View Full Version : Greed? - January sales
The Vinyl Adventure
26-12-2009, 16:50
Has anyone seen the pictures of people in the sales? I hve just seen some shots of people lining up to get into selfriges in Brum, followed by people manicly buyin whole arm fulls of hand bags and shoes. It reminded me a little of when on safari, me and hannah saw some lions walk away from a kill after having thier fill... Moments later hyena, jakel, and vultures came and fought each other for the remaining morsels!
Everyone likes a bargain but frankly I'd rather pay full price than do what these people were doing today!
It didn't even apear that the people were buying things they wanted, they were just buying because it was cheap! That's what really get me, buying fir the sake of buying! Jus because a handbag cost £175 instead of £350 doesn't make it more worth owning! I wonder what pecentage of shite bought today sits in the bottom of peoples wardrobes and never gets worn or used??
Rare Bird
26-12-2009, 17:07
It's pathetic Hamish.People are just pure self centred these days..
Beechwoods
26-12-2009, 17:15
I couldn't agree more. People are desparately trying to fill a hole; shopping is the new opium of the people :)
The Vinyl Adventure
26-12-2009, 17:31
Il quite happily admit that when it comes to my hobbies I will spend spend spend, but I use and get a lot of pleasure out of my hifi and camera's! Is handbags and shoes a hobbie to these people? Maybe in one out of a hundred of them, but the rest are just buying because it's cheap... And still spending over the odds because it says jimmy cho on the bottom! A well made shoe is a well made shoe, I really can't see how it being made by a designer makes it that much nicer? I bought hannah a pair of boots for Xmas from top shop for £75 and they are easily as nic as some of the ones we saw that were 3 times as much with some "name" on the saide ... I just don't get it?!
The Vinyl Adventure
26-12-2009, 17:37
All this desire for designer brands is in the same pot as celebrity obsesion, celebritys are just people that more people know of, it doesn't make them any better!! Designer shoes are just celebrity shoes!! And people fall for it.. They waste thier money, waste thier time, and waste their lives obsesing over them... Oh well never mind, I guess it doesn't effect me...
All I could think of is, "baaaaaaaa!"
The Vinyl Adventure
26-12-2009, 17:43
I'm sat here moaning, but i'm actually in a really good mood, there is nothing like a bit of walace and grommit to put a smile on your face! The little bunnys in the curse of the ware rabbit are so insanely cute!!
Beechwoods
26-12-2009, 19:11
All I could think of is, "baaaaaaaa!"
... Humbug! :lol: ;)
aquapiranha
26-12-2009, 19:22
I think a lot of the people shopping today may have been given gift vouchers and are trying to make the most of them while the prices are cut.
Having said that it is a bit sad that people will spend so much on 'designer' gear just because the latest flavour of the month 'celebrity' was wearing it. It does seem like these people are trying to fill a void in their lives, and if they judge people by their shoes then that is a bit sad.
Beechwoods
26-12-2009, 19:27
I must admit that you can tell a lot from people's shoes. I'm a DM / black trainers kind of guy. I'm always suspicious of chaps sporting tan shoes... slip-on's are a no-no and plimsolls were designed for 5 year olds not grown men!
But I do know what you mean!
steveinspain
26-12-2009, 19:52
Il quite happily admit that when it comes to my hobbies I will spend spend spend, but I use and get a lot of pleasure out of my hifi and camera's!
Hamish,
I was once an active poster on a photography forum but got so cheesed off with all the posts asking what was the best lens or camera.
It is a tool to achieve a result - if you don't know why you need a lens, you don't need it...!
Spending on something you use and enjoy is right - spending because you think you need (ie want) something is little more than silly. We all like to have the best if whatever we like, and fine if you know why you want it and can use it but so many people out there have a fancy camera and use it on auto, or have £10000's worth of stereo and 3 cd's. Seems slightly wrong to me !
I have 2 pairs of shoes - both trainers, both are comfy, and neither look smart.
I couldn't give a monkeys who thinks they look cool or otherwise. If my shoes do their job then fine by me. People who are guided by fashion are not really worth the time of day in my not-so-humble opinion...
Happy Humbug to you all..
