I don’t go out of my way to shop at one in particular to earn points – they are just an added bonus. If I get get my shopping more conveniently and cheaper elsewhere then I don’t worry about the points I could have got.
If I earn the points then that’s wonderful and I‘ll spend them but, for me, they are not going to make or break my shopping decisions.
We shop at Waitrose!
I mean why not? Waitrose produce is lovely but it is very expensive.
There is a Waitrose in the town Naomi works in and she will pop there from time to time to have a look at their reduced items. Sometimes they do a better deal and sales than other supermarkets so, if we are near one, we’ll go in there.
I am proud to say that I’m not middle class, I’m Lidl class. I mean lets face it; I’m never really going to be in a Waitrose spending who-knows-how-much on my weekly shop although there was that one time…
I buy branded products
There are some things that I don’t like from the store’s own range. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve eaten and used my fair share of them and will eat them again. I don’t judge anyone who eats them and if you choose to (whether through preference or cost) then that’s fine.
I’ve tried and tested various brands at their different prices and there are so many things we will ALWAYS buy cheaply, as they taste no different and the quality is fine.
I don’t like the cheapest of bread (and neither does my youngest) but Naomi is fine with it. I think cheaper bread dries out quickly and doesn’t toast very well – that’s just my opinion. So, I try to buy Hovis. I like the brand, it seems softer than the others but is by no means the most expensive.
And some say it’s cheaper to make bread myself? But…..
We don’t always cook from scratch
I mean who really has time for that??
We both are working and have children to contend with. Yes, we’ll make our own sauce bases as they are super easy but we haven’t made our own bread since 2013! We unfortunately don’t have the time.
Yes it does work out slightly cheaper but, I will be using my time to do this which costs more to me. There needs to be a balance between time, effort and cost.
To me, there are times when saving time is more valuable than saving money.
Also, when it comes to things like snack bars for lunches, we often used to make them from scratch – problem was they were delicious and we ate them all. This meant having to cook a second batch, which then started to work out more expensive than if we just bought them pre-made.
I know we should probably have a little more self-control but that’s just what happens in my household.
You can make it cheaper than me
What I do is trial and error based on what my family likes. I don’t say it’s the perfect thing to do, it’s just how we do it. Perhaps you can make a dish cheaper than me – FANTASTIC! I am genuinely in awe of people who manage to cut back and make great savings.
However, have you considered that maybe I can make something else cheaper than you?
For every person that went to Tenerife, someone else went to Eleven-erife.
Competition is very natural and I salute you if you’re been able to cut your bills down.
However, each is to their own depending on where they bought products in the first place, and how recipes and ingredients work for the individual. Everyone is in a different situation and we all need to be aware of that.
If you’re found a way to make something cheaper then rather than just saying you can get a higher saving, please do let me know the details as I’m all for cutting down on our food shop.
I don’t always buy from the reduced aisle
So shoot me! We don’t buy from the whoops section, the yellow sticker items or pick up products that are going out of date – well not always anyway.
I will always go and have a browse of what’s reduced to see what’s there, but very often I won’t buy anything because:
- there’s no room in the freezer
- we already have something to cook that night out of the freezer that will waste
- I don’t like the food that’s been reduced (and the kids won’t eat it)
- I could buy it cheaper if I branded down
And, when it comes down to it, I think back to the fact I’m skint not broke. There are loads of people out there who are worse off than me, and worse off than you. They may need that food more than me so I think it’s good karma to give everyone a fair share at getting a deal, rather than taking it all myself.
::
I want to point out that this way of shopping works for ME. This may not work for you. You may have a car to get to the supermarket more easily. You may have food intolerances which means you can’t shop in more mainstream places.
Not everyone has the same budget or the same circumstances. We are all at different parts of our journey.
Read this: Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle
For us, we want to cut back so we can save on our day to day expenses. Some of you may be the same. Others may be closer to the breadline and need to cut back to survive. Some of you have plenty of cash and just want to shave pennies off for extra spending money for your two week summer holiday.
Say you spend £100 a week at the supermarket but want to knock £20 off that amount. To do that is probably quite easy and if you really wanted to, you could knock off £50 but maybe you don’t want to be that tight – and that’s okay!
We are all different but we all have the same overall goal – to reduce our supermarket spend, for whatever reason that may be.
What are your thoughts on this?
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Ricky Willis says
Thanks Joanne.
I think we can all be a bit too quick to judge others sometimes and forget that everyone is different. It’s a good reminder for myself too :-)
Ricky Willis says
Online shopping is definitely an option but we haven’t been doing it as much lately. Our last order was just before Christmas.
Instead, Naomi picks up a few bag-fulls of food from Lidl after she finishes work (the shop isn’t far from her office and she can bring the bags back on the bus). As she already has a ticket, we don’t have to pay any more for travel and Lidl is working out cheaper than Tesco or Asda.
