I’ve got a number of books I’m going to write, and I’m not making that up.
NEVER BUY BIGGER PANTS - A Self Help Book
SURVIVING THE SELF EMPLOYED WORLD - Ditto
SUPERMARKET CONFIDENTIAL - Going to blow the lid off the supermarket business, because I’m surprised at how little people know what actually goes on behind the scenes where they buy groceries. Stuff like…
1- Digging to the back of the canned food section to get a “fresher” date— this one made me laugh out loud— canned foods are coded- do you really think the high school kid that stocks the aisle knows or has time to read the codes and rotate the cans? You are probably getting a ten year old can by digging.
2- Buying seafood from a store that is many miles from an ocean. Especially large chains. They buy in bulk, they then ship back to a sorting warehouse which THEN ships the items out to the stores. Smaller stores or non-chains get direct deliveries from Seafood Trucks. The big stores don’t. How can you ensure you’re getting fresh? Drive around the back every single time you go to the market and look at the trucks backed up to the loading area. Is it ONLY giant trucks with the name of the company on them? If the answer is yes do not buy perishables. Seafood, Fruits and Vegetables and sometimes even MEATS are going to be days old by the time they hit the shelves. You want to see trucks with company names on them back there- smallish trucks— you want to see Gregg’s Fruit Supply and Wally’s Seafood trucks back there. That means it’s coming in fresh.
3- Get to know your butcher— how many people do this? I’ll tell you why— sides of beef often come in with Cancerous Tumors on them— I wish I was making that up. The butcher knows which meats sitting in the case were born of that toxic cow. Get to know him and he’ll steer you towards the cuts he would buy for his family. But you need to put the time in. Bring him a coffee, ask how his day is— put the work in and it’ll pay off in spades.
4- Get to know your store manager— it’s very likely the person you see in charge on the floor all the time is the Operations or Assistant Manager— most store managers are so busy with paperwork they spend only about 1/5 of their time on the floor. This is a valuable person to know. If you like their attitude, I gravitate towards one that consider the store their own, then get their input too. They’ll point you to the best deals and best quality on the floor. If this store manager dismisses your questions find a different place to shop.
There is so much more, but that’s the start.