I must admit that you can tell a lot from people's shoes. I'm a DM / black trainers kind of guy. I'm always suspicious of chaps sporting tan shoes... slip-on's are a no-no and plimsolls were designed for 5 year olds not grown men!
What does a pair of high-heeled Jimmy Choos (and a cheeky wee grin) say about a chap, then dahling? http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/600/freerandomsmileys352.gif (http://img40.imageshack.us/i/freerandomsmileys352.gif/) :lol:
Marco.
aquapiranha
26-12-2009, 20:08
What does a pair of high-heeled Jimmy Choos (and a cheeky wee grin) say about a chap, then dahling? http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/600/freerandomsmileys352.gif (http://img40.imageshack.us/i/freerandomsmileys352.gif/) :lol:
Marco.
It says that he is not actually a chap....
Hope you had a good one Marco.
Sure did, matey... Hope you did, too!
Currently enjoying a large Drambuie with ice whilst listening to John Coltrane's 'Africa' on vinyl :cool:
Marco.
P.S Re: sales... It always amuses me the way that the uncouth rabble behave like mindless cattle when there's a few quid off some shite or other in shops! :eyebrows:
Last term, a fairly out-of control ASDAN year 11 group, six in number.
'Ere Sir, you're wearing trainers (black shoe style bought from Shoe Zone for comfort)."
"Wot make are they?"
No reply from me..
"Nah, they're only sh*t Gola's." (almost worn out, but I didn't enlighten them)
I haven't ever bought shoes for the "name." These days, if they're comfy, acceptable looking and last well I don't mind.
We have "Sales" almost every other month, so why go mad now????????
Currently enjoying a large Drambuie with ice whilst listening to John Coltrane's 'Africa' on vinyl :cool:
Marco.
:
You lucky man.
Currently stuffed, posting on here and madame has a soppy US film on.....
Rare Bird
26-12-2009, 20:24
I must admit that you can tell a lot from people's shoes. I'm a DM / black trainers kind of guy. I'm always suspicious of chaps sporting tan shoes... slip-on's are a no-no and plimsolls were designed for 5 year olds not grown men!
But I do know what you mean!
:lolsign: No matter what occasion scruffy t shirt & jeans, Hush puppies tan suade desert dockers for me..:lol: Not catch me buying clothes..
People who are guided by fashion are not really worth the time of day in my not-so-humble opinion...
Happy Humbug to you all..
I find that statement a bit harsh
I'm not guided by fashion per-say but definately not that old to not give a stuff yet about what i look like and have always had an interest in what i wear and enjoy buying my own clothes, i think men over 20 that wear white socks apart from sport need to take a good look at themselves and don't even go there with socks and sandles.
Buying stuff in sales for myself and my wife (yes i do buy her clothes throughout the year) always puts a smile on my face but i don't go out of my way to queue up at the crack of dawn just to get that bargain, i'm quite happy to have a rumage another day.
If you saw a piece of hifi in a sale would you turn your nose up at it becuase it was marked down ? you might even queue for it, i just like to get a bargain no matter what it is
hifinutt
26-12-2009, 21:48
oh dear, i`ve been out at the sales today..... didn`t find a lot though !! it was crowded in comet tho, what recession i thought!!!
The Vinyl Adventure
27-12-2009, 00:27
Hamish,
I was once an active poster on a photography forum but got so cheesed off with all the posts asking what was the best lens or camera.
It is a tool to achieve a result - if you don't know why you need a lens, you don't need it...!
Spending on something you use and enjoy is right - spending because you think you need (ie want) something is little more than silly. We all like to have the best if whatever we like, and fine if you know why you want it and can use it but so many people out there have a fancy camera and use it on auto, or have £10000's worth of stereo and 3 cd's. Seems slightly wrong to me !
I have 2 pairs of shoes - both trainers, both are comfy, and neither look smart.
I couldn't give a monkeys who thinks they look cool or otherwise. If my shoes do their job then fine by me. People who are guided by fashion are not really worth the time of day in my not-so-humble opinion...
