Newspaper Page Text
Griffin Daily News Thursday, August 25, 1977
Page 18
Specially designed kits can help shoppers avoid wasting food dollars
EDITOR’S NOTE: Sarah
French, a Connecticut house
wife, always thought of herself
as a careful shopper, clipping
coupons, comparing prices and
watching for specials to save
money. A one-month ex
periment with an educational
kit developed to help consumers
cut grocery costs showed her
she could save even more. But
she also learned that the ex
perts’ theories aren’t always
practical. Here, in a last of a
three-part series, is a look at
her experience.
By LOUISE COOK
Associated Press Writer
NORWAIJt, Conn. (AP) -
Like millions of other women,
Sarah French balances her food
budget with an agility worthy of
a professional economist,
matching demand — the tastes
and appetite of her family —
against supply — her husband’s
biweekly paycheck.
In 12 years of marriage, Mrs.
French has learned many of the
tricks of supermarket shopping.
She passes up displays of
tempting, but expensive prod
ucts, strategically placed to
catch the eye of the shopper.
She reads labels and studies the
fine print in the ads.
Mrs. French clips coupons,
buys house brands, watches for
specials and tries not to be
swayed by the pleas of her
daughter, Emily, 8%. “You’ve
got to resist children,” she says.
“Children want this or that. A
lot of parents will buy just to
keep the kids quiet.”
Recently, Mrs. French
learned a few more tricks from
“Be a Better Shopper — Buying
in Supermarkets,’’ a kit
prepared by Cornell University
experts.
Before getting the kit, Mrs.
French did virtually all of her
shopping at one supermarket. A
month later, she visited three
competing stores to take advan
tage of advertised specials. She
paid more attention to prices on
the second trip, comparing
supermarket offerings. She
stocked up on some items that
were on sale.
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Mrs. French rejected some of
the suggestions of the experts,
however. She said she couldn’t
see herself spending the time to
write down every purchase and
price as recommended. She was
dubious about finding space to
store items bought, in large
quantities, on sale.
An attractive brunette who
worked until the birth of her
second child, Catherine, 3M>
months, and who plans to return
to her clerical job in the fall,
Mrs. French also said that the
experts did not pay enough
attention to individual tastes.
“There are certain things we
will eat and it’s no use for me to
buy other things,” she said.
When it comes to changing
brands to take advantage of a
special, Mrs. French is selec
tive. “Certain ones are worth
the money. I wouldn’t switch no
matter what the price.”
Family members are particu
lar. Emily, for example, prefers
a particular brand of hot dogs.
It would be a false economy to
buy a cheaper brand, Mrs.
French said.
Heinz Biesdorf, the Cornell
professor who headed the team
that developed the Better Shop
per kit, concedes that consumer
preference can be a factor in
shopping. But he argues that
most people do not really taste
any difference; they only think
they do.
If you honestly can tell the
difference, Biesdorf says, you
should try to decide which is
more important — the taste or
the money — and spend accord
ingly. Biesdorf says his aim is
not so much to teach people
what to spend as it is to make
them aware of the money they
have and the use they make of
it.
Mrs. French is determined
not to make concessions when it
comes to quality. She says of
food: “It’s one of the necessities
of life and it can jolly well be
enjoyable.”
Mrs. French does her main
shopping once every two weeks;
the trips coincide with French’s
payday. Perishables such as
bread and milk are replaced
more frequently. When she
needs an item like milk, she
says, “I try to go straight to the
place (where it’s located), get it
and get out of there. If you
don’t, you’re doomed (to im
pulse buying).”
There are other shopping pit
falls. “The things that bug me
about supermarket practices
are the things that are profit
able for the supermarkets such
as putting tempting items like
their fresh baked cake right at
the doorway where you’re
bound to fall over it coming in
the door,” Mrs. French says.
“It took a long time” to learn
to withstand temptation, she
adds. “And it’s still hard to go
by those little goodies at the
door. I always stop and look at
’em. I never buy ’em.”
Another danger: “You go to a
store with a marvelous bargain
and decide to pick up other
things on which the store is
making up the cost.”
Mrs. French avoided such a
trap on her most recent shop
ping trip, after using the Better
Shopper kit. Displaying adver
tisements for ham, sausages
and baby shampoo and discount
coupons for spaghetti and soda,
she said: “With luck, that’s all
we’re going to get.”
When she left the store 35
minutes later, Mrs. French had
purchased the items on her list
and nothing more. “This is the
first time I’ve been in a store,
bought exactly what I came to
buy and walked out,” she said.
Mrs. French decided on the
spaghetti even though she al
ready had four pounds at home.
The price was right —l9 cents a
pound with the coupon or about
30 cents less than normal. She
had learned one of the basics of
being a smart shopper: Buy on
sale, even if you don’t need the
item for immediate use.
Since she only had one cou
pon, she could not take advan
tage of another basic: When the
price is right, buy a lot.
The main shopping trip of the
day was an afternoon ex
pedition to the supermarket
closest to Mrs. French’s home,
Emily and Catherine, who
stayed home during the morn
ing, came to the store. (Mrs.
French said she tries to leave
the children home when her
husband’s work schedule per
mits him to watch over them,
but it is not always possible.)
She entered the store at 12:28
p.m. The first purchase was a
box of English muffins for Em
ily. “She’s been begging me for
them for weeks. That’s impulse
number one,” Mrs. French said
ruefully.
Wheeling the cart past the
produce department, Mrs.
