I went up to Foodtown to pick up a few things, and like always I scan for specials to stock up the pantry, freezer & emergency kits. Lamb Mince ON SPECIAL at $15.99, regular beef mince $12 a 900g prepack, tomatoes $6.99, ... the list is endless. These are considerably higher than they were last year, & not just the GST increase. Yet prawns can be had for as low as $12 a kg. No surprise I'm doing more prawns now than ever before.
And as usual, there is no real choice, where is the watercress, the sweetbreads, the chicken livers, - all deleted lines. I really miss the Australian stores with NZ goods much cheaper than here, or the USA ones with not only cheap prices, but at least twice the available products. Damn monopolist system, when is it going to change?
Rant over....
vintagekitty,
Mar 26, 1:11am
I agree, I volunteer at a foodbank and its totally changed in terms of client base. Many families who would have never have used this service are now.
lilyfield,
Mar 26, 1:12am
turn vegetarian. I have no problems paying my bills.
vintagekitty,
Mar 26, 1:13am
cool, good for you. But no thanks, we love meat here
papariccardo,
Mar 26, 1:37am
Many vegetarians are worse than Jehovah's Witnesses for trying to espouse their beliefs at any opportunity. No wonder society shuns them - it should.
magenta,
Mar 26, 1:46am
x1
I seldom buy meat at the supermarket now. We have one independent butcher left in town and I buy there. Quality and price are better, especially the mince and I can buy the amount I want not the size packets they use in the supermarkets. I can understand why the prices have gone up as we have a small sheep and beef farm and the prices we are selling are stock for are better than we have ever had.I have used our own homekill meat in the past, but this year we cant afford to eat our own animals!
lilyfield,
Mar 26, 1:47am
that is so funny
elliehen,
Mar 26, 1:50am
Hilarious, considering that you added just a factual comment and not an evangelising lecture ;)
jack47,
Mar 26, 2:00am
In Sydney a couple of weeks back and bought a full leg of NZ lamb for $16.00 and a whole watermelon for $2.00.Starting now to look at more vegetarian dishes, trying a roast vege lasagne tomorrow, thankfully grow lots of veges, have to think other than usingmeat options, not too much of a challange.with the help of google for recipes.
papariccardo,
Mar 26, 2:05am
"Turn vegetarian" is factual? No, it's a statement & recommendation, espousing a personal agenda, that even vegetarians find difficult to maintain for life. I haven't suggested they eat meat, any more than I would suggest a Muslim eat Pork or a Hindu eat Beef. That would be equally 'evangelical'. As for societal shunning, ask any vegetarian how easy it is to be one. It's hard work, and generally undertaken for reasons unrelated to costs or health.
Had lilyfield said "As a vegetarian, I haven't noticed the costs" it wouldn't have rankled as much as the suggestion that because I'm not, I somehow have difficulty paying my bills. Understood?
dantes_auntie,
Mar 26, 2:13am
yep made my own yoghurt. easyyo is my friend
kuaka,
Mar 26, 3:08am
and I think being a vegetarian would be just as expensive as being a non-vegetarian unless you are able to grow your own vegetables.The cost of vegetables at my supermarket is ridiculous and I often wonder how I would be able to afford to be purely vegetarian.What really bugs me is that my sister in the UK is often able to buy fresh NZ lamb legs for 3.99kg (pounds sterling) whereas I can buy it on special for $19.99kg.Something wrong here.Add in the over-pricing on dairy products, cheese, milk and butter, and I think we are being genuinely ripped off.On my last visit to the UK 18 months ago I was amazed at how much cheaper there basic foodstuffs were (and at that time I was only getting 33p for every $1).Bread, milk, cheese, eggs, meat, veg etc all seemed to be cheaper than it is here.
elliehen,
Mar 26, 3:45am
If you really want to see what "espousing a personal agenda" is papa, just wait for the return of the loquacious buzzy110 ;)
elliehen,
Mar 26, 3:48am
kuaka, the difference in cost is usually because vegetables, unlike meat,can be bought cheaply from markets and roadside stalls - especially if you're lucky enough to live out of the city.I need to visit the supermarket for just a few basic non-food essentials.
dantes_auntie,
Mar 26, 4:40am
i have started to think about growing my own veg garden
bedazzledjewels,
Mar 26, 4:43am
The ETS is probably adding to costs of food too. Got a shock when I filled up with petrol yesterday too.
vintagekitty,
Mar 26, 5:08am
If she stayed away, the posters that used to post here may come back
papariccardo,
Mar 26, 5:42am
What was her buzz about? Sounds like a nasty piece of gristle...
vintagekitty,
Mar 26, 5:48am
her buzzzzzzz is everything, she knows everything about everything, and she will go on and on how great she is, how she does it better and why its better and its borrinnng. Oh and rude and bitter and mean as a snake
vintagekitty,
Mar 26, 5:49am
yeah, petrol is a killer. I spend more a week on petrol than my own house mortgage.
prendy1,
Mar 26, 7:03am
How about $5 for a pack of butter? How's a girl supposed to bake?
uli,
Mar 26, 7:43am
Don't take it personal - but I would never ever buy Chinese, Vietnamese or Thai prawns because they are grown in polyculture and laced with all sorts of chemicals to keep them alive. They are regularly refused in Europe because of residues - and then we have some "specials" here downunder ... last week Vanmei prawns were $8 here - a KILO!
I would try and get some more of my own meat if you can - rabbits, fish, chickens maybe? Go hunting with a friend and buy specials as much as you can.
kuaka,
Mar 26, 7:53am
elliehen - when I was talking about the cheap veg etc in the UK I was actually referring to the supermarket prices.Sure, you can buy stuff at street markets and roadside stalls, but the supermarkets, Tesco, Morrisons, even Sainsbury and M&S had veg etc cheaper than we buy here - and I'm comparing seasonal veg, ie. the cost of the lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers etc as I was there in summer, and they were way cheaper than we pay for the same things here in summer.Likewise the fruit was cheaper there than it is here.
motorbo,
Mar 26, 8:18am
there is a food store at mt maunganui where you can buy organic meat from harmony foods in paeroa, no kidding the sirloin steak i bought there last week was as cheap as the shitty supermarket stuff
pickles7,
Mar 26, 8:48am
We are doing the same in our house. We got sick of the " tampered" meat, the supermarkets sell. We enjoy the meat from the butchers so much more.
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