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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

'Reduced' aisle in supermarkets

86 replies

supersop60 · 25/04/2017 10:27

AIBU to think that my DH and I can afford to pay full price for our groceries and to leave the reduced aisle stuff for the people who might really need it?
DH is always 'careful' with money, but between us we earn about 50K. I don't think we should be buying this stuff and potentially making life harder for someone else.

OP posts:

Belle1409 · 25/04/2017 10:28

Original poster

supersop60 · 25/04/2017 10:28

Let me change that slightly - I don't think HE should be buying this stuff.

OP posts:

halcyondays · 25/04/2017 10:30

Well the next person behind you who buys the reduced stuff might earn more than you and your dh do. Use the money saved to buy items for the food bank, that way you know it's actually helping somebody who needs it.

WorraLiberty · 25/04/2017 10:31

Does that mean you must never ever buy anything in a sale either?

I mean, what if someone with less income than you wanted that dress/those shoes?

Pinkheart5915 · 25/04/2017 10:32

The items are there for everyone to buy. I don't see the issue with some buying them in they earn more than others, you can say that about a lot of things really couldn't you? MUST LEAVE REDUCED BACON FOR THE POOR FOLK

50k between you both is that all you earn, is that it??

Cammysmoma · 25/04/2017 10:33

Thoughtful of you.. but in my opinion slightly silly. First come first served.

VladmirsPoutine · 25/04/2017 10:34

Good for you!! Such a caring and considerate member of society. Can everyone just pause for a moment to reflect on the OP's actions to support and help others. Can we all make a personal vow to behave with such morality and grace.

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 25/04/2017 10:35

Better to make sure it's eaten than have food go to waste. I agree about donating to charity/food bank if you have money to spare.

Original poster

supersop60 · 25/04/2017 10:35

halcyondays I like that.
worra no, I like a bargain as much as anybody.
pink did I come across that patronising? Didn't mean to.

OP posts:

Vroomster · 25/04/2017 10:36

Seriously? I can afford full price but if it's reduced I'll buy it.

Tesco reduce food by all of 20p so it's hardly a bargain.

Is this some sort of stealth boast thread?

WorraLiberty · 25/04/2017 10:36

worra no, I like a bargain as much as anybody.

But it's not OK that your husband does?

mrsm43s · 25/04/2017 10:37

We earn a lot more than £50k between us, and I bloody love the reduced aisle!

I think there's a level of courtesy needed - no pushing/shoving/grabbing. If there's several people waiting to look, share the items, don't grab all for yourself etc. But normally when I go, there's just stuff there sitting in the reduced section, and no one else milling around, so I just go for it, and fill my boots with whatever is useful and will freeze.

Trills · 25/04/2017 10:37

If he is insisting on shopping at the "right time" to get the bargains and it's inconvenient, then he could stop.

If he's insisting that you eat a meal you don't fancy because "it was reduced", he could stop doing that.

But if you happen to be there and something you like is reduced, why not pick it up?

Applebite · 25/04/2017 10:38

Is this more about you being cross with your DP for insisting on buying reduced food with the yellow stickers of doom, OP?! It sounds more like that than it sounds patronising to me.

mrsm43s · 25/04/2017 10:39

Oh and my local Morrison often reduces down to 9p. So 9p family size fish pie, 9p pizzas, 9p steaks, 9p joints, 9p bacon, 9p sausages etc. I don't take what I won't use though.

BubbleBall · 25/04/2017 10:39

I think if you want to help people struggling, and can afford to, donating things to the foodbank is a surer way to do so. Avoiding reduced items doesn't guarantee it's doing the next person a favour.

Hippee · 25/04/2017 10:41

I see it more as an avoiding waste thing - what if he doesn't buy it and nobody else does either - then it will be thrown out. I think it's a great idea to then spend what you have saved on items for the food bank.

Original poster

supersop60 · 25/04/2017 10:44

Not a stealth boast at all.
Probably much more to do with my issues with DP.......

OP posts:

SapphireStrange · 25/04/2017 10:45

I'm not well off but am not struggling either, and I use the reduced aisle. It isn't any different from any other kind of sale.

Having said that, I'd never shove or snatch things out of other people's hands (which I always seem to hear about happening in 'naice' shops like M&S or Waitrose ) ; and I buy stuff for the food bank every time I go in the supermarket.

Pinkheart5915 · 25/04/2017 10:45

If your genuinely worried about people that have less and this isn't a patronising thread, donate to a food bank, homeless charity etc

No idea why you've put your 50k income in the OP, many people earn more than that so you might be classed as Poor by the high earner behind your dh in the reduced queue.

Me and dh have a good income and can certainly afford full price items but you put me in a m&s when desserts, cakes are reduced at the end of the day and I'm not going to resist. Or if I am shopping and the item I was due to buy is reduced why wouldn't I pick it up? Or if a t-shirt for one of my dc is reduced why wouldn't I buy it?

AlletrixLeStrange · 25/04/2017 10:47

Haha I'd love to see my grandads reaction to this. I can't even imagine how many hundreds of thousands he has in the bank/assets and he LIVES for the reduced section

Redesul · 25/04/2017 10:49

Don't worry about it, there are places to get cheaper food, plus supermarkets do do budget priced foods. Nobody else is going to be that thoughtful to leave it for people with less money. My partner and I earn less than half of what you do and we don't often buy reduced food, and we can still feed 3 without problems.

On a similar note, when supermarkets around here do reductions, it's like a feeding frenzy at the zoo. One time in Sainsbury's a woman was wheeling out her cart to do reductions and she literally got chased down the isle and they crowded around her like leeches. It was rather disturbing to watch.

PhyllisNights · 25/04/2017 10:50

I don't like to buy reduced stuff. It worries me that it's going to be off when I get home.

FeralBeryl · 25/04/2017 10:54

I sort of see where you're coming from OP. There is generally a bit of an informal queue building up at the whoops time in my local shop.
I remember being in it many a time as a student, it often meant the difference between us eating remotely fresh food or noodles AGAIN, so I don't join it now. I leave it for the people that need it enough to have to jostle each other for fresh food which is shit
I don't feel patronising doing so - nor morally superior. I just remember well.
If you need it or want it - fine, if you don't - also fine.

HotelEuphoria · 25/04/2017 10:55

We have a joint income of 3 times the OP but I buy from the reduced aisle. We haven't always been so comfortable and when we were really hard up I shopped at the market and Netto (at the time) I certainly didn't buy reduced lamb shanks in burgundy sauce with butter mash from Tesco.

My freezer is full of yellow stickers. Judge me if you like.

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