Rip Off Food

thriftyniftyme

spike7451 wrote: »

I watched it & the are some valid points made,like people spending 90p on a bag of pre-sliced carrot battons which equal to about 2 carrots when a 1kg bag of carrots is only 55p...It's basic economics V peoples laziness!
I mean how long does it take to peel a carrot...a minute or less...The argument "I don't have time" doesn't wash.
Supermarket 'convenience' products like pre sliced carrots,potatoes,cauliflower could be renamed "Ready cut for your lazyness"

I have a friend who asked me to help one of her other friends save money. Money always spent the day she gets it, up to the eyeballs in debt, in danger of losing her house.

I started with what I thought was the simple stuff, but she was horrified when I told her that sacks of spuds were way cheaper than oven chips. "I haven't got time to wash and peel potatoes!" she told me, in a tone of voice that suggested I was slightly mad for even suggesting it.

Does anyone else remember when those little sachets of microwave rice first came out? The gist of the ad was 'Look at her! Look how successful she is! She must be, because she doesn't even have time to cook rice from scratch!" I was only about 14 at the time, but I remember thinking, surely, nobody is that stupid. Boy, was I wrong... :rotfl:

daisiegg

thriftyniftyme wrote: »

I have a friend who asked me to help one of her other friends save money. Money always spent the day she gets it, up to the eyeballs in debt, in danger of losing her house.

I started with what I thought was the simple stuff, but she was horrified when I told her that sacks of spuds were way cheaper than oven chips. "I haven't got time to wash and peel potatoes!" she told me, in a tone of voice that suggested I was slightly mad for even suggesting it.

Does anyone else remember when those little sachets of microwave rice first came out? The gist of the ad was 'Look at her! Look how successful she is! She must be, because she doesn't even have time to cook rice from scratch!" I was only about 14 at the time, but I remember thinking, surely, nobody is that stupid. Boy, was I wrong... :rotfl:

Do you know what, I use those microwave pouches of rice, and I LOVE them. Sure, if something bad happened and we needed to tighten our belts I know they could go easily and save me money, but at the moment, I will stick to using them. I hate cooking rice, it saves time and washing up, and always produces perfect rice. I do cook virtually everything else from scratch but this is one thing I choose to buy, fully aware of how comparatively expensive it is. I don't think I am stupid, personally. It's just an informed choice.

rachbc

thriftyniftyme wrote: »

I started with what I thought was the simple stuff, but she was horrified when I told her that sacks of spuds were way cheaper than oven chips. "I haven't got time to wash and peel potatoes!" she told me, in a tone of voice that suggested I was slightly mad for even suggesting it.

well it all depends - asda sp chips are 55p a kg, asda spuds 50p....in this area my informed choice is that the prepared are worth the difference. But thats an infromed choice that suits me and my need to sometimes get dinner in the oven and done with minimum effort - sometimes I'll cook chips form scratch but thats for taste not economy. But my point is its my choice - not the supermarkets fault for ripping me off by daring to sell oven chips!

thriftyniftyme

daisiegg wrote: »

Do you know what, I use those microwave pouches of rice, and I LOVE them. Sure, if something bad happened and we needed to tighten our belts I know they could go easily and save me money, but at the moment, I will stick to using them. I hate cooking rice, it saves time and washing up, and always produces perfect rice. I do cook virtually everything else from scratch but this is one thing I choose to buy, fully aware of how comparatively expensive it is. I don't think I am stupid, personally. It's just an informed choice.

But if you know you are paying a premium and can afford to do so, it's an entirely different kettle of fish. If you can afford to buy convenience, can afford to do so, and are aware of what you are doing, that's fine. If you are on the verge of losing your home and only work part-time you can't choose prepared veg out of laziness then complain you're being 'ripped off' or say you're not prepared to peel a spud. Marketing has convinced people, on a conscious or subconscious level, that only 'losers' have time to cook from scratch.

sb44

valk_scot wrote: »

I was talking to my 16 year old last night about the tricks Tesco use to confuse and mislead the shoppers into spending more. Everything from labelling shelf edges with £ per 100g or kg or per item for the same product type to make price comparison more difficult to not putting the special offers on the main shelves with the other similar products but just on the ends of aisles instead. Etc ad nauseum. Perfectly legal tricks but very devious ones. And don't get me onto food labelling.

