Urban Ayisha wrote:
65. they spread 'essentials' like milk and bread to opposite ends of the shop so you have to trawl through everything (and end up buying) just to get a couple of things. even knowing this, i am still sucked in by it every time. its depressing and something about myself i really hate. i cant stop spending money we dont have, i dont know how to stop it. the only time i definitely dont spend money is when im at the allotment but having a young baby i cant get down there that easily. anyone else feel like me?
Yes, I used to be like that but I have managed to overcome it. Is there a small shop within walking distance that you can use? Even though the prices may be higher, if you go in completely focussed on what you want and don't browse (act like you are wearing blinkers), you will spend less than if you drive (?) to the supermarket and buy something from every aisle between the milk and the bread.
Another tactic; if you must use the supermarket, can you manage to pay cash? If so, by learning the prices of the items you
need, you can take with you only as much money as is necessary to pay for those items. You won't put anything else in your basket because you know that you can't pay for them.
Have you tried making your own bread? It works out so much cheaper than buying, takes very little of your time (most of the time it takes to make, it is doing the work itself), the time it does take you to make it is saved by not going to the shops, and it's more filling so you don't need as much. As for the milk - buy a cow!
Oh, well we can all dream can't we?
If you're not going to shops as often, you might need to buy bigger or more bottles, or perhaps have the milk delivered. I noticed one brand in A$da that has a much longer shelf-life than the most popular brands in the supermarket, so it might be worth spending an extra 5p or so to cut down on visits.
Hope that helps.
Oops, you didn't ask for help did you?
I have found a fairly local farm shop in one of the neighbouring villages. I was quite suprised when I went there the first time to buy sacks of potatoes and carrots (I've run out of home-grown 
). I had assumed that the produce was grown on the farm I was buying it from, but then I found a note in the sacks with the name and address of the farm they were really grown on - about 40 miles away. Oh well, that's much more local than the stuff I could get from the supermarket.
and Lidl have somewhere you can put your shopping bags i.e. a check out counter (non existant in France). In English supermarkets they go slowly and don't start serving the next customer whilst you're desperately trying to stop the moving mat from crushing all your veg because they just don't care here in France and everywhere, especially Lidl 
(thanks)