…….I’ll just try to wear a hat when I go out next ;-)
themoneyshed says
You would save yourself money doing Online shopping anyway due to lack of impulse buys and zero chance of pester power or whatever they call it now…
I’m sure there is a blog post in there somewhere.. Something alone the lines of
The reality of Online Shopping costs vs Instore Supermarket Shopping
Pam Postle says
i think it is important, that if you eat fairly frugally most of the week, it then is rather nice to have a really yummy meal, that may well be more expensive. it makes the more frugal nights seem less frugal. it also is cheaper to have a special home cooked meal, than to eat out. we do all need a bit of a treat from time to time
Ricky Willis says
Definitely think it’s worth having a treat from time to time. It’s like having a tap on the back every now and then which is good for morale :)
Ricky Willis says
Thanks Su.
The thing is, we’ve still cut back massively on what we used to spend a few years back – even adding preferred foods back in and shopping for convenience. We make better use of our freezer, plan and don’t waste leftovers and this is what really slashed our spending.
I think many people worry about being judged by others but we’re all so different that we just need to learn to move on and get on.
Teresa Roberts says
Yes, I agree with you on many of the points you’ve made. I also don’t have a car and my local Sainsbury’s is a 10 minute walk away; family and work friends have made snide comments in the past,such as ‘You go to Sainsbury’s,that’s expensive’! No it isn’t,unless you are always buying Taste The Difference range,mainstream items are on a par,price wise with other supermarkets and I also only buy reduced items I will actually use! To journey to a local Asda or Lidl,would cost me £6 plus,in bus fares.It annoys me when people think they are ‘martyrs’ because they only go to Aldi or Asda’s.
Ricky Willis says
Love how other people jump to conclusions quick. Maybe just let them think you’re loaded ;-)
Ricky Willis says
We all do as we can manage. Yes, I’d still like to reduce my shop a bit more but sometimes it’s just not possible. If you need to spend as much as you do then that’s fine – that works for you, so carry on.
If you want to cut down a few quid, I bet you could (just as you used to) but you may not necessarily need to right at this moment. Maybe you’d prefer to not spend out on something else so you could have more money on your grocery bill? Each to their own I say.
Ricky Willis says
So what would you do to reduce my shop…?
Ricky Willis says
Very much agree with you.
The thing is, I’m still saving on what we used to spend – massively!
We did mange to get our shop down to about £30 per week but it wasn’t hugely nutritious and we had a lot of the same things from day to day. If we had to we would willingly spend that again. In fact, last month, we spent just £10 each week on our food bill as we were eating up food in the cupboard and fridge!!
We now have a larger budget so can stretch it a bit more and buy different things however, will never shy away from so many of the basic brands as we genuinely enjoy them still – why pay more?!
Ricky Willis says
Love my slow cooker!! My sister bought me one as a gift a number of years back and it’s still going strong. We must use it a few times a week – couldn’t live without it now :-)
Ricky Willis says
Thanks Lindsay, I’d love to test an Aldi out but we don’t have one near us so stick with Lidl mostly.
I think how we shop changes every few months. Right now this is working for us but in a month or so, it may end up that we’ll be doing more online shopping and be using more alternative foods providers. It just depends on what’s going on really – life changes and our shopping/food habits need to adjust to keep up with us :-)
Ricky Willis says
Sorry to hear you’re not doing so well. If you have to spend certain amounts on food to suit your lifestyle then that’s ok – we all have our own circumstances and have to make do with what we have. Sure, I would love to save more but it’s just not always possible.
Have you tried using cashback apps to tot up your savings? Smartphone apps like Shopitize or Checkout Smart are great. If you aren’t able to upload them on a phone, you can get cashback on some food items via the Quidco website so it’s another option for you.
Akhtar Tamraiz says
Your headline got me. had to check out what you ate :)
Sue Bland says
We’re so like you and your family on so many levels. We sometimes shop a the local shop for convenience, saves getting the car out. I buy a few reduced things but don’t engage in guerrilla warfare at seven o’clock at night in the aisles of a big supermarket. I’m usually at home drinking a glass of red wine from a giant wine box brought back from a holiday in France. I cook from scratch most nights but still partial to something someone else has prepared and I can just put in the oven. We aren’t broke but we’re careful and use our money to do the things we want to do which is travel. In the run up to retirement we were very frugal so that we had some money to retire on. I’ve shopped at Lidl for over 20 years but will also pop in to other supermarkets if they’re en-route to somewhere else. We’re not “sack cloth and ashes” people. We have been very poor and we know what it’s like but now life is a balance.
Ricky Willis says
Balance – that’s the perfect word for it – making sure you can manage your lifestyle comfortably.