Countdown to Freedom

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Morning Mr E, it's thought provoking.

A few things concern me - our local Lidl is undergoing building work to extend the store. If that's because they want space to maximise volume selling that's one thing - if it's because they wish to extend their ranges, then they are going down the big 4 route and I am hopeful that people are waking up and realising this is flawed.

The big 4 are definitely struggling and one concern I have is headcount reduction. If profits drop, there will be a push for increased utilisation and a likely exit of staff. One avenue is not replacing attrition and pushing for 'more with less' and logically, they will look to exit high cost resource and increase low cost. This would mean a shuffle of resources internally, internal promotion to backfill some of the higher cost resource, but without associated pay and rations. Some of this type of activity is useful in terms of refreshing leadership but if the low cost resource are on zero hours contracts, this just adds to the other troubles the country faces at the moment. I personally have strong feelings about this type of contract. They should be banned! You wouldn't get a CEO prepared to do that and regardless of position, everyone has bills of one type or another to pay.

What did shock me was the post from Roubaix about the DVD educating new mums on what particular veg etc looked like. That really is heart breaking.

Finally, I'm just listening to Radio 4 news about child obesity - the plethora of junk food in the big 4 must be a significant contributor. I remember when I was small having tomato or banana sandwiches for 'tea' in the summer. That was it - maybe a piece of fruit afterwards. I'm not sure kids would class that as a tea now. Even my two, if I give them beans on toast, don't think this is a meal :eek:

It's an interesting discussion and I'm looking forward to seeing how food shopping evolves over the next few years.

Best wishes Tilly x x

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Poppy_Golightly wrote: »

I'm fed up with T3sco's dirty little tricks. I buy a packet of chicken roll each week for a treat for my cats. The price of 55p hasn't changed but something else has!

Two slices per pack extrapolated across their stores makes for quite an increase of margin - lovely

Same logic across huge swathes of their ranges - and we know it's happening from comments on MSE, makes a healthy contribution to clawing back lost £.

Nice to see you again, hope all is well with you.

Tilly x x x

Poppy_Golightly

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS wrote: »

Two slices per pack extrapolated across their stores makes for a quiet increase if margin - lovely

Same logic across huge swathes of their ranges - and we know it's happening from comments on MSE, makes a healthy contribution to clawing back lost £.

Nice to see you again, hope all is well with you.

Tilly x x x

All is fine here, I am totally in awe of your 9 pmts to go. Fantastic achievement.

I'm in agreement re the zero hours contracts, you def would not get a CEO to agree to that. I remember a while back when I was doing photography, magazines would contact me and ask to use my pics for free. I would always ask if the caller was paid a salary or did their work for free!

Karmacat

Great discussion! Can't really add anything to it because I agree with it all

Enjoy your day with OH and the lunchtime doggy walk, Tilly

greent

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS wrote: »

Mr T and I are starting to do research into buying another house. We will be buying one as an investment and DD will be living in it next year. It seems a bit scary :eek: Research required through the winter months on tax, yield etc.

Firstly - extremely belated birthday wishes!!:o (had a lot of catching up to do!)


Secondly - we're looking at doing the above for DD when she's at Uni (ad then possibly another, depending upon what DS1 ends up doing) - so I'll be following you with a definite personal interest in these plans!


xx




ETA: I'm now up to the bit where woolly minds and menopause are talked about (sorry Ed) (although am still unclear as to how GG confused sheep and cows?!?!) and think that's where I'm at now - am *only* 44 but I had a hysterectomy almost 5 years ago (partial only - ovaries were left intact) and think I can tick off every (applicable) m-pausal symptom going! (that's my excuse, anyway - and I'm sticking to it!!:p:p)




FINAL EDIT(!! ) - have caught up now and am also agreeing with the rants (and now hankering after the lost joyous early days of Tosco's DtD )

roubaix

This morning I was in a local greengrocer. I don't usually take the time to go past their fridge section which stretches right along one wall. However, today I did and I noticed that even they are now selling a wide variety of ready meals and pre-prepared veg so the demand for them really must be there.

There was a packet of chopped butternut squash which was £2.49. No more than 2 metres from the fridge was the stand with the whole butternut squashes priced at 69p for a whole one. So the cost to pay someone else to take the couple of minutes to peel and chop it was £1.80!

Anyway, sorry to steal your thread Tilly I just immediately thought of the discussions here when I was in the shop.

gallygirl

greent wrote: »

(although am still unclear as to how GG confused sheep and cows?!?!)

I didn't confuse them. Just gave them the wrong name. I knew it wasn't right though so that's ok . In my world, anyway .

Karmacat

In my world too

My mind never went woolly at the dreaded event - I've always been terrible at detail, so nothing changed

greent

gallygirl wrote: »

I didn't confuse them. Just gave them the wrong name. I knew it wasn't right though so that's ok . In my world, anyway .

Ahh - that makes it all better now! :D xx

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Morning, glorious sky this morning but looks like poor weather is on its way.

I had completely forgotten that Consumer P is by invitation so DD can't sign up yet. If I have a referral link for CP and PC, I'll forward to her.

DS is making dinner this evening - Mexican wraps - off piste on the menu plan as I had some wraps and tomatoes which needed using up.

No pennies anywhere to Tilly tidy.

I've cut our food portions down again, given the advice from DD. Back to using breakfast plates . I don't know why portions creep up :eek:

No money news.

Best wishes, Tilly