French paused at a display of
potatoes. “The sign says Idaho,
but the bag says Russet. I think
I’ll pass.”
Next comes a package of
frankfurters — “I should have
bought them at the other store;
they were 10 cents cheaper,”
chocolate chip cookies for which
she has a coupon, crackers,
flank steak — “It’s $2.38 a
pound, but it’s pure meat,”
some other meats, beer, fruit
juice, soda, breakfast items, cat
food, cheese and so on. Mrs.
French was at the checkout at
1:15 p.m. Her bill was $32.26.
Earlier in the day, she spent
about sl6. She bought slightly
less than usual because the
family was going away for the
weekend and because a current
hot spell meant lighter and
smaller meals.
Four weeks before, Mrs.
French spent almost $56 at a
single supermarket. She nor
mally spends about $75 every
two weeks.
With a family income some
what above the U.S. median of
about $14,000, the Frenches
have a little leeway when it
comes to food purchases. Mrs.
French says she is aware of in
flation, but feels there is little
she can do. “You just sort of
absorb it,” she says.
Had she learned anything
from the shopping kit?
Yes, said Mrs. French, par
ticularly about laws and regu
lations on labels and pricing
practices. She also was deter
mined to continue shopping in at
least two competing stores. She
said she would stock up on
paper products if there was a
special — "I could probably
store them in the attic."
>
r>
fir
On board
Former Sen. J. W. Fulbright, D
\rk„ has joined the board of
directors of the Little Rock
investments firm of Stephens
Inc., officials said. (APi
Boy Scouts
are guests
of Navy
Boy Scout Troop 8, lead by
Bill Corley, were guests or the
U.S. Navy recently at the
Navy’s Basic Training Center in
Orlando, Florida. The Griffin
scouts attended a graduation
ceremony at the base as special
guests of the commanding of
ficer and later toured Disney
World and Cape Kennedy where
they witnessed the launching of
the Viking space craft.
On the trip were: Ronald
Hudson, Lee Goodman, Gary
Thompson, Clifford Conley,
Greg Yevick, Jeff Grant,
Charles Heaton, Warren Manor,
Kurt Howard, Jeff Howard,
Lance Greer, Rusty Nelson,
Brian Nelson, Mark Strickland,
Johnny White, Jimmy Smith,
Tommy Smith, Todd Turner.
Kevin Davis, Shelby Mobley,
Phillip Stewart, David Bradley,
Levan Kinard, Sammy
Nelson, Larry Gossett and Ray
Corley.
Mrs. French questioned
whether most shoppers would
have the dedication, determina
tion and organizational ability
to shop the way the experts
recommend. She also noted that
many of the suggestions in the
Cornell kit — first published in
1968 and revised this year —
have become common
i © —-91
Wants to beg off
her bare invitation
By Abigail Van Buren
1977 by The Chicago Tnbune-N.Y News Synd. Inc.
DEAR ABBY: I met a very nice woman a few months
ago and we started going away together on weekends.
Now she tells me she belongs to a nudist club and she’s
trying to talk me into going along with her to a nudey
retreat.
I honestly don’t think I could do anything like that, but I
don’t want her to think I'm chicken. Any suggestions?
BILL
DEAR BILL: Tell her you’re afraid it will be the end of
your relationship if you see too much of each other.
DEAR ABBY: Our 21-year-old son recently married his
high school teacher, who is 39. These two had been
secretly seeing each other for three years. She was
married and had two children, but because she fell in love
with our son, she got a divorce.
All this was done behind our backs. We didn’t know a
thing about it until they had been married for nearly a
month!
Now that they are married, they want us to forget the
past and accept them.
We love our son but find it difficult to forget the deceit
and coverup that went on during the courtship.
How should we act now that they are married?
HURT PARENTS
DEAR HURT: Accept his wife and say nothing about
the past. What was, was.
DEAR ABBY: There are so many people in their 60s
who are alone and lonely for companionship, and I know
why.
I am a man nearly 65. I’m retired and on Social Security.
I own an old car and work a few hours to keep it running.
For the past two years, I’ve been trying to find a lady to
go steady with, but I've given up. I can’t afford it.
I’ve met a lot of women about my age, and they are
wonderful company. But the trouble is, they all expect a
man to take them out a couple of nights a week, wine them
and dine them, go to drive-in movies, and for drives and
lunches.
One of them said, “My company should be worth that
much.” Well, how about MY company?
I wouldn’t expect a woman to share car expenses, but if
we both have about the same incomes and know how to
stretch a dollar, we could have a wonderful time if we
shared expenses. Neither one of us is a prize package
anymore. Why act like it?
LONESOME IN L.A.
DEAR LONESOME: You’d be surprised how many
lonely women in their 60s would buy the deal you propose.
Why don’t you lay all your cards on the table? You could
draw a queen.
For Abby’s booklet, “How to Have a Lovely Wedding,”
send SI to Abigail Van Buren, 132 Lesky Dr., Beverly Hills,
Calif. 90212. Please enclose a long, self-addressed, stamped
(244) envelope.
said in a
LOW
itai re
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FR IE DM AIM’S HON. Hill St. fflft
JEWELERS Phone 227-4087
thtjMt+ypoult aiIMCB 188 4
knowledge with the growth of
the consumer movement and
shoppers’ increasing concern
about prices.
Information is the consumer’s
best defense against rising
prices, Mrs. French says. “You
don’t get cheated at the super
market," she says. “You cheat
yourself.”
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