Wednesday 5 January 2011

Checking prices

I went to town on the bus today to drop the bags at the Arts Centre, and to check out any bargains to be had at Marks and Spencer, it is closing down tomorrow. I intend to use my bus pass a lot more now that the cost of fuel has gone up. When I get a new car I shall be using it mainly for trips out, and not for nipping into town. We have a reasonable bus service here during the daytime, though it's not so good if you want to go out at night.

There wasn't much left in Marks n Sparks, most things were half price or cheaper. I looked for some posh food, knowing that they sell good quality at extortianate prices, but even with the price reduced some items were still more expensive than other places. This is where knowing your prices becomes important, if you do your homework, you become savvy and know when a bargain is not a bargain.

I got two bags of cous cous for 99p, and two bags of bulgar wheat for 75p. A couple of items for the store cupboard. The other stuff that people were piling in their baskets didn't interest me, chocolates, cakes, biscuits, sweets, and snack foods. I had a quick look on the rails to see if there was anything in the clothes line that took my fancy. Not my style unfortunately but some of it was very cheap. I did buy a couple of blue skinny teeshirts, reduced from £8 to £1 each. I shall wear them as vests.

I had a bit of time to kill before the bus home, so I checked out the discount stores for some cheap food. We have Home Bargains and B & M. I got some veg oxo cubes for 49p, two packets of curry sauce mix for 29p each, and a jar of nescafe for £2.29. All these items are more expensive from the supermarket. Just for a treat I had a packet of Hula Hoops for 10p, now that's what I call living a little, ha ha.

7 comments:

  1. I misread that post the first time and was laughing at the image of you trying to get a full sized hula hoop home on the bus lol. Wiggle those hips Ilona
    x x x

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  2. You know how to let your hair down Ilona, Hula Hoops, steady on LOL

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  3. That`s a sad sign of the times if your local M&S is closing. I have just been reading that HMV and Waterstones book shops are going to be closing down too. More jobs will go down with the stores that close :-(

    We can no longer get into our local town by bus, as the service was scrapped last year. Using the car is the only way.

    It sounds as though you found some good bargains today!

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  4. I hardly ever go into town now- the bus fare is 1.40 each way, so once every 6 weeks or so, I drive in on a Saturday when I can get a free parking space if I'm there for 8.30am. I visit the market and stock up the freezer at the butcher's stall, buy Country Life butter at the cheap shop for 99p ( it's 2.49 or so in Asda), and check out Home Bargains to see what they have. Last time I got 4 tins of tuna for 2.49 - the same ones were 5.39 in the supermarket! You are right about it paying to know the price of things.

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  5. I've never heard of a Marks and Sparks store closing down before, how very sad:(

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  6. it seems shops for the high end of the market are struggling, yet cheaper stores are booming and opening up all over the place

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  7. A lot more shops and businesses will fold up because people are simply tightening their belts. Those who don't have jobs or money cannot afford to buy and those who have jobs and money have stopped spending and are keeping money in their bank accounts because they are TERRIFIED of losing their jobs in the job cuts. Very insecure and difficult times. And it's gonna get much worse over the next five years. Oh well, let's take one day at a time! :0(

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