Now I read the first ten pages of The Tipping Point. I enjoyed it. So after 10 pages , I'm an expert on the little things in life that make a difference. Particularly something that puts things over the top.
A tipping point occurred in the family recently.
The Micro Manager puts a tremendous amount of research into grocery shopping. Most of the research is from the weekly fliers from the grocery stores. As a result the grocery list contains sale items and rarely anything at the regular price. Now items on sale price are sometimes purchased because it's a good price and might not go on sale again.
As a result our storage room has gradually been getting fuller and fuller. We are buying more than we eat. We have two deep freezes. I'm not sure how long our supply would last.
I quite often tease the Micro Manager that she's some kind of survivalist who stacks up a year's worth of food.
Now in the last couple of weeks I've been looking at best before dates. I found pickles that were best before...well there was no best before date on them so it's hard to tell how long they've been on the shelf. The micro manager got curious and checked some dates. She found products that had best before dates in 2015.
Now I know that products are just fine after their best before dates. But when you look at a product that's past it's best before date and you have lots of the product it suddenly becomes a problem.
So the Micro Manager made the realization that she has too much food in the store room!
There was a tipping point. I hope it's worth something. Somehow, I think that she will continue the same shopping routine. We shopped today and some things were weekly items like milk, but there were still a few sale items.
I think the point needs to tip some more!
Ha ha. I had a laugh because it reminds me of myself to a lesser degree. The last time I cleared out my cupboard I realized I had too many things that I bought just in case I might need them. Not only were they past the expiration date by a considerable margin but some of the dried goods had bugs. I don't do that anymore but I still probably buy too much. I'm afraid I cannot resist a sale though I'm trying to hold back :-)
ReplyDeleteThe grocery stores certainly know how to get us to part with our money.
DeleteOMG My late parents did this. They sent us to buy a 1/4 cow to put into the freezer. In the freezer, we found meat dating 2 years prior!
ReplyDeleteA long time ago I did buy a quarter of beef. That was absolutely silly.
DeleteWe go to CostCo's once a month and buy way too much stuff to save money. Our tipping point is when we realize we don't have the space to store things.
ReplyDeleteWe don't deal at costco. It's surprising how much can fitted
DeleteThere was a time when we also had too many items in the pantry. Thankfully we do not have an additional freezer. Apt living has meant less storage spaceand not buying things just because if sales is another reason.
ReplyDeleteMoving to a smaller residence makes one get serious about downsizing and not buying too much.
DeleteI only stock up on sale items if it is something we will actually use in a reasonable time period. But I think your wife sees sales shopping as a kind of challenge or competitive game. I suspect it's more to her than just saving money.
ReplyDeleteShe's always worried that something might not go on sale again.
DeleteI try to use the older stuff first. I shop only the sales in one store and they seem to be on a rotation, so just about the time something gets put on the list it is on sale. We live in the Boonies so I hate to run out of anything. We probably have enough food in the house for two months! :) Our Tipping point is when our shelfs are full and so is the freezer:)
ReplyDeleteWhen you're in the boonies you don't want to have to run into town for one simple item so you have to be well organized.
DeleteWhen I claened the house of my mother when she had died, I found cans from long ago that almost bursted. I do not hoard so much, I have a supermarket close to my house and when we miss something we can walk juest around the corner to get it.
ReplyDeleteYour key is walking. We have to drive and so go once a week.
DeleteFood Bank contribution time for me.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good idea.
DeleteI read that book awhile back. And it sounds like maybe it's time to clean out the pantry a little bit. We don't have a store room so things get bought and then used. :-)
ReplyDeleteMoving to smaller quarters makes you get serious about how to use space economically.
DeleteHa! I think there are basically two types of shoppers -- the stockpilers and those who buy just enough to get by until the next shopping trip. I am the latter. Dave is the former. It's a source of never-ending amusement in our house.
ReplyDeleteso between the two of you , you keep things well stocked...short term...long term.
DeleteMaybe you can donate some food to food banks? Now that there are only two of us, I only shop what we can consume within no more than a month, sometimes less. The only sale items I sometimes stock up on are paper goods or things that don't perish.
ReplyDeleteYou have a very disciplined plan.
DeleteAnd here I tend to shop by the day!
ReplyDeleteI hear ya. Ya wanta eat? Go to the store first.
DeleteI think The Micro Manager's obsession with bargains could be healed through psychotherapy. Just a few sessions on a psychiatrist's house should do the trick. Contact Maribela Arruda-Block...
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You find all kinds of people in Red Deer that I've never heard of. Key word ...obsession.
DeleteWe shop for the staples as we need them, bread, milk, better, etc. The rest we get once a month and that's all. It works well for us.
ReplyDeleteYou have to plan your menus and it works!
DeleteIt can be hard to break old habits, but it sounds like it may need to happen! I don't stockpile anymore but my problem is buying new things to try (vegetarian items) and then not wanting to cook them in case I don't like them or because I don't have time to spend learning how to cook them ... next thing I know they are out of date. (Procrastinating is in my name, remember? :) )
ReplyDeleteWell, at least we could slow down a bit!
DeleteThe things I use regularly are used up pretty quickly but I have had various styles of cooking over the years, depending on food fashions and how busy I was at the time so I have managed to collect a few spices and other random ingredients that didn't see regular use. I recently found a meat tenderising powder that expired in the 90's!!
ReplyDeleteI see on Facebook people who have an over abundance in the freezer and pantry and then have a "buy nothing" month. They eat from their stores and only buy milk and eggs until it's gone. They are always asking for recipes for strange combinations of food when they get to the end of the month! Maybe the Micromanager would like to try her creativity on a "buy nothing" month?
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of torn of the issue when it comes to food. I like to have "emergency" food on hand, but hate to see it go to waste after it is never used. I guess it's better to buy food that has shelf life of decades, instead of years. As soon as I finish this, I'm going to go check some dates.
ReplyDelete