Show us your shopping trip

[Clodfobble]

Oh yeah, I guess I never mentioned it here... I stopped after it became obvious that I do not have the personality for it after all. Too many parents seek my advice and then refuse to take it. And then come back and ask for advice again, because they want their kids to be like my kids, and then they ignore my advice again. It was frustrating the crap out of me, and I wasn't sure I could face that as a living. I mentioned my doubts to our own nurse practitioner, and he basically said, "Yeah, if I'd known when I started this how many of my patients would tell me it's just too hard... I never would have gone into it." So I wrapped up that semester of prerequisites I was taking, and never applied for the program.

[BigV]

From top to bottom and left to right, more or less:

5 lb smoked mild cheddar
2 gal lowfat milk (fun fact, one gallon gone 24 hr later)
24 can lemon lime soda
5 lb elliot bay fogcutter roast coffee beans
#10 hershey's syrup (?? 6 lbs ish?. I know the can is dented. someone has to take the dented can, right? this time it was me.)
1 loaf dave's fancy bread (for french toast this weekend)
(cat litter box to the right of bread is empty, just photobombing me)
1 can ro-tel tomatoes/peppers (for chicken taquitos)
4 lb frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs (chicken taquitos)
18 eggs
1 can black beans
1 can chipotle peppers (chicken taquitos, plus anything else I get a smoked pepper hankerin' for)
4 lb chunky peanut butter
1 can refried beans (chicken taquitos)
1 can enchilada sauce (chicken taquitos)
1 bottle tiger sauce (SonofV's favorite, an impulse buy)
1 bottle chipotle tabasco sauce (now, please give me credit here, I **didn't** buy the 64 oz bottle, though it's slightly cheaper per unit)
2 lb lemon cookies
2 lb corn tortillas (chicken taquitos)

grand total, $129.23 (interestingly, only $0.54 tax... I wonder what was taxable...? ah. I checked. the soda pop)

[DanaC]

Just did a close as possible equivalent shop on tesco website - (substituting commonly available British equivalents where the item listed would be considered exotic and therefore more expensive) and using own brand where cheaper.

And came to $171.56

[Clodfobble]

Cool, Dana! If you get bored, would you do one for my shopping trip too? I want to know if groceries are more expensive across the board, or if produce vs. dry goods makes a difference (my guess is produce will be even higher.)

[Sundae]

I am very surprised. Given that the cost of eating out is so much cheaper in the States, I just always assumed shopping was too.

Then again, prices change, as do exchange rates.
I know food costs are much higher in Australia now comparatively. My Uncle's wife made a big fuss about how much shopping cost when they were last over here (16? 18? years ago) but Mum found things much more expensive in Aus when she went just the other year. I think meat might have been cheaper. And being on the coast, seafood was better and more varied.

But it's nice to hear an alternative to the general attitude of "rip-off Britain" which permeates our media.

[DanaC]

I'd be happy to Clod, but I'll need some guidance on quantities.

I had to multibuy on a lot of stuff with that last one, because we just don't get packs and jars that big unless we go to a wholesale store.

[Clodfobble]

Sure, it was:

16 Larabars
1 bunch of organic kale
3.6 lbs organic red grapes
2 lbs organic radishes
3 organic tomatoes (not 3 lbs, just three)
4 lbs organic granny smith apples
12 oz. package pre-cut organic broccoli shreds
5 oz. box organic arugula
6 organic bananas
1/2 pint organic raspberries
5 lbs organic strawberries
14 oz. bag gluten-free pretzels
4 lbs ground lamb meat
2.5 lb boneless pork loin roast
1 lb "London Broil" beef steak
50 muffin paper cups
60 capsules Biotin
McCormick Organic Coarse Black Pepper

[glatt]

Why do you chose lamb instead of other ground meats? I haven't priced it out recently, but I thought lamb was about twice the price of beef or turkey or chicken or pork. Is it a flavor thing, or is it better in some other way?

[Sundae]

I sweated blood over this. I'm not great at maths at the best of times. *

I worked it out from prices at the supermarket I work in, because it has the best organic selection in the town I live in. It's not the cheapest by any means, but would be your best bet for your shop.
Where I had to source elsewhere/ cannot compute, I have noted it.

