No choice on where to shop

In the S of London
1 fresh grain loaf + packet of butter branded =£10
I couldn’t believe the cost.
Yes it was a small supermarket.
Yes I could go to the bigger supermarkets that are a couple of miles away and cheaper.
I decided when I retired I’d buy the best and use less. Don’t think my plan will work now, as my pension just can’t stretch.

I've resisted online shopping as I like to choose my own stuff and look for the best bargains. We had to order online recently as we had covid and had run out of pretty much everything, but I was shocked by the cost as I usually find lots of bargains when I shop in person. I go to Iceland and take advantage of the 10% discount on Tuesdays, but I find most of their fresh products quite expensive so only usually buy frozen items and a few store cupboard things that are reasonably priced. I'm lucky I can still drive and have a reasonable choice of supermarkets in easy reach as without a car it would be really difficult. I plan to downsize and am aware that I must future proof myself by making sure a decent supermarket is in walking distance along with other essential services such as the doctor's surgery, pharmacy etc. Obviously if I have to stop driving and give up the car, cabs will then be affordable within reason, but I dread losing my independence. I hope it doesn't happen for a long time. I don't use my bus pass as the buses are rubbish where I live, though I've used it elsewhere when visiting family. When I moved here 20 years ago there was a good service to the centre of town, but not any more. That will have to be taken into account when I move too. I'd love to live in a beautiful village but sadly most such places are totally impractical when you get old!
The other problem with trying to save money is that supermarket deals often involve buying larger packs or BOGOF etc which don't help those who are really struggling as they can only afford what they actually need now! Again I'm lucky as I can afford to stock up when things are on offer but not everyone can. I realise how fortunate I am, and volunteering at the local foodbank reinforces that. I deliver to those who can't collect their own bag of food and having to carry their bag up to a second floor flat may be a struggle for me but I'm grateful I can do it at all even if I need a long sit down afterwards! I just hope when I can't do it any more there will be someone willing to help me.

Watermeadow, could you give online shopping a go, just to see if it suits -much easier than carting heavy shopping home. You could then enjoy a mooch around town, library, park or prehaps go for a coffee. I often have a lovely natter with a 'stranger' when out and about. It makes my day as I do very little socialising.

If you are fed up reading all this advice, why read it?
No general advice on ways to reduce your food bills applies to everyone, or indeed anyone. These are, as they say on the packaging around food 'servingsuggestions' . Some people will find some of them helpful, some will find none of them helpful. iN ewhich case why waste time reading them.

It is the same with suggestions about how to reduce your heating bills, or spend less on clothes, or get fitter, or thinner. There are always people around prepared to offer generic advice to all and sundry. And there will always be people reading them to whom they are irrelevant.

The simplest solution to most people's outrage at these articles is not to read them, then they will not outrage you. Use your time doing something more pleasurable from stroking a pet, to reading a book or enjoying a glass of wine.

I think that one of the problems, if you are used to regular shopping, is running stock down so you can do a bulk buy - and estimating what you will need.
It's easier to organise if you have spare space (including a freezer) and spare cash.

watermeadow fully understand your predicament. I have no access to buses so if I want to go out shopping I euther have to walk 3 miles along a very busy A road or drive. Think I'd order bulky, heavy goods eg tins, washing powder, of course toilet rolls, if affordable and storage not a problem for 3 months worth of useage. Iceland do free deliveries and when I've been in a store the prices seem reasonable. Certainly cheaper than Waitrose. They do fresh fruit, veg, meat etc. Could you perhaps share the cost of a taxi with someone else in a similar position as you and go shopping together, even fitting in a coffee. Hope you find a solution.

I use Iceland delivery (free if you spend over £40) for the generic bulky / heavy items which I don’t specifically need to select ‘in person’ e.g. large bag of tea bags; bleach; large bag of dishwasher tabs; fruit juices / lemonade etc. I find I only need to do this every two weeks. Then, in between, I take a gentle walk to my local supermarket and buy fresh items which I prefer to choose myself and which I can generally carry - even if it means popping out for these on a daily basis. I find this system works well for me.

I maybe out of date, but when I was housebound for a few weeks last year, and living on my own, I used deliveries from Iceland which I seem to remember were free if you spent a certain amount.
I'd never ever shopped in Iceland but was actually pleasantly surprised by the range of available items.

Shopping online would answer a lot of peoples problems mentioned on this thread. I have been shopping online since it started and it is a great blessing. I can take my time looking for the bargains and the pricing is actually easier to compare than instore where you might have to change your glasses to see small print. I use 2 stores so that I can get my favorite face soap from one shop, for example, and the other shop is best for frozen vegetables. The delivery might be a very few pounds but I bet it is cheaper than the fuel for a car and any parking fee and you get your shopping picked and delivered to your kitchen, or door as I did right through the pandemic.

