Battle of the food prices

[LazyLion]

... and instead of Marmite buy a tin of cheap jam. Your taste buds will adjust.

Brown bread is better for you anyway.

 

[Sackboy]

... and instead of Marmite buy a tin of cheap jam. Your taste buds will adjust.

Brown bread is better for you anyway.

You would still be getting a bad deal because you would be paying more for the lower end product.

 

[scatlett]

I am not sacrificing my daily lunch to save R1.50, why must i suffer for a cause that is pointless?

I never buy PNP branded stuff, its normally only slightly cheaper so i don't see the point in buying inferior quality and save 50c.

You cannot protest against food pricing, its just a pointless cause. It's like everyone stops making phone calls so the prices will come down, the prices are so fixed they will never come down. Pointless.

This is pointless.

/thread

 

[Moederloos]

Buy something else that is cheaper.

...

Buy the cheap products, avoid the expensive ones. Come on, it's not that hard.

The problem is South Africans are too lazy or too spoiled to "go without"

I never said you have to stop buying food all together.

I am not sacrificing my daily lunch to save R1.50, why must i suffer for a cause that is pointless?

You cannot protest against food pricing, its just a pointless cause. It's like everyone stops making phone calls so the prices will come down, the prices are so fixed they will never come down. Pointless.

Sigh.

Gary is right. Buy alternatives, shop around, be smart.
The "phone call" analogy is so flawed it is hardly worth commenting on.

Right now, Woolworths has cheese on promotion - so I buy those, and not elsewhere. I have not "sacrificed" anything - I have just made a conscious effort to be smart and informed.

When SPAR has dog food on special, I buy theirs, and not from another shop. Simply carry a shopping list with you when you go out, and pay attention to prices.

If that is too difficult or too "pointless", then please: STOP complaining and suck it up - you will forever be milked by the retailers.

 

[Gothan]

Buy something else that is cheaper. If Bread is too expensive, buy rice. If Rice and bread are too expensive, buy Pasta or Pap. It's called substituting.

If sliced white bread is too much, buy in-store unsliced bread... or brown bread.

If cheese is too expensive, then don't buy cheese.

If Kellogs cereal is too much for kids give them Jungle Oats.

Buy the cheap products, avoid the expensive ones. Come on, it's not that hard.

The problem is South Africans are too lazy or too spoiled to "go without"

I never said you have to stop buying food all together.

Buddy, you lost me at jungle oats

 

[Vrotappel]

One thing to keep in mind is that in a lot of cases it’s the same producers producing the high end (more expensive) and low end (cheaper) brands. Thus if you buy less of their high end products and more of their cheaper products it will not effect their bottom line. They will simply adjust their production in line with the consumption.

One curious thing about the SA market is that producers will sacrifice short term profits (or even suffer losses) to protect brand names. That’s why you don’t see the type of sales (50% off on top products) that for example Americans are used to in these difficult times.

 

[Gaz{M}]

My gf taught me to buy things when they are on special, not when you run out of them. Many shoppers do the "monthly shop" and end up paying a lot more. Rather cruise the aisles every two or three days and buy things with big price boards advertising the special.

e.g: I bought a 5kg bucket of BioClassic when it was on special for R99.95. It is now over R160. That more than compensates for the R2-3 extra on milk and bread.

She currently has over 20 bars of soap under the sink, all on special for R1.99. That's R1 a bar saved.

You get the idea.

To restate what others have said, I want milk and bread. Even if they both cost R30, I would still buy them, because I can afford that even though I think it is very expensive. The point middle class people start cutting out bare essentials is very high. We rather cut down on luxuries like eating out and entertainment.

 

[LazyLion]

You would still be getting a bad deal because you would be paying more for the lower end product.

Then don't put any spread on the bread, just Margarine. And if the margarine is too expensive, then just eat the bread or put cucumber on it. If the bread is too expensive then buy something else. There is always something cheaper to substitute. If you can't eat a sandwich eat a banana. Seriously, how hard is this?

Come on... this is exactly the kind of attitude I am talking about. South Africans are just too lazy to shop around or substitute. They complain about the high prices, but at the end of the day, they keep paying them.

 

[LazyLion]

Buddy, you lost me at jungle oats

Then open your wallet and let them help themselves to your cash. Kellogs cereals are a serious rip-off. I don't understand parents who say "my kids won't eat anything else." When I was a kid it was plain old oats or pro-nutro or something like that.

 

[LazyLion]

One thing to keep in mind is that in a lot of cases it’s the same producers producing the high end (more expensive) and low end (cheaper) brands. Thus if you buy less of their high end products and more of their cheaper products it will not effect their bottom line. They will simply adjust their production in line with the consumption.

