Food costs

Iceland stays the same but they reduce the amount of food/portion. Their £1 pizzas are tiny now compared to how they were. 5 bananas instead of 6 - that sort of thing

Prices have gone up so apart from buying absolute basics like milk and potatoes I am planning meals around what’s on offer per week.

My weekly shopping is now at least £20 more so I don't know where you are living. Media definitely not exaggerating. Petrol bill has gone up at least £10 and the new type of petrol is less efficient and does not last as long - have checked this out and it is correct. It lasts a week less than the old grade which you can still buy but it is dearer again.

What I have noticed is that price rises are rarely just a couple of pennies. Some prices have gone up astronomically. When I notice this I simply cross it off my list. If we all refuse to pay these crazy price rises whoever is responsible will lose out.

Further to my previous comments, it got me wondering. Then I remembered - I do journalling as a hobby, and one of the journal prompts I used last year was to list my weekly shop with prices! (yes, I'm a sad *!!! It's for social history, you understand!!)) So I looked for when that was. It was dated 6th July 2021, and the list is the same as the things I buy now, unless I see an offer which is a better deal. I don't drive, so I do all my shopping via the online shopping deliveries, and the basic items in my 'favourites' only really change when they stop selling a particular thing. I am careful to choose the best prices anyway for the bulk of my shopping wherever I can. So I compared like for like, (brand, size, etc) and it was quite an interesting exercise! I found that I was paying exactly the same for most of it. Some things were even cheaper than last year! (spinach, cauliflower cheese, salami, orange juice, for example). The items that were more expensive, and not often by much, are bananas (1p each), peppers (2p each), milk (4pints) (up by 6p), salmon (£3.50 to £3.79), bread (5p), own brand beans (30p to 32p), kitchen roll (15p). Anchor butter is £3.75, compared to £3.50 last year, but it is periodically on offer and I've just bought 5 for £2.75 each! And there are a number of items like that, that I bulk buy on offer, and then wait until they're on offer again. I honestly haven't seen much of a rise in my shopping costs overall. If I am careful about using offers etc whenever possible, it means I can add that bottle of wine and chocolate cookies to my basket (yum!!) Of course, we have seen a big rise in petrol, and gas and electric!

I have seen the rise in prices the past few months in all the supermarkets even Aldi where I get my fruit & veg they are now in line with the other shops.

Iceland prices have shot up across all their products I buy ready cooked chicken for Oliver (my cat) as a treat and this has gone from £3.00 to £3.50 ready meals all gone up 50p in most of the cabinets.

I spend about £50.00 a week on shopping and find I am getting a lot less for my money I dread the rise in energy when it comes in.

My grocery shop varies a lot depending on what’s on offer. I don’t have any supermarket or brand loyalty. I buy the bargains and always use any coupons I’m sent, so I’m not spending more yet. I have noticed prices rising though, and the extra cost to suppliers of fuel and utilities is bound to have a big effect.

I tend to agree with the OP. I haven't noticed a big increase in my normal food shop. Some packets are smaller though so that is a hidden price rise.

We do an online order every 2/3 weeks. Usually at Asda but occasionally Iceland. Iceland have a limited range but I think it's good value for money and they sell all the basics. DD shops online with Morrisons so we add to each others list when something we need is on offer. Any extra shopping is done at local butchers or Aldi.

Our main concern is the cost of petrol, and how much our council tax will be. They are the two major cost which are out of our control. Utility costs are a worry too.

A few years ago when I used to shop for my elderly Mum I always bought her the same pasties. They changed all the time from £1 one week and £1.50 the next and then back to £1 and so on. I do think some supermarkets do that. So when the pasties were £1 they could claim they were 50p off.

I went to Tesco's to buy my organic porridge which is normally £1.60, but it had gone up to £2.00. That's a massive increase of 25%!

Agree that petrol has definitely gone up as has our Gas & Electric , I don't bulk buy as I don't have loads of kitchen , fridge/freezer space . But do look for Clubcard prices.

Most of the things I buy have gone up. Some a little, some a lot. Majority of those are “ingredients” not premade things.

Not the media exaggerating for me

I buy almost the same things every 10 days and have my groceries delivered. I used to be able to limit my food spending to £20 a week (in addition to cleaning materials and cat food). At the beginning of the year, I started cutting down on some items, but now I've given up and accepted that I'm just going to have to spend more. The increase is about 10%, on top of increases in energy and phone bills.

Bakingmad0203

I have noticed that too Bluebelle Prices for fruit and vegetables are more or less the same at Aldi as Morrison’s, Tesco and Asda.
What I’ve also noticed is that some prices haven’t gone up but the sizes have got much smaller, particularly biscuits, butter ( now 200g not 250g ), and fruit where there used to be 6 large pieces of fruit now only have 4 small pieces at the same price!

I’ve noticed this as well. I buy individual cake slices to take for Mum when I visit her in her care home and there used to be six slices in the packet, this week there were only five! I do bake cakes as well but Mum only has a small piece now which leaves me to eat the rest!!

Bananas always seem to stay the same price.

The only thing I've noticed us that a litre of semi skimmed milk in Aldi last week was 55p. Yesterday it was 59p.

I’m spending slightly more than this time last year, but definitely getting less for my money and I’m adjusting by shopping around more for cheaper supermarket own brand versions of things that have risen in price.

I have noticed that too Bluebelle Prices for fruit and vegetables are more or less the same at Aldi as Morrison’s, Tesco and Asda.
What I’ve also noticed is that some prices haven’t gone up but the sizes have got much smaller, particularly biscuits, butter ( now 200g not 250g ), and fruit where there used to be 6 large pieces of fruit now only have 4 small pieces at the same price!

My DH does most of the shopping, he is very good at spotting bargains and when items are on offer he will stock up on them. We buy Alpro oat milk to help lower his cholesterol and have watched this increase steadily in price over the last 18 months. At full price it is now £2 a carton but he recently managed to get a stock in for £1 a carton which is a big saving. He also buys a stock of Benecol spread when it is on special offer and his preferred breakfast cereal was half price in Sainsburys recently. We don’t have a set weekly shopping list either but if we did I’m sure we would have seen an increase recently.

I rarely but the same thing week after week- we buy tea, cereal, juice fruit,cat food etc each week but kit rolls, loo rolls, soap powder etc are a bit ad hoc so I have no way of knowing but my butcher's bill goes up weekly!

I have shopping delivered, varies between Tesco and Asda, I adjust my list according to prices. No dietary necessities or pet food, so I buy what’s in season or on offer, bill around the same, weekly average £45/£50. Some meat from the village butcher is £10/£15, potatoes and veg from farm shop about £10.

Pantglas2

Why hasn’t flour risen in price in the last 15 years?

Sshhh
Don’t tell them!
It will have doubled by next week now!

I tend not to buy the same things every week, so I haven’t noticed much of an increase. Other than Tunnocks Caramel Wafers and Heinz Tomato Soup I have no favourites and buy what’s on offer. Should I need butter, I don’t care if it’s Lurpak, Anchor or Country Life, etc.

Things are definitely going up - some drastically. It's certainly not media scaremongering. I do the shopping every week for my inlaws, who are very elderly and housebound, and their list is roughly the same from one week to another, and even they've noticed how much things have increased.

I can't really tell - as I rarely buy the same things and, often, I bulk buy for several months. However, with fuel prices higher, the transport costs have to be passed on to the consumer.

The weekly Oddbox fruit and veg does seem to be a bargain, though, and very good for me, too, as I plan my meals around using it all up.