Happy Humbug to you all..
ha, you and me would get on just fine (1 pair of brown trainers, 2 pairs of jeans, 4 shirts) il give fashionable people the time of day, I just think they are barmy worrying about thier apperance so much! I care about my missis clothes though, I like buying her clothes and shoes and stuff (we go shopping and I pay - I'd get it wrong if I did the choosing) it makes her happy, and look hot, which makes me happy... :lol: (I'm not really shallow, honest!)
photography forums are full of that nonsence, wait til I get mine going.. It will much better!!
The Vinyl Adventure
27-12-2009, 00:34
I find that statement a bit harsh
I'm not guided by fashion per-say but definately not that old to not give a stuff yet about what i look like and have always had an interest in what i wear and enjoy buying my own clothes, i think men over 20 that wear white socks apart from sport need to take a good look at themselves and don't even go there with socks and sandles.
Buying stuff in sales for myself and my wife (yes i do buy her clothes throughout the year) always puts a smile on my face but i don't go out of my way to queue up at the crack of dawn just to get that bargain, i'm quite happy to have a rumage another day.
If you saw a piece of hifi in a sale would you turn your nose up at it becuase it was marked down ? you might even queue for it, i just like to get a bargain no matter what it is
I might queue for a bargin bit of hifi, but you would def not find me waiting outside the shop for hours before hand and then scrambleing to get it, it's just not in my nature! (I'm too cynical or a start, if it was that good people would have bought it at full price) I prefer a bargain that I have been wise enough to sniff out, not fight the masses for!
The Vinyl Adventure
27-12-2009, 00:45
oh dear, i`ve been out at the sales today..... didn`t find a lot though !! it was crowded in comet tho, what recession i thought!!!
I suspect it's the recession that has caused such madness! I think that people are perhaps taking advantage of the last days of 15% vat and probably over spending under the ilusion that if they buy stuff now they are getting a "good deal" ...
I'd personnaly rather get somthing I realy like for a little more money rather than hunt out a bargain compromise... Imnnot sure everyone thinks like that though..
I will not wear anything with a 'designer' label, or logo, on principle. If they want me to be a walking billboard for them, then they should pay me to wear their over-priced clothes.
As for shopping, whenever I do shop, I have a list, I go in, buy what I need and get out quick. I don't do window shopping. I do occasionally (very occasionally) go to the supermarket with my housemate. It's a nightmare. She spends hours looking at things. Is she going to buy them? No. What's the point of looking at things you're not going to buy?
Apart from the supermarket and local shop (and McD's), the only other shop I go to is Borders, the bookshop. But they've closed down now. Which is a travesty. Where else am I going to buy my monthly Hi-Fi World? :(
Rare Bird
27-12-2009, 08:57
Where else am I going to buy my monthly Hi-Fi World? :(
Don't worry Kris you buy one issue you bought em all :lol:
:sofa:
(1 pair of brown trainers, 2 pairs of jeans, 4 shirts) il give fashionable people the time of day, I just think they are barmy worrying about thier apperance so much!
You got more cloths then me then :lolsign:
btw: what the hell is a shirt?
The Vinyl Adventure
27-12-2009, 09:12
I will not wear anything with a 'designer' label, or logo, on principle. If they want me to be a walking billboard for them, then they should pay me to wear their over-priced clothes.
As for shopping, whenever I do shop, I have a list, I go in, buy what I need and get out quick. I don't do window shopping. I do occasionally (very occasionally) go to the supermarket with my housemate. It's a nightmare. She spends hours looking at things. Is she going to buy them? No. What's the point of looking at things you're not going to buy?
Apart from the supermarket and local shop (and McD's), the only other shop I go to is Borders, the bookshop. But they've closed down now. Which is a travesty. Where else am I going to buy my monthly Hi-Fi World? :(
I completely agree, Supermarkets are terible, I never know where anything is, always feel like I'm being tricked into buy stuff I didn't want and just generally get a overwhelming feeling of stress when I walk through the door!
The man who invented tesco delivery needs a medal.... Well, I'd at least buy him a pint! The best thing is, I can just get hannah to do that, so all I have to do is carry the stuff from the front door!
Rare Bird
27-12-2009, 09:16
The man who invented tesco delivery needs a medal.... Well, I'd at least buy him a pint! The best thing is, I can just get hannah to do that, so all I have to do is carry the stuff from the front door!
:lol: Yeh same here but we have Asda...
