It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

YoungBlueEyes

I did, once, take a photo of the SEL. The staff said they had to see it for themselves. Fair enough like. 

If it rings up at £4 each rather than 2for£5 (or whatever) I always say “c’mere and I’ll show ya” and we go look. I do that since the time staff went back by herself and when she returned she said they couldn’t honour the price I “claimed” to have seen as there was no SEL on it (!) 

It isn’t confrontational, it’s buying things at the advertised price. 

sammy_kaye18

@OrkneyStar and @timehastoldme I hope you are both feeling better soon. 

I am still struggling with a nice cold type lurgy although I've tested negative three times now but safe to say it is kicking my bottom and I am just exhausted even doing small household chores. Between a stuffy nose, gunky throat, temperature and a slight headache - I could just sleep for Wales at the minute. 

Take it easy both and I cant recommend knorr super noodle soup enough. That's by far my favourite easy meal and it tastes yummy. That was always my mums go to food when me and my sister were sick and plenty of Lucozade ( I think im traumatised by being forced to drink that when poorly that I haven't drank it since!) 

amber03

Sammy-Kaye, like you I used to reduce food in the supermarket I used to work in. Got to know a lot of people who used to come in just for the reduced stuff, some were lovely and others just so rude. Needless to say who I would go out of my way to help. I’ve had trollies bashed into my legs and I’ve been pulled out of the way by somebody who didn’t realise I was working there and who sheepishly apologised when they realised. Quite often I was told by managers to go and do my reductions off the shop floor and when I came through the doors they would all be waiting for me.

Starting to stockpile bits for winter and starting to collect stuff for Xmas. Only a couple of tins at the moment. I do forward plan ahead, which actually came in handy when Covid hit the first time and I had a lot of stuff in and didn’t need to go out much. Always looking for bargains, reductions and bulk buying if it’s what we need.x

Auntycaz

@sammy_kaye18 make sureto pop your flour in the freezer for a couple of days to kill any weevils that might be lurking.
My local waitrose no longer put all the reduced items in one section. The food is reduced and put back on the shelves it is sold from. Don't know if this is because of squabbles though.

Florenceem

I think we will see a lot more of the squabbling over reduced items in shops.
I am afraid that I see - don't want to call it greed  - people taking lots - maybe more than they need - when I put out free food at my SA. The quick,fitter ones get there first and leave very little for others.

EssexHebridean

YoungBlueEyes said:

I did, once, take a photo of the SEL. The staff said they had to see it for themselves. Fair enough like. 

If it rings up at £4 each rather than 2for£5 (or whatever) I always say “c’mere and I’ll show ya” and we go look. I do that since the time staff went back by herself and when she returned she said they couldn’t honour the price I “claimed” to have seen as there was no SEL on it (!) 

It isn’t confrontational, it’s buying things at the advertised price. 

I wasn't accusing you of being confrontational (hence my wording), just noting that it can be perceived that way by staff who feel they are not being trusted when in fact it's not their fault at all what the policy is! And yes - quite often they DO need to see the thing themselves - however as I said, it avoids them trying to take what might be the company line of telling you that in fact you were mistaken about the offer - because you've already mentioned that you have evidence of what was there. I always remember some years ago seeing exactly that situation play out on a store - very young checkout girl who went away to check, came back and said "sorry, there's no offer like that, you must have been mistaken" and the customer then said "you're lying - I know what I saw" and then produced a photo as evidence - the poor checkout girl burst into tears on the spot and said they were given no choice and had to say that the offer had never been there - her manager came over and was equally cross with the checkout girl for having given away the "secret" AND the customer who it must be said could have been less abrupt about it but in fairness was also horrified both by the fact that the store concerned would routinely try to have customers over like this AND that the girl on the till was so upset. I'd always rather avoid a situation where someone can feel awkward or embarrassed if I possibly can - it just feels kinder to me, and particularly where it takes so little effort on my part.  

