This is the start of a series of throwback posts as I allow my food blog domain to expire. There were a few family travel related posts on the site so I am moving them over here. If you have read them before, my apologies. I just don’t want to lose them, especially since they are relevant.
Since we’ve been on the road, I have been trying to compare and contrast prices in local supermarkets and note how they differ from big city supermarkets. When we were in Montagu, Spar was the closest grocery store and, while their grocery items were more or less the same, their fresh produce seemed a bit more expensive.
We have very limited space in the car so I don’t have access to my “normal” pantry where buying larger quantities means that I can save a little bit. I started the road trip with oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, flour, yeast, butter, cheese, coffee and rooibos tea. This is a life line when you arrive in Oudtshroon after 2pm on a Sunday afternoon with nothing for supper, the shops are closed and, because the accommodation you booked is actually bed and breakfast, you were supposed to book for supper, but no one told you! The above ingredients mean that you grab the offer of a braai with both hands and make braai bread topped with cheese and enjoyed with tea for supper.
Why using self catering accommodation worked for us
In terms on bed and breakfast vs self catering, you will be shocked how quickly costs add up, when you’re at the mercy of the accommodation to supply the meals. I can buy a tray of 18 free range eggs for R45 and 2 packs of bacon for R60 and have breakfasts sorted for 3 days, for the price of 2x R65/head breakfasts. I tested that theory and had breakfast in De Rust as an experiment. The kids had yogurt and muesli parfaits with tinned fruit cocktail for R35 each. I had eggs Benedict that came on toast with processed cheese, bacon and mushrooms for R45 and Anton had a 3 egg, cheese omlette for the same price. With coffee, the bill came to R250.
So, even if small town grocery stores are slightly more expensive, going the self catering route makes so much sense. And let me not even get started on the price of dinners at a restaurant. I have yet to find a restaurant that can offer something I can’t make myself for under R500 for 2 adults and 2 kids.
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