The Vinyl Adventure
27-12-2009, 09:25
We flirted with asda delivery too, but went back to tesco because it had a list of stuff we had bought before - because there is a standard list of essential items we always have (bertoili spread, lime sauce shower gell, crunchy nut corn flakes etc) it became a 20 min job ... Even easier! I have also just realised we have side access directly to the back door/kitchen in our new house so I can get it delivered to the right room of the house now... Happy days!!
Rare Bird
27-12-2009, 10:47
Whats the Tesco online shopping like, i find Asda labourious! You can guarentee there's the odd thing missing when it arrives aswell...
Spectral Morn
27-12-2009, 10:51
We flirted with asda delivery too, but went back to tesco because it had a list of stuff we had bought before - because there is a standard list of essential items we always have (bertoili spread, lime sauce shower gell, crunchy nut corn flakes etc) it became a 20 min job ... Even easier! I have also just realised we have side access directly to the back door/kitchen in our new house so I can get it delivered to the right room of the house now... Happy days!!
Asda is good for DVDs generally cheaper than Tesco's, especially on their weekly special, which could be say around £8.
Not been any where near the sales yet. Problem with sales these days (in most kind of shops) is its not items that haven't sold during the year, but items bought in for the sale. HMV and the like (Virgin, OurPrice etc when they existed)...all did this. So very little in new discoveries just same old same old.
Regards D S D L
The Vinyl Adventure
27-12-2009, 11:05
Whats the Tesco online shopping like, i find Asda labourious! You can guarentee there's the odd thing missing when it arrives aswell...
That's the other reason we didn't go back to asda, they forgot a load of stuff!
Tesco always substitute where they don't havethe exact stock then give you the option to refuse the substitute if you don't like it.. The substitutions are often a bit odd, they sent us corona as a substitute for some bottles of ale once... Bar that, we rarely have any problems, they are always within the early part of the designated time slot, and the guys that come to us always offer to carry it to the kitchen for you! We might be lucky though, I have heard bad things, but I guess that's fairly standard for a company as big as tesco!
So long ago now, but the KJ Sales used to have a long queue outside the dorrs by opening time. In the Watford shop (empty since Acoustic Arts left a few years ago) the crowds at the spacious counters used to be three or four deep..
Seems like a different world now. It was..
Hi Hamish,
I completely agree, Supermarkets are terible, I never know where anything is, always feel like I'm being tricked into buy stuff I didn't want and just generally get a overwhelming feeling of stress when I walk through the door!
I completely agree too! But the answer is not....
The man who invented tesco delivery needs a medal....
No - he deserves to be shot because such nonsense is yet another example of a lazy-thinking/attitude and the convenience over quality mentality in today's society :doh:
The answer is to support your local independent shops and/or source things from local producers :)
If more people did that then supermarkets wouldn't have taken over everything and have become the (largely) horrible thought-controlling places (as you alluded to) that they are now! Andre, sorry, you're just as bad, and anyone else who chooses to shop for food via a bloody computer. I have strong feelings about this. It goes back to the 'being human' thing again I've discussed before in topics on other threads.
We only use supermarkets when we have to for things we can't get elsewhere, and buy our meat from a proper butcher (all his meat comes from cattle on his own farm) and our fruit and vegetables from the local farm shop because we value top-quality freshest as possible produce, where you can examine exactly what you're getting before you buy it... This is largely how life is in most other countries in Europe, outwith of the biggest cities.
What chance is there of getting the best stuff if you let some dickhead in Tesco or Asda pick it for you, where the produce has been stored for goodness knows how long and handled by umpteen people? Chances are you'll end up with all the bashed and bruised shit close to its sell-by date they want to get rid of, or as you've mentioned, things you want ending up being forgotten!
Try to support the small independent retailers whenever you can, and less town centres will become the graveyards many have turned into in recent times as people (like sheep) flock to the out-of-town superstores (or shop on-line) and continue to put the little people who genuinely care about quality and service out of business....
If you want things to change for the better then only the behaviour of the consumers can make it happen, so that means switching off your computer, getting off your arse and going out and supporting individual retailers, and putting quality before convenience!