I'm as bright as the next woman, can do mental arithmetic and am pretty good on understanding food packaging but I wish I could just go in and do a simple walk round shop rather than have to treat it like a Woman V Supermarket gameshow event, sigh.

I will second that.

Went into Tesco to get some Nature Valley bars as I had two 50p coupons, making them 69p a box.

Tesco had 3 shelf fulls of them as they are on offer at half price.

Ever single tray of boxes except one tucked away on the bottom shelf, contained the 12 bar boxes which are £3.99.

It would be very easy to pick up a box which clearly says half price underneath, pay and discover (if you check your receipt which a lot of people don't - I do before leaving the store), that you have got something that you didn't want ie wanted the smaller 6 bar box.

:mad:

daisiegg

thriftyniftyme wrote: »

But if you know you are paying a premium and can afford to do so, it's an entirely different kettle of fish. If you can afford to buy convenience, can afford to do so, and are aware of what you are doing, that's fine. If you are on the verge of losing your home and only work part-time you can't choose prepared veg out of laziness then complain you're being 'ripped off' or say you're not prepared to peel a spud. Marketing has convinced people, on a conscious or subconscious level, that only 'losers' have time to cook from scratch.

Yes you are absolutely right! And in my defence I do cook virtually everything else from scratch (including baking and bread).

thriftyniftyme

rachbc wrote: »

But my point is its my choice - not the supermarkets fault for ripping me off by daring to sell oven chips!

Precisely!

As it was, this girl was buying Mccains. I pay £6 for 25kg spuds and was happy to split a sack with her and show her how to bulk-prep and freeze them.

I have no objection what people choose to spend their money on as long as they can afford to and as long as it doesn't all become someone else's fault the second 'it' and fan collide. I do object to friends begging off my other friends because they are bone idle.

nobodyspecial

spike7451 wrote: »

I watched it & the are some valid points made,like people spending 90p on a bag of pre-sliced carrot battons which equal to about 2 carrots when a 1kg bag of carrots is only 55p...It's basic economics V peoples laziness!
I mean how long does it take to peel a carrot...a minute or less...The argument "I don't have time" doesn't wash.
Supermarket 'convenience' products like pre sliced carrots,potatoes,cauliflower could be renamed "Ready cut for your lazyness"

Not always people's laziness. Some people have disabilities, crippling arthritis in their hands, maybe only one hand ?? Before you excuse them, can you imagine what a niche, and prohibitively expensive, market it would be if only these people bought prepared stuff? What is it with this idea that someone is lazy because they want to buy stuff ready prepared. You have no idea how much effort they may be putting into other areas where perhaps you are too "lazy" to go. My neighbour spends 18 hours a day caring for her severely invalided parents, I think she's a heroine, not lazy for buying peeled carrots, if indeed she does :cool:

FraserSoft

I find most of my shopping is looking out constantly for special offers. A lot of my eating habits are based around foods that are constantly on offer, cornflakes, frozen products etc and I can still eat healthily.

Saturnalia

daisiegg wrote: »

Do you know what, I use those microwave pouches of rice, and I LOVE them. Sure, if something bad happened and we needed to tighten our belts I know they could go easily and save me money, but at the moment, I will stick to using them. I hate cooking rice, it saves time and washing up, and always produces perfect rice. I do cook virtually everything else from scratch but this is one thing I choose to buy, fully aware of how comparatively expensive it is. I don't think I am stupid, personally. It's just an informed choice.

I like the sachet rice too but I stock up when it is on offer or I can find it in the cheapo shops, which happens quite often.