Have you noticed a subtle economic change going on? It’s not one on our behalf but on behalf of the supermarkets - seeded bread with fewer seeds, a cherry cake with cherries showing round the edges but not in the middle? Medium-sized bread seems to have thicker slices, so you go through a loaf more quickly. And is the hole in the washing up liquid bottle bigger than it used to be so you go through it more rapidly? And as for toilet paper and tissues...
My regular bunch of bananas is smaller than usual, though perhaps that’s more to do with what is available to the supermarkets. I remember in Rwanda driving back through hostile camps from Tanzania to Kigali when my driver asked if he could stop for a few moments to get some supplies for the family.
I was scared as I sat on an empty dirt road waiting for Wenceslas to return. He’d walked into a dense forest of tall bushes only to reappear about 15 minutes later delighted with the huge stalk of bananas over his shoulder.
“This will feed my family for one month,” he told me with a big smile. I’ve always had respect for bananas since.
It’s difficult to keep tabs on prices these days. I don’t remember what I paid for items two years ago, I just know the weekly bill for groceries has risen on average by £10. And that’s not luxuries - except for the chocolate fudge cake...
I now make a list. If there’s an offer on I might buy two of one thing if it stores well. I bring my own carrier bag and save 25 pence.
Every Little Helps
When I was presenting a consumer spot on Gloria Hunniford’s BBC show Taste of Honey, I dreamed I had visited six shops, bought six tins of baked beans and, in order to count the beans in each and estimate the sauce content, tipped each one onto a snooker table. Then, under the lights and wearing a green eye shield I counted the contents until I got the best value tin.
I bet Dennis Taylor never did that. I was so impressed with this dream that I actually recreated it on the kitchen table and then told listeners the results.
Patricia told me she has changed her method of shopping. “I no longer go round throwing things into the trolley, I look for ‘own brand’, which can make a big difference, as can a ‘club card’ - being able to buy a big butter sponge cake for £4 as against £7 means I can buy two, if the same cake is on offer for club members.
I dreamed I had visited six shops, bought six tins of baked beans and, in order to count the beans in each and estimate the sauce content, tipped each one onto a snooker table. Then, under the lights and wearing a green eye shield I counted the contents until I got the best value tin. I bet Dennis Taylor never did that
“Mind you,” she added, “I always check my receipt as sometimes I’ve found the offer isn’t reflected in the total.”
I asked Pam if she had any suggestions: “Yes, I buy ugly fruit and wonky vegetables. Misshapen carrots can be a lot cheaper. At the end of the day it makes no difference except in my purse.”
When I found a coupon in a newspaper, I was interested in the item so I took advantage of this free limited trial and was delighted. Why didn’t I think to buy half-a-dozen newspapers and have half-a-dozen coupons?
It’s always easy to think clearly after the event but these days you have to be on the ball as supermarkets are up to all sorts of tricks to entice you to buy more. After all, that’s why they are in business.
Be cleverer than they are; don’t be enticed into reaching for things as you move around the shelves looking for what you actually want. Discipline is required if you are to save money or at least stick to your budget.
Learning At An Early Age
As a child I remember being sent to Burnett’s store in Whiteabbey for the groceries. A traditional store rather than a shop, it had a wooden floor, wooden counter and loose tea packaged in a ‘poke’ made out of heavy paper, with bacon sliced on the fascinating slicer and eggs stored in a big earthenware crock. Cracked eggs for baking were cheaper, milk came in glass bottles which were scalded and returned, and biscuits were served out of a big glass jar. There was a lot of craic.
Even a child was treated as a valued customer and my basket was always packed for me to carry home. I still shudder at the lie I told my granny when she said I’d be a good housewife because I could organise a basket so neatly. I didn’t tell her it was packed by Mrs Burnett...
So the message is - plan ahead, scrutinise the shelves, take notes and make sure any offers are genuine. Shopping is now a business not a pleasure but the more you research the better, and then you will see a difference in your spending.