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

16 Larabars - had to quote on Nakd Bars - £9.16
1 bunch of organic kale - 180g (6oz) - £1.50
3.6 lbs organic red grapes - £14.29
2 lbs organic radishes - £6.05
3 organic tomatoes (not 3 lbs, just three) - £1.15
4 lbs organic granny smith apples - £6.00
12 oz. package pre-cut organic broccoli shreds - £2.90
5 oz. box organic arugula - £2.33
6 organic bananas - £3.06
1/2 pint organic raspberries - £12.68
5 lbs organic strawberries - £26.45
14 oz. bag gluten-free pretzels - £0.55
4 lbs ground lamb meat- £14.48
2.5 lb boneless pork loin roast - £10.88
1 lb "London Broil" beef steak - no idea what cut this is, have priced it up as Rump Steak - £7.78
50 muffin paper cups - £0.65
60 capsules Biotin - £3.35 (from a health food store)
McCormick Organic Coarse Black Pepper - 46g/ 1.6oz - £2.09

£125.35 or $208.33

Soft fruit is completely out of season here, so it has to be flown in; you will not get any deal on it unless you are buying on the expiry date. Calculating pints of fruit had me tearing my hair out, but I think I found a reasonable comparison. What a difference in price though.

* ETA - I've converted Imperial to metric and calculated the prices from there.
In some cases it would not be possible to buy in these exact quantities; soft fruit is only ever available pre-packed for example, except on Pick Your Own farms.

[Clodfobble]

It's a variety thing. Minifobette can't do chicken or turkey, and both kids hate fish. So to keep her from just eating beef and pork all the time, she has to dip into the more exotic meats like lamb and duck. The ground lamb is cheaper than the real cuts of lamb, so I go that route as often as possible.

[DanaC]

Do they hate all fish? How bout tuna steaks?

[Sundae]

I know we've discussed it on the Cellar before, but lamb being exotic makes me chuckle.
Have some minced lamb in the freezer right now, bought on discount from work, and half a leg for Mum's girls' night in (which may not even happen now)
And chops which she bought.

I'm not a fan of lamb in general, but minced lamb makes lovely burgers.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by DanaC

Do they hate all fish? How bout tuna steaks?

Yep, definitely all kinds of fish filets and steaks. Minifobette likes calamari a lot, but Minifob doesn't. (Which is not enough for us to avoid it, I do make it sometimes, but it's a pain coating all those little pieces with coconut and frying them.) Meanwhile, he's sort of okay with shrimp, but she says it tastes extremely spicy even when there's zero seasoning on it, so we suspect she may have an allergy.

[bbro]

This is what happens when you go shopping when you're hungover. You end up with a bunch of weird shit. Most of it, I have plans for, though. Don't know how the falafel got in there, though

[Sundae]

Y'all buy cheese in BIG portions!

Wish more of our Deli customers did, we might hit sales targets then, and get more staff.

I say that, but in truth I love the niche market we've cornered in town, where OAPs can come buy 100g of cheese (3.5 oz) and have a chat with someone who listens and smiles.
We just need more of them. Many many more. Then I wouldn't have to cover four counters at a time and see customers as an obstruction to the rigorous cleaning schedule.

Shhhh, I didn't say that.
But it's a sad truth. Make someone who is passionate about Deli cover Bakery and Meat & Fish while still having to do two hours cleaning in a three hour shift and something has to give.

To big myself up, my Thursday customers haven't even noticed. One ex-military gent in particular will ask for me if I'm not there. And he wouldn't even look me in the eye when the store first opened. He likes what he knows, and he knows me behind the counter.

And I even have two Bakery customers, much as I hate it.
One chap is in just after 07.00 and wants pain rustica, which I never have ready on time, rolls being the last thing I bake, but this week I baked five as soon as I got in. He wanted eight. Tcha I'll know next week.

Also the chap who wants organic wholemeal bread. And always before 08.00 (I barely get bakery set up by 09.45 when I'm scheduled to leave, and that's with someone else doing Patisserie for me). I promised him I would have at least two loaves for him this week just gone. I put out three - baked before I even started the croissants and tostades for the Cafe, and they were gone when I came back from one of many trips to the freezer. I hope it was him. Didn't get to give him a "did you get good service today" card though. I've not had a single positive comment since I started. But then I never give out cards. It just seems really weaselly to me, like the only reason I make an effort is to score points.

Sorry. I've just rambled on and on now.
It was supermarket related though...