Seven good reasons to shop after seven pm
I love to keep my supermarket bills low: £60 to £90 a month, for two people, all in. As I’ve mentioned before now, one of my most effective ploys is to do my frugal food shopping at the end of the day, in the hour before the store closes.
Here are seven reasons why, courtesy of the bakery section at Morrisons yesterday:
1. Steak and ale pie. Reduced to 9p (15 cents).
2. Steak and kidney pie. Reduced to 9p.
3. Two hand-reared pork pies. (I had to read that twice because the first time round I thought, “Wot, hand-reared pies?”) Reduced to 9p.
4. Chicken and mushroom pie. Reduced to 9p.
5. Steak slice. Reduced to 9p.
6. Four deep-filled blackberry pies. Reduced to 9p.
7. Large morello cherry pie. Reduced to 9p.
Total: 63p. (Or $1.05.)
Much of this haul was for my husband’s benefit (I’m one of those fish-eating vegetarians), but I think it’s fair to say that he will be feasting on meat and pastry for a while. Everything was freshly baked and due to “expire” the same day, but I’ve chucked it all into the freezer. It will all cook from frozen, bar the pork pies, which he can take with him for lunches.
We tucked into the cherry pie tonight, while listening to the Warrant song of the same name, which seemed practically obligatory under the circumstances.
P.S. Hey American readers: yes, it is true. British people are obsessed with pies!
June 3rd, 2009 at 4:07 pm
any tips for vegetarians who are allergic to wheat & dairy?
my boyfriend & i struggle to spend less than £200/month (but that includes all the household bits, not just food items)
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:36 pm
If only there were a Morrisons near me! The cheapest i have ever got stuff from the bakery counter in Tesco is 13p per item!
June 4th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
@Mhi Wow, that is a toughie! I’m thinking lots of vegetable curry, using frozen veg (cheaper and just as nutritious as the fresh stuff) but am struggling to come up with anything more diverse/inspiring. I’ve put the question out to my homies on Twitter, and will let you know what they come with…
@Recessionista Until a few months ago, when a Tesco Express opened in a neighbouring town, ours was the only borough in England not to have a Tesco store! Crazy I know. Still, the 13p markdown at Tesco is better than the markdowns at our local Asda, which are non-existent/paltry.
July 9th, 2010 at 10:36 am
[...] two people on a budget of £80. I’ve posted before about how the best time to go shopping is during the hour before the store closes, when all the best bargains are to be found. Well, this is yet another example of what you can do [...]
August 21st, 2010 at 9:02 am
[...] Seven good reasons to shop after 7 pm – this is one of the ways in which I get to keep supermarket bills LOW. Also see How to fill your Morrisons trolley for £30. [...]
August 23rd, 2010 at 11:12 pm
[...] The eggs always appear mysteriously, as the day dawns: my husband turns up for work in the morning, and there they are outside the door, waiting to be cracked and gobbled. I like it when the eggs appear: they are good, tasty free range eggs. And they keep our supermarket bills down. [...]