I live 20+ kms from the downtown supermarkets, whereas it's under half the distance to a more local one. Makes no sense doubling the mileage, and I'm too busy to want to spend the extra time travelling.

Nope, no flyers delivered, no regular paper unless I go and buy one.

That might well be the explanation. Certainly our first two shops (at Safeway and then at Extra Foods) were much cheaper. I just put it down to us eating more now I'm a bit of a novice driver, so the five mins on the No1, is easier for me than the 15mins plus some complicated junctions into town. However my husband will be doing the shopping from next week, and I'm sure the bills will go down then. Not sure what we will be eating though!

I am a seafood nut so that would be fine by me thanks for that info, i am amased you got a pork rib roast so cheap,

I supose it takes a while to find out where all the good places are locally, hopefully have someone to tell us or show us
We have been telling the Canadians all the best places to shop they said our Costco was very expensive to in Canada but clothes are better quality and much better choice ? funny seeing the UK through others eyes,

There are a few flyers starting to come out here now or at least i think thats what they are money off coupons ? i just recieved another one from Tesco and from Franky and Benys,
Maybe thats the way the will go here now ?

that doesn't mean that all parts of Canada have markets though, especially during the winter months.

That is true but Canada is fortunate in having almost fresh supplies of vegetables and fruits during the winter from the USA and South America. I shouldn't imagine, that UK markets have UK picked fruit/vegs in the winter months. More likely from one of the warmer European countries or North Africa.

I do a slightly different variation on the way Bristol shops.... I scan the flyers and decide which of the main chains looks to have the things we want this week e.g. if we're out of cheese, then look for the one with an offer on cheese. I then go to said shop and shop for the things we need, I try and avoid the things that aren't on offer, but I know will be on offer somewhere the next week e.g. ice cream. It usually pans out, but I may sometimes end up going without something for a week or having to buy it at full price. I don't generally go around all of the stores and get all of the offers - this is dangerous if you don't have the discipline to shop from a list, which we don't.

On the whole I'd say with a combination of doing this and buying some things in bulk at Costco, our general spending on groceries is less than what it was in the UK. And my net income is over double what I had in the UK, so we're quids (dollars) in

Not yet but there moving closer, USA today,Canada 2moro

Also watch out for Aldi! they were popping up everywhere in Florida last year, prob wont belong before there move north.
Chris

The answer is yes, but not in the same way. In our area in Ontario there are "farmers markets" once a week. The prices in Pbro are sometimes the same but usually than the supermarkets. The quality is better though. In the UK, towns will have a market once or twice a week, some have daily ones. The fruit and veg there isnt necessarilty local. It's cheaper and variable quality, but usually good. Farmers markets have more expensive local, often organic produce.

So it wasn't such a daft question and if you are only 5 years out of the UK how come you don't remember this? Where did you live?

Brussesl sprouts, parsnips, potatoes, etc etc.

Peterborough has an awful selection of rubbish fruit and vegetables in the winter.

Around here some of the butchers and fishermen sell their meat/catches from their vehicles. They park up in regular places once or twice a week and sell decent product for reasonable prices (some of the butchers are not all that strict on pricing, e.g. will take the order and say ok, just give me $xx for that).

Although they never seem to be around when I'm out grocery shopping, the locals tell me their stuff is far better quality than the stores around here (which is easy to believe).

The lobster fishermen have recently joined into this road-side selling campaign, to make up for the poor prices offered by the local stores. One of them was offering $4.80 (or thereabouts) per pound for live lobsters a couple of weeks ago, remarkable considering how much they used to be and how much they'd cost back in the UK.

Couldn't agree more. Some fishermen will sell you stuff out of their boats if you go see them. Even some good fishes or seafood are considered "rubbish" as they won't be sold in supermarkets, but fishermen will sell it to you for quite cheap. Just do not be shy and ask them.

When I was in Sobeys on New Years Eve the guy in front of me had at least 4 or 5 lobsters in a clear plastic bag fresh from the tank. When he put them on the checkout conveyor belt they all started moving around - I wanted to throw up (and I am no veggie)

The first time I ate lobster was in one of the restaurants in Disney world (I guess I was overcome with the vacation feeling, or something) back in the late eighties. They laid out the lobster on a plate with a large number of "instruments" to help me dissect and devour the thing. I had no clue what I was doing and was too shy to ask, I think the whole eating process took probably 30 minutes, the meat obviously cold and not as enjoyable as it should have been.

The next time, while on vacation here a few years back, the locals showed me how it was done properly at a "lobster boil". Steaming pots of lobsters would be spilled out over long tables. Claws would be smashed open on the table or with bare hands, backs broken open skillfully with a two handed pulling technique, livers consumed with a smile and a dribble. It was quite an eye-opener, and by far the better experience

We'll have to try it one day... I'll bring the camera just in case

Nothing beats Atlantic Canadian lobster. Fact. And it's an all year round sport here. Cooked live with my own fair hand.

Not really money off coupons...although the co-op sometimes does that. It's more than a leaflet...several pages full of products reduced that week. This might give an idea.

I think you might enjoy the price of prawns here from what I saw on the Sainsbury's site earlier.



In my case it's not so much the discipline of shopping from a list, more so the discipline of knowing what I can carry on my bike.

One does have to be flexible. If I know I'm not going to be able to call in at more than one store, then I'll prioritise according to need or price. I do have an advantage in having more time, being retired.

I have a ton of flyers delivered every week .. so i grab a cuppa and sift my way through them ..

I have found that offers in one store are very similar to offers in another .. Where is the competition? ..

I usually shop between 3 stores, zellers, loeb and loblaws .. if its on offer i usually grab it ..

I have noticed though that items that are reduced 50% for quick sale, the sell by date is like 3 days away .. Yes freezer is full lol ..

When i first got here, i tried to do a big shop, thinking i could then do smaller shops throguhout the month .. but couldnt do it, only spent $116 so i just grab bits here and there ..

My children and me are very fussy eaters .. coming up with ideas for meals just gives me an headache .. quick and convenient processed meals are expensive to me anyway, so trying to find something that we can all eat at the same time is testing me at the moment .. English breakfast again then (without the sauages) ..