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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Moral dilemma yellow stickers

119 replies

MrsMaryMooFace · 20/07/2023 19:24

So this may set the cat amongst the pigeons but...

To preface, we are not millionaires BUT we have good wages and we aren't worrying too much about bills, they're expensive but we can graft and do overtime to pay them. We both work A LOT.

When I see a yellow sticker in the supermarket, I'm instantly drawn in because I love a bargain. But 99% of the time I don't grab them, because I worry there are others who genuinely need the reduced food.

So I usually leave it. Because morally I feel like I'm taking away from a more needing family.

So AIBU?

NO YOU ARE NOT UNREASONABLE to leave the bargains for people who needs them

YES YOU ARE BEING UNREASONABLE leave them for the people who need them

OP posts:
Winterday1991 · 21/07/2023 10:34

GenieGenealogy · 21/07/2023 10:12

My absolute best reduced bargain was in my local Co-Op about 7.30 pm one night, I got a large joint of beef reduced from £18.50 to .... 35p. No idea what was going on that night as I have never seen such amazing bargains since. It fed all five of us for 2 meals.

I think perhaps one of the employees was pulling a fast one for themselves, you just got in there unexpectedly I suspect

Winterday1991 · 21/07/2023 10:36

Tbh these yellow stickers are a false economy. Often when I go in it's 30p off full price. I rather just pay full price and have a fresher product. I haven't seen a decent yellow sticker with a decent discount for years

Cheesusisgrate · 21/07/2023 10:37

Blossomtoes · 21/07/2023 10:30

And that’s an excuse for greed, is it?

I’m with whoever said yellow stickers in M&S and Waitrose are fair game. I don’t bother otherwise.

Show quote history

Stocking up and making things out of something isn't greed.
Just basic living.

Shops are freemarket, people can stovk up on sale items without being some moral failure

Blossomtoes · 21/07/2023 10:39

Cheesusisgrate · 21/07/2023 10:37

Stocking up and making things out of something isn't greed.
Just basic living.

Shops are freemarket, people can stovk up on sale items without being some moral failure

Show quote history

Twenty punnets of strawberries is greed, pure and simple. You can argue it’s not all day long but it’s not an argument that would convince most people.

fgfhds · 21/07/2023 10:42

I'm the same with school uniform, when people advertise school uniform for free or cheap on the school Facebook I don't go for it despite it being the right size etc because we can afford to pay full price. Wouldn't have occurred to me prior to CoL tbh.

FrenchBoule · 21/07/2023 10:48

It’s fair game for everybody. Take it or leave it.
20 punnets of strawberries - so what. Jam making or smoothies.Greed? Don’t think so if it’s going to get used.

I went to local shop today and took all garlic they had-11 packs reduced to 20p. I will chop it and freeze it. It will go into curries and garlic butter.
2 whole chickens reduced to £2 each. They are going to have a party in the freezer.That freed up a few pounds I will be able to spend elsewhere.

Swings and roundabouts.

XenoBitch · 21/07/2023 10:53

You don't have to be poor to buy yellow sticker items, so I don't really see what the issue is. The shops drop the price to reduce waste.
I often get reduced meat to go in my freezer for when I can think of a use for it. I get reduced veg if I will be using them soon. I also sometimes buy reduced meat for my dog as a treat too.

Cheesusisgrate · 21/07/2023 10:54

Blossomtoes · 21/07/2023 10:39

Twenty punnets of strawberries is greed, pure and simple. You can argue it’s not all day long but it’s not an argument that would convince most people.

Show quote history

They are like 300g.
Talking about jam making as the poster mentioned, that would make maybe 12 jars of jam if all the strawberries are actually ok.
Et voila, more jam in shop for others (yes, joking) and family sorted for a year🤷
It's basic economics for the family.

Blossomtoes · 21/07/2023 10:57

Greed.

lanthanum · 21/07/2023 10:59

fgfhds · 21/07/2023 10:42

I'm the same with school uniform, when people advertise school uniform for free or cheap on the school Facebook I don't go for it despite it being the right size etc because we can afford to pay full price. Wouldn't have occurred to me prior to CoL tbh.