<Rant over> :cool:
Marco.
anthonyTD
27-12-2009, 15:44
Hi Hamish,
I completely agree too! But the answer is not....
No - he deserves to be shot because such nonsense is yet another example of a lazy-thinking/attitude and the convenience over quality mentality in today's society :doh:
The answer is to support your local independent shops and/or source things from local producers :)
If more people did that then supermarkets wouldn't have taken over everything and have become the (largely) horrible thought-controlling places (as you alluded to) that they are now! Andre, sorry, you're just as bad, and anyone else who chooses to shop for food via a bloody computer. I have strong feelings about this. It goes back to the 'being human' thing again I've discussed before in topics on other threads.
We only use supermarkets when we have to for things we can't get elsewhere, and buy our meat from a proper butcher (all his meat comes from cattle on his own farm) and our fruit and vegetables from the local farm shop because we value top-quality freshest as possible produce, where you can examine exactly what you're getting before you buy it... This is largely how life is in most other countries in Europe, outwith of the biggest cities.
What chance is there of getting the best stuff if you let some dickhead in Tesco or Asda pick it for you, where the produce has been stored for goodness knows how long and handled by umpteen people? Chances are you'll end up with all the bashed and bruised shit close to its sell-by date they want to get rid of, or as you've mentioned, things you want ending up being forgotten!
Try to support the small independent retailers whenever you can, and less town centres will become the graveyards many have turned into in recent times as people (like sheep) flock to the out-of-town superstores (or shop on-line) and continue to put the little people who genuinely care about quality and service out of business....
If you want things to change for the better then only the behaviour of the consumers can make it happen, so that means switching off your computer, getting off your arse and going out and supporting individual retailers, and putting quality before convenience!
<Rant over> :cool:
Marco.
:)
Spectral Morn
27-12-2009, 19:03
My wife and I decided a number of years ago...probably about 10 that we would get all our meat, vegetables and fruit from local shops or markets, and that is what we do to this day. Yes we do get the odd thing from the multiples in the way of the sort of items mentioned, but the bulk of it does not come from supermarkets. Yes it costs a bit more, but the quality is there which it quite often is not if you get it from Tesco's etc.
We do get the packaged items from a supermarket, but if its fresh it does not come from there.
Long live the sole traders.....
Regards D S D L
Another vote for local independent/market traders, for fresh veggies they are usually half the price of the supermarkets. We even have a really good deli that does the most fantastic salami/pepperoni/chorizo thingies a bloody sight cheaper than any supermarket. Since when was one shop selling a dozen brands of crisps rather than a dozen shops each selling one brand competition? Bloody con.:steam:
Live and let live I say - how many of those sale goers would think what we do is "normal" ?
As far as supporting local businesses (butchers, green grocers etc.) - I totally agree in principal - but like any trade, you get good and bad, and just because they are local and independent that doesn't always mean good! I've paid pretty exorbitant prices for local produce in the past, and whilst some of it is amazing, other times it is mediocre at best - the public generally votes with its feet, whether we agree or not!
EDIT: I generally buy quality clothing and shoes - but not because it is "designer" because it is well made from good materials - i.e. John White shoes, which although they are expensive, can be sent back for refurbishment (new soles, laces, a good "service") for only around £15.) A quality suit is rarely money wasted, if you need to look smart for work, I only buy double-cuff shirts, too. Often, I buy "designer" clothes, sometimes with a visible "badge" but very rarely because of the fact that it is designer.
Bloody hell, nice one chaps - there's hope yet! I thought that I might be the lone voice of reason on this... :)
The day I buy my groceries on a bloody computer and get some oik from Asda or Tesco to pick my shopping (and produce) for me is the day I shove my head inside a gas oven!! :mental:
Alex,
I agree, but there's nothing like finding a quality local supplier for all your meat and veg, using them regularly and building up a rapport with them, thus ensuring that you always get the best produce they have and at the keenest prices, not to mention a friendly (and knowledgeable) face behind the counter! :cool:
You'll never get that from a bloody supermarket!!
Marco.
Marco, you're letting your comfortable position get in the way again...;)
There have been times when we've NEEDED to take advantage of Tesco Direct and I can only praise the people at the Ipswich Martlesham Heath store very highly for their careful choice of goods and very courteous and prompt service. In fact, the staff tend to be a bit older and with obviously more common sense there we found. I can't say I agree with Tesco's global domination tendencies, but praise where it's due..
