Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that multibuys and BOGOFs are a bad idea all round?

83 replies

urbanproserpine · 04/08/2011 16:54

I am now getting so angry and frustrated that I am thinking of starting a campaign.

Every single time I go to a supermarket I end up having to buy extra stuff because I 'can't afford not to'. There are five of us, and I am lucky enough to be able to afford to pay out extra for multibuys to get the best deals, but I resent all the messing about and waste. Not to mention the environmental impact all the extra packets creates.

Anyone who doesn't have the cash to buy three packs of toilet roll at once, or can't possibly eat two pineapples in one week is really paying over the odds on these items. I'm beginning to think that the 'real' price is the offer price in many cases anyway.

thoughts?

OP posts:
Original poster
urbanproserpine · 04/08/2011 18:14

AND nobody seems able to tell me if they include multibuys in RPI or CPI calculatiosns

OP posts:
2BoysTooLoud · 04/08/2011 18:15

I am no good at the kg/ gram conversion.. get all confused and cross.
As you say urban with kids in tow [shoplifting/ wanting to go to the toy aisle].. gets frustrating.
Do find myself obsessing with how many squares of toilet paper I get the penny.. idle about in toilet roll section for some time..

ebbandflow · 04/08/2011 18:15

I've just bought chocolate bars on a 3 for the price of 2 offer and eaten 1 1/2 Sad. Also, I have noticed on many occasions supermarkets haven't honoured the offer when I check my receipt-so keep having to go to customer services for a refund. Would rather have reduced prices on single items.

lashingsofbingeinghere · 04/08/2011 18:15

The deals are definitely there to confuse you.

Tis part of an evil science caused Behavioural Economics. Basically, we are all loss averse, so by not taking "advantage" of BOGOFs and BTGOF we feel we are "losing" money.

EG If you really need two nets of satsumas for £2, instead of one net for £1.50 (a recent offer at Waitrose) then great. If the second bag will sit in the fruit bowl and go mouldy, then you have wasted 50p and should have bought a single net, even though it feels like you have spent 50p more than you needed too.

wickedwitchofwaterloo · 04/08/2011 18:16

Tescos make it pretty simple online though, they have the price per 100g or whatever so you can see whethere the multibuy is such a good deal. It sometimes is, it sometimes isn't.

I for one, base my shop around the offers. Works for me!

lashingsofbingeinghere · 04/08/2011 18:16

called nor caused

microfight · 04/08/2011 18:18

And while we're on the subject those stupid vouchers that you can double up or treble up but only on some items and before a certain date as long as there's a W in the day of the week!

I can think of better things to do than read the complicated small print of those vouchers, which we are all paying for through our shopping anyway. I feel like yelling just give us the best price stop the BOGOFS, 3 for 2's vouchers and everything.

herecomesthsun · 04/08/2011 18:18

Sometimes though if I don't need the item in triplicate I look at it, think, hell I am not going to pay over the odds for just one and then I don't buy any at all. Which is not what the supermarkets want, surely?

microfight · 04/08/2011 18:20

herecomesthesun
I have done that many times.

2BoysTooLoud · 04/08/2011 18:20

Reading all this I am surprised there aren't more cases of 'super market rage'!!

microfight · 04/08/2011 18:23

I think the way forward would be to take a megaphone with you when you go shopping and have a car park swap on all the extra items....

"Anyone want to swap extra bag of satsumas for extra strawberries" and so on

nothingoldcanstay · 04/08/2011 18:27

Morrisons is brilliant because they mainly do half price deals ie just got lots of veg at 50p a bag. Their multibuys are really good value too (Muller yougurt anyone) and change regularly. Meat is also money off rather than just 3 things for a tenner. I think Tesco is expensive these days. It's OK if you are a bigger family but for a single parent their multi buys are pointless. They are always on the same things and I either have to pay over the odds for one or get two for the price they should be.

Original poster
urbanproserpine · 04/08/2011 18:29

I set up a blog on Monday anyway, so do join me in the fray:
I want to find out if my hunches and feelings about this are true. HAppy to be proved wrong, but here goes
bogoo.org/

OP posts:
SootySweepandSue · 04/08/2011 18:36

It is always in the supermarkets interest to sell more.

Deals are only good for the shopper if it is on an item you would already have purchased and that you will genuinely use.

For me only a few products meet that need!

The deals are profitable as lots of new shoppers buy the product which otherwise would not have. My favourite deals are half prices which are not nearly as frequent as they once were. Supermarkets prefer BOGOFs and multibuys as the spend is either the same or more per shopper.

doncaster1 · 04/08/2011 18:42

The problem is that they are probably not really free. I am sure thay bump prices up before doing these promotions. Also as bad are some of the half price ones. Both Tesco and Morrissons are doing a particular biscuit half price. Sounds great but the full price in asda is only 1p more!

DizzyKipper · 04/08/2011 19:27

I don't feel pushed into buying things I don't need because of offers. If that's what's happening to you then it's really down to you, and you need to be firmer with yourself.

microfight · 04/08/2011 19:35

DizzyKipper
The OP wasn't referring to herself. She was saying that it is unfair on people who either don't have space to store these offers and therefore lose out or that people can't take advantage of the 3 for 2 offers because they don't have the funds to buy so much of one item at the same time.

edam · 04/08/2011 19:37

BOGOFS also encourage over-eating. You might have planned to buy one packet of digestives, but guess what, it's a three for two or whatever offer, so you buy the extra ones intending to put them away - but what the supermarkets know full well is you'll just eat more biscuits, so you'll be back next week buying more biscuits. That's what the supermarkets want to happen.

alowVeraWithPurpleTwuntyPants · 04/08/2011 19:40

Ooh the buy 2 for £4 offer is really great, until you notice that the item costs £1.98 normally. Bargain that one!

DizzyKipper · 04/08/2011 19:45

Ok sorry, must've misread/misunderstood.

stressheaderic · 04/08/2011 20:00

I do find that Morrisons does cater for the small family more, with more half price 'offers' than other supermarkets and smaller portion sizes sold - you can buy bacon by the slice at the deli counter and no-one bats an eyelid if you do.
Probably why I do most of my shopping there - I have a tiny kitchen so no-where to store bulk buy purchases and it's just me, DP and our 1 year old.

On another note - I wonder if Asda are committed to saying they have more multibuys than any other supermarket or something? Because last week I noticed that plastic washing up bowls were £1.98 or 3 for £5. Who the bloody hell buys 3 washing up bowls at a time? I use one about every 5 years.

CalmaLlamaDown · 04/08/2011 20:08

I feel duped whe i buy an offer and then find out it is ALWAYS on offer, like fruit 2 for £4.

also find the linked save offers like m+s do for meals, recently got an italian one, two mains, salad and garlic bread - the discount didn"t work and i.didn't notice until i got home, bugger.

randomness · 04/08/2011 20:22

You all really need to read Shopped

Read that and never fall for a supermarket rip-off BOGOF again, they're all a bunch of conning moneygrubbing barstewards.

I will not get on my anti-supermarket soapbox I will not get on my anti-supermarket soapbox I will not get on my anti-supermarket soapbox...

Mitmoo · 04/08/2011 20:25

I once heard someone refer to BOGOFF offers on fruit and vegetables as Buy One Throw One away, it's so true.

HorseyGirl1 · 04/08/2011 20:31

Always use them for washing detergent and conditioner, and washing up liquid - you will always need to wash your clothes and do the dishes. Also pasta sauces because you will always use it. But I don't really bother with anything else and yes, sometimes it is cheaper to buy things not on offer. OK maybe that really expensive one has been reduced but it is usually to the same price as the one you usually buy.