I'm with you on that one. I also didn't pass any on via Facebook - I took it to the schools. The primary charges 50p an item towards school funds, and I'm quite sure they waive that for those in the most need. On Facebook it just ends up going to whoever gets in first. The same with GCSE revision guides - I did buy some of those cheap, but I passed them all to the school so they can be given to those who wouldn't get them otherwise.

EmeraldFox · 21/07/2023 13:07

Cheesusisgrate · 21/07/2023 10:54

They are like 300g.
Talking about jam making as the poster mentioned, that would make maybe 12 jars of jam if all the strawberries are actually ok.
Et voila, more jam in shop for others (yes, joking) and family sorted for a year🤷
It's basic economics for the family.

Show quote history

Jam may also be given away to friends and family, so shared around benefitting many.

VeterinaryCareAssistant · 21/07/2023 13:10

In my experience the yellow stickered items aren't necessarily cheaper than other brands anyway.

LuvSmallDogs · 21/07/2023 13:32

A bargain is a bargain, just don't be hoggish about it!

xsquared · 21/07/2023 14:11

Yellow stickers are there to dell quicker amd prevent items from going to waste, not because they want to benefit the poor.

I don't usually find anything I like fro the yellow stickers as they are mostly meat based, but you can buy your yellow stickered item with a clear conscience. Unless of course you intend d to clear the shelves and hog them all.

Buy items.for the food bank if you want to help those who need it.

NalafromtheLionKing · 21/07/2023 18:04

youveturnedupwelldone · 21/07/2023 07:40

I don't quite know how to respond to this. I get and sort of agree with your point but I also want to roll my eyes! So I'll remain on the fence.

If leaving the reduced food makes you feel better about yourself on a moral basis then by all means crack on. But I'll be right behind you picking it up and buying it and I don't consider myself to be financially struggling.

It's interesting tho that it will lead you to make assumptions about my means because you've decided yellow sticker food is for poor, struggling people.

What I will say is that I don't like when I see people buying aaallllll the yellow sticker stuff especially when it's things that either go off fast or it would be unusual to buy loads of at once. I only pick up the reduced pack of something I'd normally buy otherwise it's a false economy as you end up with random stuff you probably won't eat.

For instance I saw a couple the other week picking up a shit tonne of strawberries that were reeeallly reduced (to 25p a punnet in M&S!) and they were going on about what a bargain it was and that they were buying it because it was cheap not because they would use them. Literally they took 20 or more punnets at first, then put a load back because others were openly annoyed at them. I bought one, because one punnet is what we will eat in a reasonable time. I was very pleased with my 25p strawberries!

Yep, also not remotely struggling but will be right behind you picking them up (as PP says, only stuff we will eat straight away or freeze as pointless to buy and then bin).

ChaoticCrumble · 21/07/2023 21:23

So much food in this country is wasted. I regularly go to a food rescue stall in my local town where it is clear that it is for rescue, not for poor. The team behind it save the 'nice' longlife things and make hampers for people who really need it. So much bread is thrown away every day, they really just need people who will use it. I wouldn't take loads of yellow sticker food, but I would take some if I thought there was a chance it would end up in the bin.

My food rescue is great, bread is there every week. Sometimes we get gluts of tomatoes (even when tomato shortages) or potatoes, mushrooms - and yes, flowers.

celticprincess · 22/07/2023 18:47

Definitely buy. It’s not just about reduced prices, it’s about saving waste. The supermarkets bin so much it’s awful. You can also get some things in the Too Good to Go app and other such apps to help waste. Not all people looking for bargains will buy the yellow stickers as it’s not to everyone’s taste!!

Gateappreciation · 26/07/2023 07:22

This thread gave me a moral dilemma. Local supermarket (bigger than corner store, but still small store) was discontinuing a certain range to under 50p. Last week, brought a couple and donated some. A week later there’s still quite a few left. Is that then fair game, as people have had a whole week to purchase some?

Gateappreciation · 26/07/2023 07:23

Not fresh stuff, but sauce in a jar.

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