MONEY MORAL DILEMMA: Should super-rich Aristotle still buy bargain bin food?

trejoy

Why should he change his habits? If he wanted to be nice he could always add up his savings and give the cash to his favourite charity.

Cinders2001

No I think he should carry on as he always did.
If he wants to continue saving money, then he should.
(That's why we are all on here, right!!!)

denimmaterial

What's he doing going shopping in a supermarket - has he nothing better to do? He should employ someone to do it for him and spend his time and money doing charitable work!

SilentMinority

If Aristotle was to buy only expensive foods he would be contributing to the increased demand for those expensive foods. This would encourage shops to sell more of those expensive foods (and possibly at even higher prices!).

This could then have a knock-on effect of discouraging those shops from selling cheaper foods. There would be less bargains available and so making it harder on those who rely on the cheap food.

So I think Aristotle should continue to buy the bargains as he is helping to create a demand for them and so helping everyone else to save as well.

Mrs_Optimist

Absolutely he should still buy from the discount bin, the fact that he is rich doesn't come into it. Everyone loves a bargain. Provided he is paying full tax on his money (unlike some multi millionaires in the news this week) I don't see that it is anyone elses business what his financial situation is. What next, smokers shouldn't buy from bargain bins because if they can afford to smoke they can afford to pay full price ? (BTW I am not a smoker, just using this as an example)

falc_2

What Mr Plenty should do is get a life, order his groceries online at an ethical provider or eat out at a restaurant, and go out and do something less boring instead! Unless he actually enjoys shopping in the local bargain bins, in which case, why not? My guess is that loads of rich people read Money Saving expert, because part of the reason the rich are not poor is because they know how to handle money. Also I do think it is wrong to waste money. Perhaps he should give the money saved by shopping economically to the starving? If he shops at an 'ethical' supermarket such as Waitrose or Co-op, then the money will go to fairtrade projects anyway, thus saving him the bother. Actually there is an article in The Telegraph today by Charles Moore about a venture called Good Neighbours, which seeks to link people with money to their less fortunate neighbours. Mr Plenty should shop in whatever way he finds most ethical and most convenient, and then give lots and lots of money to charity.

JayD

Discounted food is normally food that is on (or about to be on) it's final sell by/use by date. So, unless Aristotle is able to eat very large amounts in a very short space of time, he is unlikely to buy huge quantities of it. So what is all the fuss about?
Personally I am extremely cautious about means testing in any shape or form and to restrict Mr O'Plenty's access to bargain bin goodies in a supermarket is a step too far in that direction for me.

jonthedog

No one is talking about means testing or restricting access; this is merely a moral issue for the individual in question. I'm finding it difficult to understand why more people don't view this as selfish behaviour. I considerer myself to be relatively well off and yet I am first in the scrum at sainsbury's...but for this guy moneysaving on this sort of scale is a complete waste of time.

confused1

Leave him be. Rather, shoppers should learn from him.

Justamum

Steel wrote: »

Otherwise you won't stay in the money for very long and be back where you started.

I say rock on Aristotle and well done for not succumbing to the temptations of blowing your cash just 'cos you've got it.

But it says he's inherited billions, not a few hundred quid, so he could probably buy up the entire stock of his local Tesco's and not notice the money he spent! If he lived off the interest alone he would have trouble spending it all.

I've got a cousin who's married to someone earning a very good salary and she shops around in order to save one pound on a few organic veg. Now that's fine if she wants to do that. Personally I can't afford to buy organic anyway, but if money was no object to me I would enjoy not having to scratch around trying to find bargains.