Shopping Spree... The Big Shop

I must to do a stock up food shop. I tried the last couple of weeks in vain to do it (excluding the camping days when I did not try at all!) We are getting down to bare basics. Oodles of pasta and SR & P flour, plenty of salt and pepper and yeast and eggs and dairy goods and sugar but not a lot else. Oh unless you consider 8 jars of passata and large cans of two fruits and pineapple and lots of tins of baked beans and kidney beans 'luxury' items... I do not.


IF I was even half the woman my mother is we would still be eating 'gourmet' (read cooked from scratch) meals, but, alas I am a little bit spoilt and kinda like my easy, baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad for you 'plastic' food.  Laziness again ( I am pretty lazy at times-sigh. BUT having said that I do not see the point in making too much work for yourself either) I have not had a freezer for 6 months.


It was awful at first, I mean REALLY horrible, BUT now I find I do not rely on the frozen food and use local fresh veggies much more which aside from being better for you also helps the local people out. I find that is something I am a LITTLE more conscious of lately. A few farms have stopped producing what they always have done, since I was a child at least, because it is no longer viable. The produce is cheaper to import. It is sad really.


I will, of course, buy a freezer soon enough. I do miss being able to by my 16 loaves of bread and freeze them, freeing me from buying more than a loaf or two every fortnight unless My Beloved cooks a BBQ for dinner then we go through 2 loaves.  (Sausage sizzle or steak burgers) Unfortunately I am buying three loaves a day, as it is winter and with My Beloved home this week we have been having lots of toasted sandwiches and the Man Child seems to be eating them as if he has not eaten in months! 

I have written a 'master shopping list' which will include more of the items already in my pantry as well as other items like junket and bi carb,more yeast and spices ( I am running out) as well as the other stuff that make opening the pantry door worthwhile! So that even if  I don't go shopping for a month or two with those 'essentials' and the produce available locally I will be able to feed my hungry family well and by two months of no shopping they will most certainly be made from 'scratch' meals. 


I tried the theory of only buying what you need to save money and 'space' years ago. I must suffer from the siege mentality as I am happy with all bills paid, cars full of petrol and cupboards, fridges and freezers ( when we had a functioning one that is) over flowing with food. Anything else after that IS a luxury. I was not comfortable with 'just enough' in the cupboards and i wouldn't recommend that for a large family ( or any size) personally.


Monday morning bright and early I am off to overflow a trolley or two at Aldi and then on to my local independent grocery store to fill another trolley there ( Aldi just does not have everything you need... shame isn't it?) After that if I have any money left I am going to treat myself to a 12 pack of hot cinnamon doughnuts, some of which will make it home for My Beloved to par take of.


How do you shop? Day to Day? Weekly? Fortnightly? or Monthly?