Currently, we use the local Morrisons, who's fruit has taken a big downturn here. We have a new Lidl (spit if you like) and their fruit can be much better..
We even tried Alex's local Asda (the smaller one) and found it wanting..
have you fella's seen on the news how busy John Lewis and Selfridges have been? Crazy!
Spectral Morn
27-12-2009, 20:34
Marco, you're letting your comfortable position get in the way again...;)
There have been times when we've NEEDED to take advantage of Tesco Direct and I can only praise the people at the Ipswich Martlesham Heath store very highly for their careful choice of goods and very courteous and prompt service. In fact, the staff tend to be a bit older and with obviously more common sense there we found. I can't say I agree with Tesco's global domination tendencies, but praise where it's due..
Currently, we use the local Morrisons, who's fruit has taken a big downturn here. We have a new Lidl (spit if you like) and their fruit can be much better..
We even tried Alex's local Asda (the smaller one) and found it wanting..
have you fella's seen on the news how busy John Lewis and Selfridges have been? Crazy!
John Lewis business model is very different....the staff all own part of the business....its John Lewis Partners. Their staff are highly motivated and offer good service imho.
Regards D S D L
Hi Dave,
There have been times when we've NEEDED to take advantage of Tesco Direct and I can only praise the people at the Ipswich Martlesham Heath store very highly for their careful choice of goods and very courteous and prompt service.
Sorry, educate me here, why "NEEDED" - is it cheaper that way or something? :scratch:
I agree with you on the quality of fruit (and veg) in Lidl or Aldi often being better than that available in so-called 'posher' supermarkets. The reason is because they're German-based and quality-controlled on that basis, and Germans wouldn't put up with some of the shite that we do! ;)
As for how busy John Lewis and Selfridges are - good luck to them, as I certainly won't be joining in the havoc there (and wouldn't do so even if I lived in London)!
Marco.
I agree with that Neil. When Allders closed in Ipswich, I hoped that JL would come in to replace them. I forget who did now, but it wasn't John Lewis sadly.....:(
Hi Dave,
Sorry, Dave, educate me here, why "NEEDED" - is it cheaper that way or something? :scratch:
I agree with you on the quality of fruit (and veg) in Lidl or Aldi often being better than that available in so-called 'posher' supermarkets. The reason is because they're German-based and quality-controlled on that basis, and Germans wouldn't put up with some of the shite that we do! ;)
Marco.
Ill health, kid in tow who HATES shopping, you know, that kind of thing....:lolsign:
Oh right, gotcha now! No worries. I guess though that going shopping and learning how to behave properly in public is all part of a child's education :)
Marco.
...if you let some dickhead in Tesco or Asda pick it for you
That is really unfair, just because someone works in a supermarket it doesn't make them a dickhead - the dickheads are the ones that have sponged off benefits their entire lives, not the people who do their best to earn money and pay their own way - they may not be as bright or well educated as you and me, but if they are doing their best to live up to their potential then they earn my respect.
...and get some oik from Asda or Tesco to pick my shopping (and produce) for me is the day I shove my head inside a gas oven!! :mental:
Ditto!
Ditto!
One day Alex, you may NEED the online assistance of food delivery, I hope not for a few years............
One day Alex, you may NEED the online assistance of food delivery, I hope not for a few years............
Hey? Wrong end of the stick Dave - I'm not criticising - I'm saying ditto to my comment above in the same post - that it is unfair of Marco to suggest these people are dickheads/oiks just because they work in Tesco/Asda.
Hi Alex,
That is really unfair, just because someone works in a supermarket it doesn't make them a dickhead - the dickheads are the ones that have sponged off benefits their entire lives, not the people who do their best to earn money and pay their own way - they may not be as bright or well educated as you and me, but if they are doing their best to live up to their potential then they earn my respect.
Wrong end of the stick too, I'm afraid! :eyebrows:
I completely agree with your sentiments... Probably an unfortunate choice of words on my part.
