Silly, but really getting to me, advice please

Quite a bit of snobbery on this thread. My pet hate is huge supermarkets with far too much choice. I am also shocked at the huge differences in price from one shop to the other. Simple things like lentils, cheese, tinned tomatoes, shampoo etc. can be selling in other supermarkets for double the price I pay in Lidl for similar or better quality.

I cannot understand why the OP refuses to try the stores recommended. If you try the produce and honestly are not satisfied then you can tell your MIL that you tried but didn’t like the produce. I feel she is so happy with her choice that she wants to share her recommendation. She probably finds your refusal to try (with an open mind) inexplicable. As do I.

I'm sticking to Ocado. My DH needs 24/7 care and I'm on my own with him and we have no car (health problems mean I've never been able to learn to drive).

I've tried ordering from Sainsbury's but they didn't have a lot of the things we like, nor did Tesco or Asda. Ocado though do their own stuff, branded foods and M&S food. It's more expensive but because I shop only once a week, and don't do any top up shops, in many ways it works out cheaper.

That's right MerylStreep
Although I do like Lidl's Greek week!!

I shopped at M&S for salad items, strawberries and none were British. If I wasn't in a rush I'd have left them on the shelf.
(It wasn't winter either)

Nor were the mushrooms - they were from Poland.

yggdrasil

Just to be annoying :-) Did your m-i-l vote for Brexit? Because if so why is she buying German goods as being cheaper?

Your talking out of your backside. A high percentage of goods sold in Aldi and Lidl are sourced from British suppliers.

timetogo2016

My Dh hates Sainsburys,i on the other hand love it,he sits in the car whilst i shop.
I don`t like Home Bargains very much so whilst he is in there i`m in M n S.
I think your Mil is just being helpfull imo,i wouldn`t let it bother you.

I got some herbal throat pastilles in Home Bargains for 99p
The same ones, same size packet, in Boots were £5

Well it’s not silly, I really feel for you.
Perhaps each time she says it change the topic by saying something like ‘ Ah now where we’re we , I will just be down this isle , shall I meet you at the end ‘ or perhaps something a bit more direct…… best wishes

123Kitty. Oh dear! Poor mother and mil. They are only trying to help. Sometimes I feel that family members know it all and blockade any helpful tips, particularly from a mil!

My MIL used to tell me the same things over and over again.
Perhaps your MIL doesn't have a lot more going on in her life and food shopping is important to her, her one outing of the week perhaps?

Pukka. Sometimes it can be the predictability alone of what mil says, that is so grating on you. She is only giving you her best advice. I find the generational gap with younger folk is frowned upon, and any advice from an in-law is not welcome. You should be delighted that from her point of view, she is trying to help.

I'm probably like your MiL. My daughter goes to the more expensive supermarkets and I tend to go to L and A although others as well. No, there isn't as much choice in the less expensive supermarkets but they are cheaper by far for many things..

I get comments too. I live equidistant between two supermarkets. I prefer A and she thinks B is cheaper, not that she shops there herself!!

But MIL likes to shop. Pre covid if she spotted that we have something new - clothes or around the house she would look to see how much we paid and tell us it was expensive!! I was working very part time because we have a disabled dc and I think she thought I was spending all of her sons money!! (Luckily DH doesn't think like that!)

My Dh hates Sainsburys,i on the other hand love it,he sits in the car whilst i shop.
I don`t like Home Bargains very much so whilst he is in there i`m in M n S.
I think your Mil is just being helpfull imo,i wouldn`t let it bother you.

My main shop is usually in Aldi, with sometimes a quick pop in to ASDA which is next door to Aldi. One of the reasons for preferring Aldi is that they go out of their way to source products locally - not from Germany as yggdrasil suggests. I know that Aldi's beef comes via a nearby slaughterhouse, where their order is for the A+ grade. (M&S has grade A) Some of their eggs, milk, butter, beer, pies, rolls, potatoes and many more items are also from local suppliers. Thus they are helping the local economy and cutting down on food miles.

Just to be annoying :-) Did your m-i-l vote for Brexit? Because if so why is she buying German goods as being cheaper?

It's interesting. Some people feel it boosts their status shopping at Waitrose and M& S. Lots of middle class people love to save money wherever they can so shop at Lidl
My DD hates Tesco but loves Aldi and M&S. Weird.
Some of us go to food banks.
Class and status on modern Britain.

No we don't all love those two stores I really dislike them and their strangely named products especially the wine and what is all that junk in the middle aisle? My BIL days I'm a snob because I prefer another store that I have done my main shop in for over 30years. Ignore these people shop where you want. Your money your choice.

Say “Yes you mentioned that before” then politely change the subject,if she says it again say “ remember you said that before”
Each time do the same,it will stop eventually.

if you live near enough, why don't you offer to take her for one of her shopping trips.

DD used to tease me about shopping in M&S food (grapes for DGS1) alongside some shopping for myself. DD now shops in M&S but is on the hunt for "yellow sticker" items mostly although if I'm I'm going for Lunch a box of Egg Custards will leap into her basket .

I mainly shop in ASDA, sometimes ALDI, occasionally Tesco but I find the car park is very busy & I have mobility issues. Never use Lidl as the nearest one has a small, badly laid out car park.

I use our local Co-op, we are also lucky enough to have a Greengrocers, Bakers, Cheese shop & Deli in our Town. won't go out of my way to grab a bargain, Home Bargains about once a month for bits & pieces.

I hate shopping

101 helpful hints and tips from DM or DMinL, repeatedly handed out at every possible opportunity. It's life- don't try to fight it - you can't win.

It annoyed my late mother greatly when people she knew didn’t shop at the lower cost supermarkets, and that was because she thought that they were snobbish- thinking that they were better than her.

Well why don't you go to said low price shop on her birthday, get the cheapest chocs or perfume, present them to her and say 'You were so right, everything is cheap , I got your present there' !!!!

Pukka

It is Aldi and Lidl….( well maybe one more than the other, I can’t remember which lol ) I know many foody friends that have many great finds at these stores, I have no problem with them in the slightest, I’m sure there is good and bad there like all other places, it’s trial and error, just never been on my radar… maybe I am missing out, we are not massively well off, but not on the bread line either, but find it fine where we shop, just busy and don’t have the time or interest to check them out at the moment……

I think I'd just say "yes, yes, must try it some time" then change the subject to something more interesting.
It's really quite a boring topic of conversation when you think about it!!

What bad records do you mean GoldenAge, can you give more detail ? have to say it would be surprising to find things were as bad as you say.

If you answer 'really I'll have to try". She might leave it and talk about something else. Shame to see her less often. She could get very lonely and slip into dementia.