To think it’s morally wrong to buy yellow stickered items if I’m not on a tight budget?

[FlatpackHater]

Just to be clear I don’t necessarily think it’s morally wrong but AIBU polls don’t really work on uncertainty do they?

Basically I feel morally conflicted about buying discounted food in the supermarkets, particularly now during the cost of living crisis.

I’m not on a tight budget, but I do LOVE a good bargain. Few things beat the thrill of finding profiterole stack reduced to 25p.

But should I be thinking about people who might be depending on picking up such bargains just to make their food budget stretch.

I often shop in Waitrose and frankly think that most people who shop in Waitrose aren’t on the breadline. But I shop in Lidl as well and feel maybe I should be leaving the Lidl bargains for someone else.

Or should I just crack on, enjoy my bargains and focus on the fact I’m reducing food waste?

YANBU - leave the yellow stickers for those who need them

YABU - enjoy the bargains

Also, as a few other posters have said... if you are on a low budget then you have a meal plan and a shopping list.
No one is going pick up a reduced lettuce if they have no plans for it.
Stuff like fish and meat... yes. You can freeze it and plan for another day.

How do you know the next person to come along is on a really tight budget, though? 🤔

Hoarding in the freezer = storing food to use at a later date.

I agree you don't. It's best just to take what you will use and stop it going to waste.

I agree with this, and must say that it was one of my first thoughts when I read the title of the thread.

Bonkers.

Its fine. I do think people who clear the shelf are cheeky tho. Ive seen people grabbing and throwing not even looking at what is going in the basket.

They are fascinating to watch, aren't they?

I know right! Like do you really want to eat all that cheese?!

I think you should eat your hairshirt.

Yep, I see the same woman do this on Friday evenings at my local supermarket. She just chucks the lot in her trolley.
For a while, the fruit and veg reduced section had an theme park style queue, and you were only allowed 3 items.

There is a difference between being frugal and being cheap. Spending your money wisely is always a good idea.

Snap up those sale items without guilt. They are marked for quick sale because they will be binned otherwise.

remember that living a frugal lifestyle can free up money for charitable giving.

Don't be silly. Yellow stickers stop food waste, which there is a criminal amount of already.

I think it's morally wrong to buy every single same item that's yellow stickered for your freezer, ie meat joints.

I have three teenagers that are eating us out of the house. While we can afford food, we are definitely feeling the pain in the higher prices everywhere. I buy as much as I can on special/sale/clearance, including yellow stickers if its' food they'll eat.

Well I suppose it’s up to you if you buy it or not. If you can afford not to then don’t buy sometimes a bargain is too good to pass by !

when I’ve been desperate I got 2 of the morissons pre prepared‘food bank’ parcels and I didn’t drop them at the collection point I took them home as it worked out cheaper . I needed something immediately for dinner and going to a food bank wouldn’t have been possible that day

I have seen people buying from the reduced counter indiscriminately and agree it's a bit much - I don't eat extra mature cheddar so won't buy 6 x 500g blocks of Cathedral City, even if it is 25p. Ditto the plant-based range fake burgers or fake nuggets or whatever. Blurgh.

But things like mince, chicken breast, premium sausages, stir fry beef - will always buy.

Although my VERY best bargain was a couple of weeks ago in a M&S near closing time when I got a Colin the Caterpillar for 39p.

I think the food waste argument is paramount here really.

That said, I’ve never gotten over an extremely wealthy member of my NCT group telling us all gleefully how she’d heard Asda were doing a 2-for-1 deal on nappies and so she’d driven her brand new Range Rover to her nearest superstore and cleaned them out entirely. She had nappies stacked along the nursery wall of her £4m Chelsea townhouse for months afterwards. I thought that was disgusting.

I REALLY enjoy finding a good bargain in the supermarket, but I do actually consider this issue from time to time as I have a very comfortable lifestyle and definitely don't need to save money on food. I would never take lots of any one thing, and I don't buy reduced meat as I'm vegetarian and meat would just go to my dog, who is very well fed anyway so it's unnecessary. Much as I find meat disgusting, I do understand that a lot of people still consider it an essential part of a healthy diet, and probably are finding it harder and harder to afford at the moment.

Most of the yellow-stickered items I buy are vegan 'junk' foods and fake meats, as well as desserts and other treat foods, which I can convince myself that nobody really needs.

Only on MN do you find such martyrs 🙄 In reality, extremely wealthy people happily purchase the reduced items without a second thought.

If good fortune comes my way, I try pay it forward one way or another. PP suggested adding a few things for foodbank which is a brilliant idea

My family wouldnt eat meat without those stickers. I think if still early in the day you should leave them for others.

It's not like you're stealing from a food bank. Crack on! I love a bargain too. I think about the food waste side of it. You can literally see them binning whatever is left over at the end of the day.

Things like whole organic chickens, sides of salmon and large joints of meat are also unlikely to be bought by people on very low budgets not having £ spare (was £20 now £5 is useless if you’ve got £10 for week’s food) plus you need a big freezer.
Colin’s are £1.80 in our cheap shop (he buys seconds from the factory) again I happily buy and he’s glad of business.

I saw someone steal from the foodbank box. It was heartbreaking. They obviously felt they needed to so I doubt anyone would prosecute that.

meet in the middle - don't go hovering around the person doing the ticketing when the clock strikes 'discount o clock' so you give people time to get a bargain if they need one, but be happy to pick something up later in the day to avoid food waste?

There is a church near us that has free food which is surplus not food bank .always feel a bit like you .but know people using it who are fine for money 9