I really dislike seeing people get so pushing around the poor person doing the reductions Amber & Sammy_Kaye - it's so unnecessary - and in my experience if you stand back politely and wait quite often the person with the sticker gun will ask you if there is anything in particular you're interested in, and do that for you ahead of other stuff too, which is always a bonus! 

sammy_kaye18

amber03 said:

Sammy-Kaye,
Starting to stockpile bits for winter and starting to collect stuff for Xmas. Only a couple of tins at the moment. I do forward plan ahead, which actually came in handy when Covid hit the first time and I had a lot of stuff in and didn’t need to go out much. Always looking for bargains, reductions and bulk buying if it’s what we need.x

We did similar when Covid hit. I didnt panic buy but just brought a few extra tins or packets when I could afford it and it really helped us to stay inside and safe. I did manage to find deals for 6 1kg bags of flour during covid so I brought plain and my MIL brought Self Raising and we traded 3 of each. We also use ot share BOGOFs but they are few and far between now.
I also learnt a lot about stretching food and baking as well during lockdown which has continued since and making myself a garden not only provided plenty of outside time but it is paying off now with fresh vegetables for us. I have cucumber, runner beans, peas, lettuce, rocket, carrots, courgette, radishes, strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, and rhubarb all growing at the minute and I a have just started winter veg of leeks, sprouts and cabbage. I also have more carrots to plant nearer the time. I would love to be fully self sufficient and not rely on supermarkets but I am far from it yet. Seriously considering finding a small plot of land to rent though to keep chickens and grow more veg! 

Auntycaz said:

@sammy_kaye18 make sureto pop your flour in the freezer for a couple of days to kill any weevils that might be lurking.

Will do. I have a chest freezer which is perfect for space to sort it out and then I put into air tight containers and into my preps. 

IFlorenceem said:

 think we will see a lot more of the squabbling over reduced items in shops.
I am afraid that I see - don't want to call it greed  - people taking lots - maybe more than they need - when I put out free food at my SA. The quick, fitter ones get there first and leave very little for others.

That's so sad, we use to get lots of elderly people coming in to look for yellow stickers so I use to try and keep some aside for them especially if there was meat products etc that I knew they would get a few meals from. 

sammy_kaye18

EssexHebridean said:

I really dislike seeing people get so pushing around the poor person doing the reductions Amber & Sammy_Kaye - it's so unnecessary - and in my experience if you stand back politely and wait quite often the person with the sticker gun will ask you if there is anything in particular you're interested in, and do that for you ahead of other stuff too, which is always a bonus! 

Exactly kindness and consideration cost nothing - and tbh if there was someone like who gave me space who I could see holding a YS item that they knew was going to be marked down - Id go out of my way to help them too and sort them first before half the stuff on the shelf. 

marycanary

Although I like a bargain, I avoid YS items because I am fortunate to be earning a decent wage so I don't need them. I leave them for someone who needs them to feed themselves and their family.

When the energy cap increased in April, I was talking to a friend of a friend. The conversation came round to the cost of living and money saving tips.  One of her "tips" was to lie when asking for things on freegle, Facebook and freecycle and say you have been homeless and are just setting up a home or you are unemployed, ill or need it for your child/children. I couldn't believe what I was hearing but she was proud of being so clever. I am sure she is the type to push others aside to get to YS items while claiming she needs them for her children.

This woman and her husband are solicitors, they are landlords of at least one house. I don't know what their financial situation is but they are not homeless, unemployed or too ill to work, I doubt their children are going hungry.

-taff

marycanary said:

When the energy cap increased in April, I was talking to a friend of a friend. The conversation came round to the cost of living and money saving tips.  One of her "tips" was to lie when asking for things on freegle, Facebook and freecycle and say you have been homeless and are just setting up a home or you are unemployed, ill or need it for your child/children. I couldn't believe what I was hearing but she was proud of being so clever. I am sure she is the type to push others aside to get to YS items while claiming she needs them for her children.

Might work on some of the freecycle sites where there is only an interim mod but it doesn't work on the one I run. I've set up hotwords that send ti straight to moderation if there is any hint of a sob story, then I edit or reject.