Could you maybe invest in a cab once a month for heavy bulk buy from nearest Aldi and still go to your local store for weekly top ups. Can’t see any other answer unless you ask around if any locals go to other supermarkets you could maybe join them and pay towards petrol.

I get my shopping delivered every 4 weeks by Tesco. Order on line pay online and lo and behold it arrives on my doorstep on the day I choose. delivered by very helpful drivers who bring it in to my kitchen if I ask. I still go out every day ' but then I have a dog to walk. Where there is a will there is a way.

ExDancer

I don't know about wellbeck but there just are no busses where I live and I truly empathise with her position - I do drive so am able to stock up at Aldi which is about the only place I can guarantee there'll be room in the disabled car park.
And YES it is irritating being told to buy in bulk and so-on, but we don't all have the storage space.

I can empathise as well. At the moment I am not driving due to health problems. We have a once-a-week request bus that takes an hour to get to our nearest town,a mile away down a very steep hill from Aldi.
I buy weekly online from Sainsbury's and when DH is around top up at other places.
Also, not everyone can walk into a coffee shop alone it takes some a lot of building up to.

I quite agree watermeadow, but there is some decent advice here.
A popular trick when I was a young mum was to get a bus (do you have one?) to a cheap supermarket (remember KwikSave) once a month and do a big stock up, then home by taxi, as welbeck says.
I have a friend in a very similar position and he does this, then pops to Waitrose a couple of times a week, for coffee and yellow sticker stuff.

My biggest bugbear with supermarkets is that they don't cater for people who live alone. Everything is in large sizes so when you try something new, such as shampoo, if it doesn't suit then it's a lot to waste. All fruit seems to be prepacked so unless you want to eat the same thing every day for a week your only other option is to buy the loose stuff which tend to be much larger and too much for one. I bought 3 pears the other week and I couldn't finish any of them because they were enormous, the prepacked ones were a better size but they were in packs of 8 and we all know how pears can ripen in the time it takes to go to the loo they are past their best. So theyw would have been wasted too.

Couldn’t you shop on line and go out to local community events? There are lots of coffee mornings and other social events on in most communities. Even in our small village we have regular gatherings in the village hall.

Buying local and within walking distance can be problematic for me as I eat organic and also wholefood. I buy local when I can but not for basic items as there is most definitely a price differential compared to buying eg a dozen online. I have good storage here at my house, I made extra storage in my garage. The nearest big supermarket is 7 miles away and no direct bus. Locally there are several good small shops including a very good old style greengrocer and a deli plus a medium size supermarket

Watermeadow, if you have a local library, perhaps pop in to see what is going on. My local library now has various daytime groups eg knit and natter. Good for meeting other people

I have put my sensible hat on and no longer buy bulk toilet rolls when a pack of 4 will do, nor cleaning items when one will do and I now get those locally, while feeling good that I am helping to sustain the local economy

It is difficult OP, with that long hill and a full trolley

I do understand watermeadow. Same here with storage space whether for basics such as toilet paper or foodstuffs. The fridge/freezer is always full, no space for a second freezer. We’re fortunate as there is relatively easy (bus and car) access to a range of supermarkets, what we don’t have is space to stock up on bargains. Some useful suggestions here. Thinking of one, we do get heavy stuff delivered and then wander out to choose our own fresh produce. Would that be an option? Even a monthly delivery might reduce the weight for you. Hope there’s a solution for you because yes, food is much more expensive

I don't know about wellbeck but there just are no busses where I live and I truly empathise with her position - I do drive so am able to stock up at Aldi which is about the only place I can guarantee there'll be room in the disabled car park.
And YES it is irritating being told to buy in bulk and so-on, but we don't all have the storage space.

Shop on line for bulky stuff save you being weighed down with shopping. Tactile shopping is our preference too but practicality is better as we get older and less mobile. Amazon do fruit/veg boxes and they are reasonably priced. I bought them during lockdown and the produce was rather good and fresh. Iceland is very reasonable too 10% discount on Tuesday for over 60s. The bottom shelf on most supermarkets have own brand budget tinned packaged cereals etc. The products are just as good and a lot cheaper than branded goods.

You do need to get out totally agree having a bus pass enables this use public transport just to get out and about. Why don’t you take a trip to a coffee shop or cafe as a treat when you can. Even if on your own being surrounded by other people can lift your spirits take a book or magazine sit and read or just people watch.

Maybe buy large packs online from a cheaper supermarket every couple of months - specially the heavier stuff like potatoes or the bulky stuff like toilet roll. Freezer stuff too.

And then shop frequently for stuff you wouldn’t buy in bulk anyway like fresh fruit or bread. Make it more of an outing and less of an effort🙂

I wander into town most days, sometimes just for milk….

Do you have any shops near you which would deliver if you go in and choose what you want?

We have a Budgens and that delivers locally on that basis.

I do agree with you that we all need to get out and see people.

if you've got the storage space, how about getting bus(es) to lidl/aldi, loading up on special offers etc and getting minicab back ?
it might be cost effective say once a month.