Do you buy reduced price goods when you see them?
@owlwings (43915)
Cambridge, England
October 28, 2008 10:55am CST
I was in our local market just now and bought a red pepper which had a yellow sticker on and was half price (49p as opposed to 93p). There were several in the box, all perfectly good and firm, and I noticed a guy next to me picking out ones at full price. I pointed out that there were ones on offer and he just said 'Ah, thanks. I don't plan to use these right away but thanks anyway.' There was, I think, a day's difference between the sell by dates!
I guess he is earning a good salary (and probably his wife too - that's why he was shopping), is mortgaged up to the hilt, probably has kids or maybe a baby on the way, yet nobody has taught him the joy of getting something at half price!
I often buy reduced goods, even when they weren't on the list. If it's something I wouldn't normally buy, I take them home and go online for a recipe for a delicious and inventive meal!
10 people like this
28 responses
@grandpa_lash (5225)
• Australia
1 Nov 08
On our budget we couldn't afford not to. Besides, when I was cooking for a living, I got a job with St. Vincent de Paul cooking for their sop\up kitchen, and we got a lot of our food from the Food Bank, much of it past its use by date, and with a great deal of that stuff, the use-by date is extremely conservative. Often you have a week, like yoghurt for instance.
Lash
1 person likes this
@mariposaman (2959)
• Canada
29 Oct 08
Absolutely! I check it first to make sure it is still in some kind of shape and not mouldy or anything. I have to plan on cooking it right away and either using it up in the next few days after cooking or freezing it for later. I simply do not make enough money to pass by a bargain. Miserly? not really, it is a matter of survival and maintaining some standard of living I might not enjoy if I were not careful with my money as I am poor. I now have a food dehydrator so I hope in the future to try my hand at that if I find an abundance of some fresh produce that I want to save for later.
1 person likes this
@mikeysmom (2088)
• United States
29 Oct 08
i do buy them when is see them and know they are still edible and good. i love red peppers but rarely buy them because they are so expensive but when is see them reduced i buy them and then fry them up. they are so delicious.
1 person likes this
@mcelhenney (481)
• United States
29 Oct 08
Hello.owlwings,Yes, I buy things that are on sale all the time.There is certainly not any thing wrong with it. Whether it be food ,clothes,toys or any thing else if it is some thing that I can use,I will buy it.I started buying things that were reduced last year after christmas.I buy during the year when I see anything reduced so I have most of my shopping done for christmas now. Have a great day.
1 person likes this
@littlefranciscan (18327)
• United States
29 Oct 08
Sometimes I do buy reduced items in the store..I know at our local supermarket: "Foodland' They will have a buggy of reduced items..
For example..bananas that are againg really quickly or some vegetables..IF there is some good part in the item..I usually pick of such reduced items. I like to save money
1 person likes this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
1 Nov 08
In our supermarket there is a table in the fruit and veg section that has goods marked down to sometimes as low as a quarter of the original price. I pick up fruit and veg for my goats...it might have a mark or be bruised or maybe a bit wrinkled but it's still ok as far as I'm concerned and the price is certainly right. I cook up the granny smith apples for me sometimes or munch on the delicious apples. Zucchinis and carrots are shared between the goats and I as well. They don't mind the bruised stuff and I get the good stuff...lol. The goats have plenty to graze on at the moment but I still spoil them in the evening with a little bit of fruit and vege mix and they get a wheat cake (cereal) in the morning...I buy the generic brand.
I love a bargain.
Funny how some people won't touch these goods.
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
1 Nov 08
I was really most amazed (and amused) at the guy who turned down my tip. Vegetables, chicken and cheese, particularly have shot up in price and anyone with any sense can look at something and see that it's in good condition - especially vegetables!
2 people like this
@jstmarfz (1498)
• United States
29 Oct 08
I like buying goods on sale because it helps us save the budget or money we spend. But we also have to make sure about the expiring date of it. It is really fun to buy on sale goods because you can buy more other goods too. Buying goods on sale, we have to make it sure also that the good/s are in good condition.
