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Purse and life

01.05.2011
Author: Victoria GREGUOLDO
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Thus, the long-awaited purchase accomplished, foreign house became yours! Time to start everyday life - to develop a neighborhood, make new friends, go shopping. Last - not only pleasant, but also full of surprises.
In order to move to another country, buy exactly what you need, and of the best quality, and not overpay, you will need to slightly change the usual approach to shopping.
First of all, it would be good to abandon the "tourist" view of prices, and also stop comparing everything with the usual Moscow standards. At the next stage, it is desirable to learn how to use local resources correctly, that is, not just to know where and what you can buy at the best price, but also to clearly understand what discounts and in what cases you can count on, what privileges regular customer cards give, whether it is possible to replace or return the goods.
High skill in visiting markets and shops comes along with a good knowledge of the language and a correct understanding of the environment – usually after a year of living in a new place.
The good news is that doing everyday shopping here is likely to be much more enjoyable than in a major Russian city. The reasons for this are the variety of goods and products, almost always excellent quality and reasonable prices.

Not only supermarket
Perhaps it's worth starting with food. In most countries, shopping is most often done in supermarkets, and everything seems to be simple here – however, in this orderly world you need to learn how to navigate. You can determine whether a particular supermarket belongs to expensive or cheap ones already at the entrance – both by the appearance of the shopping complex and by the brands of parked cars.
The Russian habit may lead you to the largest hypermarket in the neighborhood, although this is not always the best choice. Yes, hypermarkets, unlike other stores, are open on Sundays, yes, they have the widest range of goods. But this is where the advantages end: prices are usually no different or even slightly higher compared to a supermarket, and a larger assortment is an excuse to collect a full basket of unnecessary goods. As an alternative, there are always many small private shops. The prices are the highest, but there is no need to choke in the crowd, defend queues, and human communication – everyone knows each other – is important.
In megacities, many shops work seven days a week, but in the provinces, including resort regions, everything is different. For example, in Italy, Sunday and half a day during the week (most often on Monday) are almost always non-working; it is also better to forget about Saturday, since it is on this day that the whole country synchronously buys food for the week.
In hyper- and supermarkets, it is useful to take regular customer cards: they not only give discounts of up to 40% in the stores themselves, but also reduce prices for many partner services – from sports clubs to exhibition and concert halls. In addition, for the accumulated points, some goods can be received as a gift or at a symbolic price.
Markets are much more interesting than supermarkets: here the relationship between seller and buyer has hardly changed over the centuries and there is still a lot of fresh, delicious, varied food. Farm markets can also be considered an option – small markets where local farmers exhibit their products. In Europe, the fashion for farm markets came from America.

Pleasant discoveries
However, a real gourmet should know where to buy fruit, honey or wine directly from the manufacturer. The best way to get such information is to ask the cherished addresses from local residents who know a lot about it.
31-year-old Dmitry, who lives on the outskirts of Milan, says: "I chose this apartment in a new complex due to its location: 40 minutes from here. by car to the office, and the same amount – to the mountains, and I'm an inveterate skier. I was lucky with my neighbors: they regularly provide me with information about where it is better to buy. So, they showed the way to a farm where you can buy meat and dairy products. I go there for cheeses, but visiting the farm itself can be considered entertainment."
It should be taken into account that while in Russia almost all food products are produced at large enterprises, in many European countries small, usually family farms and production facilities are very much appreciated. Hence – freshness, variety, lack of preservatives.
Arina, the owner of a house near Orleans (France), says: "Friends showed us where it is better to buy wine – the so-called "cav", a cellar. Before buying, we all definitely try a drink, this is a separate pleasure. The owner tells us about the wines, explains which cheese to which wine is better to take: here, in the Loire Valley, soft goat cheeses are usually combined with white wines. We believe that the prices in the cellar are more favorable."

Fashion shopping
Even in chain stores like Benetton in European countries, prices are lower by a third than in Russia, and when it comes to goods of "high" brands, the difference may be even greater, up to 100 or even 300%. Clothes are even cheaper in the USA.
In addition, there are opportunities to save money here.
The first of them is the annual sales starting in early January and July. The first wave of decline, with discounts up to 30%, lasts a couple of weeks. After that, prices are cut even more. In addition, there are closed sales "for their own", where prices can not be called anything but ridiculous.
Opportunity number two – outlets (large malls, whole shopping villages, shops at factories and warehouses) with discounts all year round.
Do not forget about the Internet: more and more brands are opening their virtual boutiques, which are a nuisance! – they do not work with Russia, but they deliver goods across Europe without any problems. Here, in addition to the official dates of sales, there are their own discount programs.

Large purchases
When it comes to buying furniture, home appliances or electronics, there are several options for saving. Firstly, you can find the lowest price for the product on the Internet – just do not forget about the cost of delivery, it is not always included in the price. Secondly, large chain stores regularly hold promotions – and this is not counting sales in honor of some holidays – and, if time permits, there is an opportunity to wait for the best offer. Let's not forget about the cards of a regular customer: for example, the cards of Coop supermarkets popular in Italy allow you to get a 5% discount on furniture and other products from Chateau d'AX, a well-known luxury furniture manufacturer.
A lower price than in Russia is not a reason for immediate purchase. For example, the basic model of a Dyson vacuum cleaner in Russia costs about 500 euros, in Italy at the opening of sales – about 300 euros, and this is not the last price. In a couple of weeks, as part of a special promotion, a vacuum cleaner can be purchased for 200 euros. This example shows that every serious purchase requires careful study of offers. The same rules apply to cars, air tickets, tourist vouchers and much more.
In the United States, where the system of "goods by mail" is extremely well developed, almost everything (and even weapons!) it can be purchased from a catalog or in online stores. According to the story of Marina, who now lives in her own house in Louisiana, this is how her family built a house. All materials for construction, decoration and decoration were ordered from catalogs. "Friends from Russia are amazed to discover that absolutely everything they see in our house, we did not choose in stores. Everything, except for the wrought–iron grate for the fireplace, which we brought from Russia, was delivered to our house - it's very convenient. In addition, prices are lower, and any product can always be changed," she says.
You should find out the conditions under which you can return or exchange goods in any store, because even in one country, different companies can set their own rules.
Good shopping!

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