What I meant was that I wouldn't let ANYONE 'dickhead', 'oik' or otherwise, pick my groceries for me. I like to be the one in control of the quality of produce I select. This presumes of course that one is in good health and thus able to do such things.
I trust that clears things up :)
Marco.
I trust that clears things up :)
That's cool then, didn't mean to get on my soap box - but I have a lot of respect for anyone who gets off their backside and fends for themselves when they can.
Me too; I'd clean toilets or empty bins if I had to, to support myself and my family (if I had kids to support) - you simply do what you have to do! :)
Marco.
The Grand Wazoo
28-12-2009, 00:53
Lidl & Aldi's business model is to stock the minimum number of types of any given product as possible - this means you need a smaller building & less staff - the 2 biggest sources of overhead for any business. That is a very sensible way to do business! The quality is usually pretty good esp. for the fresh stuff.
Apart from that, find a good farm shop if you can. You can't ever spend too much money on good quality, fresh food.
The Vinyl Adventure
28-12-2009, 02:41
Hi Hamish,
I completely agree too! But the answer is not....
No - he or she deserves to be shot because such nonsense is yet another example of a lazy-thinking/attitude and the convenience over quality mentality in today's society :doh:
The answer is to support your local independent shops and/or source things from local producers :)
If more people did that then supermarkets wouldn't have taken over everything and have become the (largely) horrible thought-controlling places (as you alluded to) that they are now! Andre, sorry, you're just as bad, and anyone else who chooses to shop for food via a bloody computer. I have strong feelings about this. It goes back to the 'being human' thing again I've discussed before in topics on other threads.
We only use supermarkets when we have to for things we can't get elsewhere, and buy our meat from a proper butcher (all his meat comes from cattle on his own farm) and our fruit and vegetables from the local farm shop because we value top-quality freshest as possible produce, where you can examine exactly what you're getting before you buy it... This is largely how life is in most other countries in Europe, outwith of the biggest cities.
What chance is there of getting the best stuff if you let some dickhead in Tesco or Asda pick it for you, where the produce has been stored for goodness knows how long and handled by umpteen people? Chances are you'll end up with all the bashed and bruised shit close to its sell-by date they want to get rid of, or as you've mentioned, things you want ending up being forgotten!
Try to support the small independent retailers whenever you can, and less town centres will become the graveyards many have turned into in recent times as people (like sheep) flock to the out-of-town superstores (or shop on-line) and continue to put the little people who genuinely care about quality and service out of business....
If you want things to change for the better then only the behaviour of the consumers can make it happen, so that means switching off your computer, getting off your arse and going out and supporting individual retailers, and putting quality before convenience!
<Rant over> :cool:
Marco.
First, I'd like to refer you to my post - I belive I mentioned "bertoli" and "lime source" not things that can be bought from butchers or many local grosers..
Also remember I work happily for an independant, and belive strongly in the servise we offer over that of a multiple
also I more often than not buy meat from matt and mark of m&m meats my local butcher, not to mention prefering the veg from the grumpy old biddys in the local grosers
I also support mr and mrs virk in my local cornor shop when buying smokes and booze (unless buying things they don't sell) in which case I go to odbins
tesco is useful as it supplys things I can't get anywhere else (the brands previously mentioned) if a local grosers stocked these things then I would I'm sure make the effort!
I agree fundamently with your sentiments but life isn't always that simple, not to mention the fact that I'm not going to buy things I like less jay because they are the only choice in a local store and are more expensive at that!!
Rare Bird
28-12-2009, 02:54
Jesus. I had to go up Sheffield sunday.. to H.Samuels Jewlers & Evans cloths shop for the wives birthday presents..Was not bad in those two places as they don't have sales till jan, but what i did pass on route was pure murder even a day after the sales started..Thought i'd nip in the boozer all evening take shelter till the nutters filtered off home..
Oh right, gotcha now! No worries. I guess though that going shopping and learning how to behave properly in public is all part of a child's education :)
Marco.
:peace: You try dragging a screaming brat around a supermarket....
I don't know who gets educated the most - the child or the parent...
Rare Bird
28-12-2009, 10:08
Why do little lads wanna drag themselves under the shopping trolley when they get a strop on?
