Reflections on God and Money: August 2013

Saturday 31 August 2013

Supermarket Shopping (2)

The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps. One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.

Proverbs 14:15-16

Yesterday, the last bullet point warned that the special offers in supermarkets might not always be special in the way we are led to believe!

The most tempting offers are often put at the end of aisles, where people walk past them two or three times – but, remember, that may not really be special at all!

It is not true that buying in bulk is cheaper, although many supermarkets know we assume this to be true and so will not bother to compare the prices of different size packets! You may find, therefore, that two or three smaller packets cost less than one larger packet that weighs the same.

Some so-called ‘special offers’ are amazingly deceptive! ‘2 for £1’ may look a good deal but it is always a good idea to check that they are not being sold for, say, 45p each!

Avoid watching demonstrations for things you do not want and resist the temptation to taste free samples of products, like cheese or wine, that you did not want to buy previously. These are designed to draw you in, to buy what is not important to you.

If you follow these simple tips, you could save a lot of money.

Make a shopping list.

Do not shop when you are hungry or tired: your resistance to temptation is lower and your judgment is not as good.

Do not take children: they will distract you and may nag you for things.

Look around for cheaper alternatives. (If you buy a cheaper version that turns out to be horrid, you do not have to repeat the mistake!)

Check that special offers really are cheaper and think about whether you need them.

Like the proverb I quoted yesterday, the one at the start of today’s Reflection is obviously much more general but, I think, just as pertinent.

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Friday 30 August 2013

Supermarket Shopping (1)

Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.

Proverbs 4:25-26

Whether or not the estimate that households in the UK routinely throw out up to a third of groceries unused is quite accurate, it is nevertheless true that most people can save a lot of money by controlling what they spend at supermarkets.

Supermarkets are controlled environments, designed and run to get people to spend more than they had intended. Everything from the décor and layout to the background music to the placement of items on shelves is geared to persuading you to spend.

Here are some of the ways that supermarkets get you to spend more than you had intended on stuff you do not really want.

The fresh fruit and veg are near the entrance. It is fresh, bright and inviting, drawing you in. It is also heavy and encourages people to swap their baskets for trolleys before they even begin shopping and, having chosen to use a trolley, they are much less aware of how much they are buying. After all, they do not have to carry it!

As a general rule, the more expensive brands tend to be on the shelves at eye-level; the cheaper alternatives higher or lower. The things that children like are placed on shelves at their eye-level, in the hope they will nag you for it. This is what is called ‘pester power’!

The everyday foods most people buy, like bread and milk, are usually far apart, in the hope that as you surf the isles other stuff will catch your eye.

Prices can be deliberately confusing. When fruit and veg are sold both in packets and by weight, most people would need a calculator to know which is the cheaper – half a kilo of tomatoes or a packet of six!

Special offers are publicised in red, to catch your eye, but they are not always special!

I realise that the writer of the proverb at the start of this Reflection did not have shopping in mind but I think it appropriate when so many people take pleasure wandering around not only supermarkets but along high street and shopping mails.

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Saturday 24 August 2013

Defend Your Budget (4)

Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarrelling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Romans 13:11-14

It is tough to keep control of your spending because advertising tries to convince you that you need things in order to be happy, liked and successful. It does this by exaggerating their importance. Clothes and cosmetics are sold as if they can transform your love life! Credit cards are passports to freedom and the good life! Of course, we realise it is fantasy but, at the same time, we are hooked.

It seems that many people sleepwalk through life, buying much of what is presented to them and buying whatever appeals to them with no evaluation. This is not compatible with the sort of lifestyle that St Paul describes in the passage at the start of today’s Reflection, one that is proactive in making good choices in the light of eternity.

Here is some advice.

Do not go shopping to unwind or to cheer yourself up. Shopping is not a leisure activity! Go shopping only when you need or want something.

When you visit a supermarket, take a shopping list. Supermarkets are designed to tempt and next weekend I plan to offer are tips about how to resist those temptations.

Before you begin to shop, be clear about what you want and how much you can afford. Sleep on unusual purchases that might harm your budget - they might not seem so important the next day.

Get all the information you need. Sales staff should not lie but they will not tell you everything. Think carefully about what you are told and ask questions to fill in the gaps. Find out everything you need to know to be able to make good choices.

In the next few weekends, I plan to set out some tips that should help you make good decisions when shopping at supermarkets, buying insurance, using credit and choosing credit cards.

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