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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:

FeralBeryl · 25/04/2017 10:55

Oh I'm not counting the general reduced bit here-just the rugby scrum at ticket time!

mummytime · 25/04/2017 11:01

We have a large household income than you - and yes I buy reduced stuff. I do also at times buy donations for the food bank.
I don't see the problem.

Bubbinsmakesthree · 25/04/2017 11:01

DH has a 6-figure salary and is obsessed with hunting down yellow-stickered bargains in M&S.

ChocolateWombat · 25/04/2017 11:01

What an odd idea of the OPs.

Discounted items, whether food or any other item such as clothes are available for all. They are not the shops, nor the customers attempt to help those who cannot afford to help those who have less money.

Helping those less well off is a great thing to do. However, this isn't the right way. If you want to help, do tate to charity, give money or time. You will actually be more able to do this if you buy discounted food when you get to ex chance.

As another poster has said, I wonder if your objection to buying discounted food is really to do with. The idea of helping the poor or mor even hat you don't like having discounted food yourself and think it somehow indicates to others that you are poor. As lots on this thread say, who are lots better off than you, it doesn't mean anything of the kind. Often it is the extremely rich who love a bargain and are pretty thrifty.

So, buy the bargain food when you see it and enjoy the bargain. And definitely get inn loved in charity work in one form or another. Inwonder though if you will be so keen if it means dipping into your own pocket or time, rather than simply leaving stuff on the supermarket shelves that you do t really want anyway??

Cackleberry4 · 25/04/2017 11:02

I always check out the reduced bit in Waitrose, I pick up bargain fruit and veg for my chickens (they can't read, so how do they know I'm not getting the best for my girls?), if I am planning on having asparagus for supper and it's a choice between full price or reduce BBD today, I know which way I swing.

I don't blindly grab bargains without considering how the items will fit into the weeks meals or my freezer.

I do recall seeing an elderly lady buying about 15 ice burg lettuces, I am still not sure if she bought them for a purpose or because they were 8p each.

RachelRagged · 25/04/2017 11:02

9p steaks ?

Damnit ,, I want a Morrison's

LizzieMacQueen · 25/04/2017 11:02

Ha, I must live in a bubble, I thought you were talking about supermarkets reducing the size of their aisles making it harder to get my trolley down.

PovertyPain · 25/04/2017 11:03

Oh thanks for this thread, op. I just remembered the three packets of Soda bread I got last night. Three Sodas in a pack for 20p. I meant to make Soda bread pizzas to pop in the freezer. I rarely get a bargain, so embarrassingly chuffed. 😊

PovertyPain · 25/04/2017 11:05

Lizzie 😆 Can you imagine the trolley rage! 😡😄🔗

TinfoilHattie · 25/04/2017 11:06

What a load of total bollocks.

I am queen of the reduced aisle. Look in my freezer and all you'll see is meat/fish with yellow stickers Between DH and I we earn over twice what you do. There is no correlation between liking a bargain and your income.

Best bargains recently: massive McSween's haggis in Waitrose reduced from £9.99 to 79p. One of those roast in the bag chickens from the Co-Op for 99p. Pack of Frubes (which we stick in the freezer and the kids eat like ice lollies) for 39p.

CheeseQueen · 25/04/2017 11:07

Whaaa?!!! grin]
Since when is the reduced aisle reserved for people who don't have much money?! What a load of cobblers.
Newsflash - people who earn more money than average are allowed to struggle or be in need of reduced food too, you know!
Or they may just like bargains.
Oh, and
always wanted to give out one of those
don't worry, it's not a reduced price one

Redesul · 25/04/2017 11:08

I do recall seeing an elderly lady buying about 15 ice burg lettuces, I am still not sure if she bought them for a purpose or because they were 8p each.

People like that here. Some of them see a bunch of reduced items and just shove them in their trolleys and baskets, literally every single item. I'm pretty sure they don't even know what they're buying at times.

squishysquirmy · 25/04/2017 11:09

Depends.
If it is stuff you want to eat, and you eat what you but I think its fine - like others have said, you could always used some of the money saved to buy a couple of tins for a food bank.

However, if your DH is one of those people who gets so caught up in the bargain that they buy up large quantities of perishable food that ends up going off before they can eat it all anyway, and you throw the food away, then YANBU.

CheeseQueen · 25/04/2017 11:10

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

That's what freezers were invented for.

2014newme · 25/04/2017 11:11

You earn below the national average, you are not well paid.
Buy what you want!

PhyllisNights · 25/04/2017 11:12

Even if you freeze it, though. I'm pregnant. I don't want to buy chicken that could have gone off and give myself and my baby salmonella.

I do see reduced stuff in Waitrose, but the M&S by the station never has anything. I do like the 3 for £10 deals on meat in M&S, that's a life saver on the budget.

Original poster

supersop60 · 25/04/2017 11:12

That's it then. I am a yellow sticker convert. Get out of my way - I'm coming through with my trolley!

OP posts:

PenelopeFlintstone · 25/04/2017 11:13

I think it's a very kind sentiment.

Elendon · 25/04/2017 11:13

I applaud you Super, you are considerate and thoughtful. My brother was on his knees financially at one stage and bought from the reduced aisle to make ends meet. He no longer does it, as his financial circumstances have changed, but, he does say he buys food more carefully now.

I buy food from the reduced aisle occasionally because, even though I'm mortgage free, I'm also poor. But I'm not as poor as others.

I have also paid for those short at the till in the supermarket (a fiver once and also two pence in another - school child).

The more we think of others, the better our society will be.

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 25/04/2017 11:13

I'd much rather you all left the bargains for me landfill.

EJREsMum · 25/04/2017 11:15

As long as your not one of those people who just stand behind the worker who is pricing the reduced items and taking them out of his hand before they've even reached the shelf not letting anyone else have a chance

Gottagetmoving · 25/04/2017 11:15

Of course you should buy them.
If it bothers you that worse off people need things,, then give some of your money to charity or donate to a foodbank.

CoffeeWithMyOxygen · 25/04/2017 11:16

I do see where you're coming from, OP. I tend to take it on a case-by-case basis to be honest - as in, if the reduced shelves are easily accessible then I'll happy have a browse and bring home a bargain. But on the occasions when there is already a crowd around them then I just leave it. Perhaps I'm wrong but I work on the basis that if people are willing to join the rugby scrum for the cheaper food then they probably need it more than I do. I'm well aware that some of them probably don't and just love a bargain, but I'm not going to actually shunt people aside for a 9p cheesecake as I know that DH and I could pay full price if we really wanted to.

I guess what I'm saying is, if your DH is finding bargains on a freely available discount aisle then all the more power to him. If he's wrestling discount mince out of the reach of several other shoppers then he may want to calm down a tad!

Happyhippy45 · 25/04/2017 11:16

If you really want to help the poor, just don't vote Tory........

By buying the reduced stuff, your DH is reducing food waste.
I'd rather buy reduced to save something (I'd normally buy) from going in the bin.

Elendon · 25/04/2017 11:23

Your husband OP might have secret debts he's hold from you (I hope not).

When my ex left I happened to look in a drawer, that in retrospect was in full view, and out fell loads of statements from credit cards (there were at least 10) that I knew nothing about. The debt amounted to £40,000. He earned double your household income. He too always loved a bargain, which I couldn't get my head around at the time.

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