Hi Hamish,
My apologies, I only saw this post (unfortunately, I don't always have time to read through whole threads):
I completely agree, Supermarkets are terible, I never know where anything is, always feel like I'm being tricked into buy stuff I didn't want and just generally get a overwhelming feeling of stress when I walk through the door!
The man who invented tesco delivery needs a medal.... Well, I'd at least buy him a pint! The best thing is, I can just get hannah to do that, so all I have to do is carry the stuff from the front door!
...where there is no mention of ""bertoli" or "lime source", or that you shop in any way other than by home delivery. I guess the other stuff you mention was in an earlier post? :)
As for "bertoli", making your own pasta sauce (if this is what you're referring to) in a huge batch which you can then freeze into individual portions is a) much cheaper, and b) much tastier! I can provide a nice recipe if you like.
And what on earth do you want lime sauce for - in fact what is lime sauce, exactly? :scratch:
Marco.
The Vinyl Adventure
28-12-2009, 11:38
I def mentioned them somewhere
lime source is a really nice smalling showergel - quite amuzingly it claims to contain 40 limes per bottle and is "packed with essential oils" then the ingredience reads like a bloody chemistry experiment! We did look for an alternative in lush as I sporadically suffer with eczema (as well as asthma and hay fever - I'm a product of a cleaner society)
but the ones for skin things smell like ass and the lime stuff (from memory) was like washing with olive oil!
Which brings me nicely to bertolli - olive oil spread (used to be called olivio) have eaten it on ma toast since they started making it, I just like the taste
Rare Bird
28-12-2009, 11:45
I def mentioned them somewhere
lime source is a really nice smalling showergel - quite amuzingly it claims to contain 40 limes per bottle and is "packed with essential oils" then the ingredience reads like a bloody chemistry experiment!
:lol:
:rofl:
I think Marco assumed this was for cooking as i did
The Vinyl Adventure
28-12-2009, 11:58
Understandable! You should give it a go though! They do "mint sauce" to most invigurating as it's filled with menthol... Don't put too much on your balls though!!
Understandable! You should give it a go though! They do "mint sauce" to most invigurating as it's filled with menthol... Don't put too much on your balls though!!
Elizabethan spelling strikes again, it's "Original Source; Mint & Tea Tree" to be precise;), packed full of essential oils and yes very 'invigorating' it is too....
The Vinyl Adventure
28-12-2009, 12:42
Up ya bum mr pedantic!
( fair enough though "orginal source" is indeed the brand to look out for :) )
HAHAHA... Indeed! I thought that Hamish was referring to some sort of curry sauce, or whatever, for food! :lol:
As for 'olive oil spreads', and suchlike, I'm sorry, they're not my thing. On the very rare occasions I eat food which requires some form of 'spread' (I'm not really a sandwich person) I prefer proper butter - and the creamiest, tastiest, most full-fat examples you can find!
I hate spreads because they taste 'plasticy' and processed to me in comparison. I can afford to enjoy real butter (in a cholesterol sense) because I only have it once in a blue moon, so I like to enjoy the real stuff. Quality and flavour are the two most important things for me with anything I eat :)
And if we use butter in cooking then it'll always be the real stuff, too, because the flavour is so much better... It's only bad for you if you eat too much of it, and my philosophy with food (and pretty much anything else in life - it's that quality over quantity thing again) is that I'd rather have a smaller amount of something that tastes amazing than a bigger portion of the opposite! ;)
Everything in moderation, and all that, and the same applies (generally) with alcohol.
Marco.
The Vinyl Adventure
28-12-2009, 13:04
Na way man, 3 litre bottle of White lightning cider, a few cans of skol and a kebab a day with a lamb bunna for a treat for breakfast on the weekends! ;) :lol:
LOL - aye, been there done that, in my younger days! :eyebrows: ;)
The other thing too is that I'm Italian, to all intents and purposes, so I have a continental attitude to food and drink, which is always going to be different to most people here :)
Marco.
Rare Bird
28-12-2009, 13:16
Everything in moderation, and all that, and the same applies (generally) with alcohol.
Marco.
:lol:
:D:D
Hehehe.... Jest ye not, dudey-poo - I aim to still be alive after I'm 60! :lol: :eyebrows: ;)
Marco.
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