One curious thing about the SA market is that producers will sacrifice short term profits (or even suffer losses) to protect brand names. That’s why you don’t see the type of sales (50% off on top products) that for example Americans are used to in these difficult times.

I disagree. Any loss hurts... especially in today's economy. They can only "suffer loss" for so long. If they keep their prices at an insane level, people will stop buying it.... for good. When they put them up again a few months later, people will switch to another brand or another store. It is called consumer action. These producers have fixed costs they cannot just shrug off... employees they have to pay, transport contracts, etc. I say we keep hitting them where it hurts and eventually they will get the idea.

 

[Sackboy]

Then open your wallet and let them help themselves to your cash. Kellogs cereals are a serious rip-off. I don't understand parents who say "my kids won't eat anything else." When I was a kid it was plain old oats or pro-nutro or something like that.

I used to buy Kellogs, until the quality went awry. I decanted each box into a tupperwear container. About 2 out of 10 boxes would fill the container to the top. I changed to Bokomo and 8 out of 10 filled it to the BRIM or overflowing. I reckon Kellogs are underfilling their cereals.

 

[LazyLion]

I used to buy Kellogs, until the quality went awry. I decanted each box into a tupperwear container. About 2 out of 10 boxes would fill the container to the top. I changed to Bokomo and 8 out of 10 filled it to the BRIM or overflowing. I reckon Kellogs are underfilling their cereals.

This is true. I have noticed that as well. In the USA they reduced the serving size but kept the same price. You can't buy the 750 gram boxes anymore, they are now 650 gram.

I know this because I still get Count Chocula Cereal from the USA when I can.

 

[captainwifi]

There are two parts to this problem.

There is only one part to this problem: Energy crises brought about by the Democrats forbidding oil exploration. Inflation is a direct result of lack of something: Energy. Then the globalwarming scam which resulted in bio-fuels using up scarce Ureum (R400/50gk bag) without which no food can be produced.

There isn't a housing crises, budget deficit crises (US), to much debt there is only one crises and energy crises. Without energy there can be no food production no nothing. The deluded simpletons who voted for "change" in America simply don't understand the issues.

 

[2CentsWorth]

Someone the other day mentioned that they buy groceries for a week for R20. That stuck in my mind and I wondered what they would buy for so little money.

So, I watched a few people to see what they do put in their baskets and I noticed that most people are buying less items. Overall, people seem to be buying far less luxury items, and they also seem to be switching to lesser valued or quality items (like switching to brown bread).

The point I'm trying to make with this is: that people will buy what they can afford. If they have R20 for food for a week, then they will buy a packet of Maize meal or whatever other staple food of their choice. If they can't afford five roses tea they will buy glen or whatever. If they can't afford coke, they won't buy coke. If they can't afford milk, they will buy less. People buy what they can afford (or for those with credit or overdrafts what they think they can afford).

 

[Guest 20221009]

My local P&P seems to be rather erratic when it come to their prices. Things just go up and down.

The are killing us, I work and I still find their prices painful, what about those people that are already struggling??

I thought bread was supposed to be regulated!

 

[Kalvaer]

Rather cruise the aisles every two or three days and buy things with big price boards advertising the special.

Add in the petrol, and time taken to go every 2-3 days and you end up paying more. You also now might see something that you would of missed completely in your monthly shop since you are there now, more often so end up spending more.

See there was an update though on this article http://allafrica.com/stories/200901270048.html

BTW, wasn't there a thread the other day were somebody said they had never seen P&P up their prices with fuel prices At least I am glad they are fighting to get them lower, regardless of their other motives

 

[Albereth]

How is it possible that an Engen garage that stays open 24 hours a day is able to sell Woolies orange juice R1 cheaper than a 'proper' Woolies stores does?

 

[Kalvaer]

How is it possible that an Engen garage that stays open 24 hours a day is able to sell Woolies orange juice R1 cheaper than a 'proper' Woolies stores does?

Decreased overheads. The engen would of been open anyway, and the rental has already been paid for by the garage. So basically now its only used to stock the items, but you can do it for less

 

[Gaz{M}]

Add in the petrol, and time taken to go every 2-3 days and you end up paying more.

Ok well I live behind a Checkers so it's not an issue for me.

But most people have to get milk/bread every couple of days, so what I'm saying is have a look around then.

 

[Londo]

Ok well I live behind a Checkers so it's not an issue for me.

But most people have to get milk/bread every couple of days, so what I'm saying is have a look around then.

In a dumpster?!