I'm obviously missing the opportunity to visit Sainsbury's, as while our little store is closed for renovation we have been to two different Sainsbury's for a look around. The shopping above came from the branch in Morecambe, we have driven past it so many times on our way to the sea front, but this time we decided to stop on our way home as we needed to buy a microwave for the bungalow ... the renovations are almost complete now!!
I don't actually know what this little lot cost me, as the total was £29.80 but with some things for Alan that he has already used up and I can't remember what they were.
Then yesterday between working on the bungalow in the morning, and visiting Mum in the afternoon we stopped in Sale town centre for a quick lunch and a coffee, parking in Sainsbury's car park. Alan mentioned that he needed milk, so while he went for a snooze in the car ... he was really tired ... I took the £1 coupon part of the parking ticket and went into the store for a ten minute wander around. Now in this huge branch, unlike ours, there is a World Food aisle, so I decided to stock up on a couple of spices that I use a lot of.
I spent the grand total of £7.65 on my spices and the milk.
400g Turmeric - £2
400g Cumin - £2.90
100g Garlic Powder - £1.30
Milk £1.45
What a bargain. 😀
Then this morning, while I'm on my own as Alan is back at the bungalow for a day of electrical work, I went for a mooch around Booths and bought some really treaty kind of shopping. A couple of things that I needed, and some that I just wanted.
Another £44.81 spent.
Oh, and a final temptation while I was dropping off a couple of books onto the charity book table in Booths, this Jamie Oliver book made me buy it. I used to have the hardback version of this and sold it at a car boot sale a few years back. I instantly regretted it, and here it was in paperback form, in perfect condition for just £1.
It just had to be mine.
And now I have to rein in my frivolous spending, as there are no wages going into my bank account at the end of this month. My Scope pension starts on the 1st May and that is the grand total of £77.02 each month. It's actually going to be quite interesting having such a small amount to play with.
At the moment I have an extra £25 a week going into my bank account as my son is midway through paying a loan back, so I have an extra hundred a month for the next ten weeks. To top me up even further I have decided to reverse my current 'keep the savings account figure nice and even' thing and instead of adding to the savings to top up the random figure left by the interest going into my savings account, I will be moving the interest amount out of savings into my current account.
Every little helps when your pension for the next year is going to be so low. 😀
What was it I said about not doing a Challenge!!
Sue xx
Our tiny Sainsburys, 2 minutes from home and therefore much frequented, seems to cater mostly for what I call the bus stop trade, eg people getting off the bus at the end of a day's work and popping in for ready meals and snacks.
ReplyDeleteLuckily I have a Lidl 20 minutes walk away that really does stock a lot of good value items in all areas.
Having said that I do like to use my tiny Sainsburys, the staff are lovely and I've watched them letting the older frailer folk pack their stuff slowly and they haven't rushed them.
We are lucky to have an Aldi and Booths close to us too, but there are a few things that I usually buy from Sainsbury's. The staff at our small branch are lovely too. :-)
DeleteThose bigger bags of spices are well with if you use them enough.
ReplyDeleteThey really are, I have missed not being able to buy them recently. There is a nice long date on them as well, late into 2027, so I should be fine using them up.
DeleteThe Higgins quiche is a favourite of mine but the little Sainsbury’s round the corner doesn’t sell it. Great bargain of the Jamie Oliver cookbook too. Catriona
ReplyDeleteThey are delicious aren't they. We shared it with sides of vegetables last night after Alan got back from a long day at the bungalow. 😀
DeleteWow, great prices on those large bags of spices. The cookbook was a bargain as well.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
The two large bags were on a Nectar price offer, and an absolute bargain when you consider the price of the little spice jars. 😀
DeleteLooks like you are well stocked for the time being. :)
ReplyDeleteI am really well stocked at the moment. 😀
DeleteI really miss the UK supermarkets 😢 The ones local to where my family live in the UK are Tesco, Aldi, M&S food court and Lidl, it was the first time last year we went into a Lidl 😍 Always fun to look at your food purchases 😉 Bargain with the cookbook 👏
ReplyDeleteI'll try and share more foody things now that things are about to calm down here. 🤞
DeleteCans of wine! They get me excited for festival season!! x
ReplyDeleteThey would be great for festivals.
DeleteWe used to take them to country shows after we paid £32 for a small jug of Pimms years ago. 😄
I can't get over the relatively inexpensive food and spices compared to here, and the bargain cookery book.
ReplyDeleteWe are very lucky if we have a store with a World Food aisle in it, as these tend to have the best prices for good foods and spices. The book is a real bargain, not many second-hand books are in as perfect condition as this one. Booths are raising a lot of money for charities with their book table, the donation tub seems to fill up every couple of weeks.
DeleteLove all varieties of spices ..I get mine from a store called Bulk barn here in Canada .Thank you for the many years I have followed all your adventures..I read every single entry.You must miss your precious dogs ..maybe another little canine best friend is in your future .Btw I am married to an excellent Royal Navy guy too ..22 years man and boy ..we met and married in Hong Kong.Charge Chief petty officer ..he is 76 now but his navy ways are still in force . Keep entertaining your readers ..xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely comment thank you so much, and that is a LOT of reading!! :-)
DeleteThere is no little doggy on the horizon for the moment, we are having at least a year off, Ginger is quite elderly now and we want him to have a little retirement all to himself. The Royal Navy guys are a great bunch aren't they, Alan was a submariner for most of his 24 years. We met in Barrow in Furness as that is where his last submarine sailed into as he was due to leave ... sadly not quite as exotic as Hong Kong!! Alan was a Charge Chief Engineering Artificer at the time of his leaving.
Well how could you pass up a bargain book like that! Those spices are certainly the best way to buy them. We only have the tiny glass jars of them in our local Sainsbugs and they work out much more expensive.
ReplyDeleteWell done on coming to the end (almost) of the renovations. I imagine it will be a relief to finish all the hard work. Little wonder that Alan had a nap in the car!
Coping on your small pension will be tricky, Sue, but you are an expert at challenges! I look forward to more of your foodie posts as I get fed up trying to think of new things to cook ;)
Angie x
I know, a book I was sad to sell back in the day back in my possession for just £1. :-)
DeleteWe had a little blip with the renovations yesterday as the electrician let the kitchen fitter down, so he couldn't finish the kitchen and we still need the consumer unit changing and all Alan's electrical work signing off.
I think eating simply and mostly in season fresh foods, as well as a bit of growing to supplement vegetables is my only way forward ... well that and a stuffed to the ginnels freezer and a pretty full store-cupboard to start me off. :-)