Cheapest place for veg/salad? Hay?

Fluffbabies

Fluffbabies

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Hi all,

With the cost of everything going up, where are you finding is the best place to buy veg/salad? Supermarket, farms, markets? Are Lidl/Aldi cheaper than say Tescos?

We've got a few extra mouths to feed now and wandering if there is a better value way than the supermarket if you're buying a lot.

Also wondered about hay. We swapped from Haybox to Hayday. We get three boxes at a time on a subscription that brings the price down a bit. I thought local farms or equestrian suppliers might be better value?
 
Perhaps you could grow some lettuce yourself? That can really help!
Tesco price match Aldi so I never find Aldi veg cheaper (I shop at Tesco)

Yes, farm shops/equestrian will most likely be cheaper.
I buy a bale meadow hay for £7.50. Lasts my five animals around 6 weeks in winter, 8-9 weeks in summer (they’re outside so are bedded in thick hay in winter)
 
Piggies&buns said:
Perhaps you could grow some lettuce yourself? That can really help!
Tesco price match Aldi so I never find Aldi veg cheaper (I shop at Tesco)

Yes, farm shops/equestrian will most likely be cheaper.
I buy a bale meadow hay for £7.50. Lasts my five animals around 6 weeks in winter, 8-9 weeks in summer (they’re outside so are bedded in thick hay in winter)
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Good idea! We were going to grow our own this year (first year in our first house) but life got so busy we missed the season and I forgot about that. We should plan next year I think like you said it should be a lot cheaper if you have things that keep growing back.

I'll have to look at getting a bale from somewhere. Where do you store it? We have a shed but there's so many spiders in there! I worry about spiders making nests in it or something. Probably doesn't matter and it's just me... growing up mum and dad had the hay bales in the garage with a big plastic bin of nuggets that the rats would get into at times and the guinea pigs and rabbits were fine. And they were all outside in hutches so there were spiders around. It's probably just me who's squeamish!
 
Fluffbabies said:
Good idea! We were going to grow our own this year (first year in our first house) but life got so busy we missed the season and I forgot about that. We should plan next year I think like you said it should be a lot cheaper if you have things that keep growing back.

I'll have to look at getting a bale from somewhere. Where do you store it? We have a shed but there's so many spiders in there! I worry about spiders making nests in it or something. Probably doesn't matter and it's just me... growing up mum and dad had the hay bales in the garage with a big plastic bin of nuggets that the rats would get into at times and the guinea pigs and rabbits were fine. And they were all outside in hutches so there were spiders around. It's probably just me who's squeamish!
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It’s not too late to still sow lettuce seed now!

My hay bales are just in the shed with the piggies
 
If you sow winter lettuce seed now it will germinate. I find it grows for most of the winter. I buy hay from Natures Own which is a lot cheaper than many of the on line companies.
 
I store my hay bales in hay bale storage bags in the garage. That way spiders don't get in. They last a few years. I got mine off Amazon. I've got 2 of them. 1 is for the hay bale I'm using and the other is for a new bale.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Torribaly-...d=1723042268&sprefix=Haybale+ba,aps,70&sr=8-9

You could enquire at your some farms local to you if they sell bales of hay. Some just sell the big round bales so be careful. Equestrian shops are good too.
 
Fluffbabies said:
Hi all,

With the cost of everything going up, where are you finding is the best place to buy veg/salad? Supermarket, farms, markets? Are Lidl/Aldi cheaper than say Tescos?

We've got a few extra mouths to feed now and wandering if there is a better value way than the supermarket if you're buying a lot.

Also wondered about hay. We swapped from Haybox to Hayday. We get three boxes at a time on a subscription that brings the price down a bit. I thought local farms or equestrian suppliers might be better value?
Click to expand...

A good way to find cheap veg is going late and look for down marked fresh stuff in supermarkets.
 
piggieminder said:
If you sow winter lettuce seed now it will germinate. I find it grows for most of the winter. I buy hay from Natures Own which is a lot cheaper than many of the on line companies.
Click to expand...

I use the same hay supplier and order in bulk for a free delivery - it's admittedly easier with 20 (now 18) piggies.

Pellets: You don't have to feed the best. I feed Harrington's because the choice with 10 kg bags is pretty limited but one bag lasts me about 3 months for 20 piggies and - because it is bulk - it is a lot cheaper.

I have written this guide here and have also integrated it into our regular guide: Money crunch? - Practical saving tips for your guinea pig food bill
 
Wiebke said:
I use the same hay supplier and order in bulk for a free delivery - it's admittedly easier with 20 (now 18) piggies.

Pellets: You don't have to feed the best. I feed Harrington's because the choice with 10 kg bags is pretty limited but one bag lasts me about 3 months for 20 piggies and - because it is bulk - it is a lot cheaper.

I have written this guide here and have also integrated it into our regular guide: Money crunch? - Practical saving tips for your guinea pig food bill
Click to expand...
Ah lovely, I'll check out that guide thank you. I haven't read that one. Luckily we have more space now we're in a house and can buy in bulk.
 
Fluffbabies said:
Thanks I'll check out natures own and get planting!
Click to expand...
For lettuce, I'd recommend getting seeds for a "cut and come again" variety, so you don't have to wait for a full lettuce to grow. Then you can just pick as many fresh leaves as you need, when you need them.

Also, if you stagger planting the seeds, you will have leaves available for longer - and you also won't end up with far more than you can use all being ready at once, which is what I had when I first had my veg garden 4 years ago 😄
 
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