Shop only from independent shops for 14 days

Well the lunch at my desk is – I think it would be so hard to eat out.

The independent newsagent who I bought sandwiches off last week had very few today and I wasn’t sure/convinced that the cheese ones were really vegetarian.

I suddenly remembered a lovely little Malaysian food stall in Leadenhall Market and some independent shops there too. What a delicious lunch. I ate food from there a couple of months ago but forgot about it (I’m trying to lose weight and I’m sure they’re not low cal!). Looking forward to tomorrow’s lunch now ;)

Close to home this isn’t too much of a problem – just a case of changing a few habits/routes. This morning we used independent grocers (clean, good prices), indepenedent greengrocer (very friendly and welcoming with the best quality fruit and veg for quite a long way and there is a lot of competition) and independent newsagent.

There is a lovely little Italian deli owned by an old Italian couple nearby. Got some nice stuff in there a couple of days ago.

This is proving very tough when I’m working. I work in the City (of London) and it is chain hell. One road has 3x Pret, 2x Eat, 2x Benjys, 2x Boots (with food) and at least half a dozen more chains to buy lunch from. It’s not a particularly long road either. I may end up taking sandwiches to work if I can’t find a reliable sandwich shop near work. The local independent newsagent has about a dozen (total) sandwiches to sell each day but they’re not the best quality. This will be the toughest part for me.

It is so easy to pop into one big shop and put money into the coffers of big corporations. The local community does suffer. Another independent bookshop closes down and in its place is yet another chain coffee shop. High streets mostly look the same wherever you go. I don’t like it – I prefer character.

I know I can get better fruit and veg from my independent greengrocer. I always buy newspapers from local newsagents. I try and buy from our independent chemist…

...but it is so easy to do it all in one or two faceless places where you aren’t known or remembered.

For 14 days I will only shop and eat in independent places.

First I will see how much I spend in independent shops, then try to increase this until it is 100% for 2 weeks.