I enjoy shopping locally but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't hard at times and today was one of those times. I am beyond tired, I feel sick, i'm craving high fat carbs like pizza or chips, pies that sort of thing...and it is raining! What would have been ideal would be to load the boy into the car, drive to Sainsbury's, park in the very convenient parent and child spaces, have all the items I need in one place and be out in less than an hour or better yet sit at home on my sofa, in my PJ's, eating a bacon and egg sandwich and do all my ordering online and have it delivered to my door this afternoon. Instead Bear and I trundled out in our raincoats, wellies and pushchair and walked into town. Friday is the best day to go to the market as all the good stalls are there without the hustle and bustle of a Saturday. We firstly stopped at the cash machine because we can't pay with card, we then went to the greengrocers stall and bought our fruit and veg for the week and had a nice chat with the man about strawberries. Next we went to the dried food stall where we bought our porridge oats (bear and I love porridge in the morning and as he wasn't there last week we had to buy ready break from the garage...it isn't the same). Then we went to the biscuit stall and bought some cheesy crackers for snack, bear started to kick up a fuss because he wanted chocolate, I tried to tell him that we can only eat chocolate in moderation and he eats a lot of chocolate already then I thought, who am I kidding this is MY son! So I bought us a small packet of chocolate biscuits too. At this point I was drenched from top to toe and bear was getting tired of not being able to see out of the rain cover, so I thought it best that we just get the mince for dinner tonight and head home to dry off.
After all this I had to remind myself of why I am bothering to trapes around town in the rain when I could have made life so much easier for myself today. So I pulled up the shop online page of my local supermarket to compare the prices of the items I had bought and I did in fact save money. Today I learnt that strawberries last longer from Belgium than England and Scotland and I by shopping independently I am supporting my local businesses and putting money straight back into the local economy.
Showing posts with label Shopping Indie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shopping Indie. Show all posts
Friday, 28 June 2013
Sunday, 2 June 2013
Living Local Day 7
Well today was the last day of our Living Local Experiment. Although I have thoroughly enjoyed shopping Independent there have been a few down sides too and there were a few items on my shopping list which I had trouble finding. For example, In our little town of Otley we do not have a Delicatessen so picking up cheese and deli meats can be a bit of a challenge especially if I needed something in particular and branded items which we enjoy are tricky to find although we do have an independent garage which has a little shop selling basic foods (good for cereal, tea, coffee etc).
Clothing can also be a problem when shopping locally although we do have a few nice shops for ladies wear, the choice is limited and if i wanted something for Bear or D, I would have to head into Harrogate or Leeds and therefore pay a lot more. I can also appreciate that for someone who works full time, shopping independent could be quite challenging as it requires more time and the shops are not open after normal working hours.
However with all that being said, D and I have discussed the benefits of Living Local and have come to the conclusion that the pro's out way the con's. In the last week, we have felt much a part of this community, when I go into a shop to purchase something, I feel as though the retailers enjoy what they do and are happy to see us and they offer advise about the products they sell and suggest items they think I might like. As a family we are eating healthier, I am making meals from scratch instead of resorting to whatever is in the freezer section in Sainsbury's. It also gives me a reason to get out of the house and interact with members of the community. Lastly we feel as though we are putting money straight back into our economy and helping our little town of Otley prosper and stay the lovely market town that we love.
So Living Local has been extended for one whole year!! We will purchase all of our grocery items from local retailers and will avoid supermarkets. Clothing and shoes we will buy from our usual high street shops unless we can buy independent first. Let the adventure begin!
Kirsty x
Clothing can also be a problem when shopping locally although we do have a few nice shops for ladies wear, the choice is limited and if i wanted something for Bear or D, I would have to head into Harrogate or Leeds and therefore pay a lot more. I can also appreciate that for someone who works full time, shopping independent could be quite challenging as it requires more time and the shops are not open after normal working hours.
However with all that being said, D and I have discussed the benefits of Living Local and have come to the conclusion that the pro's out way the con's. In the last week, we have felt much a part of this community, when I go into a shop to purchase something, I feel as though the retailers enjoy what they do and are happy to see us and they offer advise about the products they sell and suggest items they think I might like. As a family we are eating healthier, I am making meals from scratch instead of resorting to whatever is in the freezer section in Sainsbury's. It also gives me a reason to get out of the house and interact with members of the community. Lastly we feel as though we are putting money straight back into our economy and helping our little town of Otley prosper and stay the lovely market town that we love.
So Living Local has been extended for one whole year!! We will purchase all of our grocery items from local retailers and will avoid supermarkets. Clothing and shoes we will buy from our usual high street shops unless we can buy independent first. Let the adventure begin!
Kirsty x
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