1 person likes this
@mimico (3617)
• Philippines
29 Oct 08
Hello, I don't have anything against buying reduced goods. Like you said, it's the smartest way to shop. But when it comes to food, I am more picky. If the product doesn't look that fresh as compared to the regular priced fruits, then I'll get the regular priced ones. If the price difference is over a dollar then I'll definitely think of getting the ones on sale. :)
1 person likes this
@lazeebee (5461)
• Malaysia
29 Oct 08
I wouldn't mind buying reduced price goods. The reduced prices often attract me, but I would check to see if they are not expired goods, still in good condition, and not from suspect countries. These kinds of offers help a lot towards cost savings!
@hildas (3031)
•
29 Oct 08
Yes I love a bargin. I think if the food looks fine and you will be using it up, then it is fine.
I bought half price meat last week. I could not believe what a bargin it was. I filled my freezer with it. I asked the guy in the store, why it was reduced, as the date was not up until the next day. He told me they had ordered too much.
Some people I know talk about people who buy reduced foods, they say they are misers. I certainly am not. If it is going to be used up instead of wasted or thrown out, it is good to buy it.
There is lots of people who throw out a tone of food at the end of the week, this is waste, just waste.
Times are hard at the moment and I think saving every penny is extremely important right now. Yes getting a bargin is a joy to me also.
@061234217 (133)
• China
29 Oct 08
Sure I do.If the good is not alterative and have a more acceptable price,why rufuse it?I think it is a good quality to save money not matter you are rich or not.
1 person likes this
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
31 Oct 08
We usually do a shopping list before going shopping. My wife just prepares a week in advance what she is going to cook and by the ingredients only that we need. This help us not to over spend money in groceries. © ronaldinu 2008
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
31 Oct 08
A shopping list is a very good plan. It is always good to leave one or two items up to the whim of the shopper. Then you have the leeway to grab those absolute bargains in the reduced section. Another tip is to NEVER go shopping whilst hungry. One always buys more than one needs.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
29 Oct 08
I might not do this so much with food items, but do hunt for bargains otherwise and found a few goldmines at on-line sites such as ebay, amazon.com, alibris. I'm a real bookworm, and often get used copies of books I've been wanting to get...why pay full price when the used copy (usually in excellent condition) is often half price or less? As far as food, unfortunately in the markets near me they don't have half price sales for foods near their expiration date....a real shame, no?
@ersmommy1 (12588)
• United States
31 Oct 08
Yes I do. If the peppers appeared in good condition I would buy them. We buy bread from a bakery thrift store as well. It has always been wonderful. Some people just don't know what they are missing. Like extra money in their pocket.
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
1 Nov 08
We buy reduced goods all the time now. When I was earning a good salary I also did not buy food that was getting a bit old. These days I cannot afford not to so I check the date and freeze it as soon as I get home that way it keeps until we are ready to eat it.
Cannot do that with veggies but I do it with sausages that are sold at half price to be eaten within a day. Yes I do know the joy of getting something at half price and I am careful that the food we eat is still ok.
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
28 Oct 08
They don't reduce stuff like that here, they just end up throwing it away. What a waste!
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
28 Oct 08
What a waste, indeed, Dawnald! Where is 'here'? Ah! El Dorado Hills! Well, if the dirt you walk on is as golden as the name suggests, then perhaps the store owners are prepared to accept their losses!
The fact is, of course, that the economics of running a store mean that the customers have already bought the stuff that gets thrown out! You could make a legal case for going round the back to pick what you wanted out of the dumpsters, because it's rightfully yours (if you are a regular client). It's more than likely that much of it is taken home to feed the families of the Mexican check-out and shelf-filling assistants: I know that they are paid little enough for the hard work they seem to do - always with a smile! That is certainly what happens in supermarkets here (though there are quite strict rules and much good stuff still gets thrown out).
1 person likes this
@rebelann (111252)
• El Paso, Texas
5 Dec 19
If it's organic foods then yeah, I'd buy at a cheaper price if I can get it.
