It depends on your skill set.
I had 10-20 job offers a week, i have just taken permanent employment instead of contracting. Im still getting people trying to poach me, but i have specific skills that are saught after and are rare (compared to a bricky say)
My other halfs dad is a superb builder, knows and can do everything, he has had to get a cab license to pay ends meat as there is no work in that trade, even then he struggles to get slots with the car. He will work all day, his skill list is huge and he is a hard worker, but if the job you are going for has hundreds or thousands of other people then there is always someone better than you!
Oh, with the shopping thing, me and the missus spend about 45 quid a week and we shop in M&S, so its more than possible in somewhere like morrisons! Vouchers, deals, veg from the markets etc Tap water, take lunch to work, no crap foods