I get a variety of reactions when I tell people about my shopping in New Westminster experiment and those reactions generally fit in to three broad groups.
1. "Oh my gawd, that's going to be impossible!"
This reaction is the one that is most surprising to me. Also surprising is that I've gotten this reaction from some merchants in New Westminster. While I certainly can't deny getting swept up in a consumer frenzy now and again, it's always at the back of the mind that most of the stuff I buy fulfills wants, not needs. I didn't (and still don't) see giving up shopping outside New West as any sort of particular hardship. There's plenty of food here after all and if there does end up being something I can't get here, going without for a year doesn't seem like such a big deal.
2. "Uh-huh. Huh. Interesting."
These are the people, who, like me, don't think limiting myself to New West is a hardship.
3. "Ooh, good idea. But you're doing it wrong."
People who have this reaction generally have difficulty with how I have defined "local." I've always been clear that I was using "local" in its geographic sense, not in the "independently owned business" sense that some would prefer. It's not that I disagree with organizations like LocoBC, who both praised my experiment and chastised it (albeit gently) recently. Far from it. I think it's fabulous that more and more people and groups are promoting shopping at independent businesses and making more informed consumer decisions.
It's just not exactly what I'm doing. It's not that I didn't think about shopping only at New West's independent businesses this year. I decided though that I really want to deal with New West as it is, not as I (or others) may wish it to be. (And let's face it, I knew I would have to buy my toilet paper and light bulbs somewhere. Cutting out all big chains would probably have meant my family and I would end up sitting in the dark sometime this year, wiping our butts with newspaper. I'm into this experiment, but I'm not that into it.)
Sure, I've got a picture in my head of an ideal New Westminster: one full of dozens of unique, diverse, independently owned small businesses that attract not only local residents but people from all around the Lower Mainland. But that's not reality, at least not right now. Not yet.
I want my experiment to reflect the reality of what shopping in New West for a year looks like for the average consumer. And that means my choices are between some locally owned businesses and some big chains. It's fascinating to me that if I stuck to shopping at stores only within walking distance of my home my choices range from as local as one can get (produce and flowers grown at a tiny farm about two blocks away) and, well, Wal-Mart, where much of the merchandise is imported from China.
I want my experiment to deal with the reality of New Westminster's retail landscape as it is today. That's not to deny I'm hopeful it will look different tomorrow.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Catching up after Christmas
I've let things slide on the blog since Christmas. And now it's January 23.
The New Westminster NewsLeader did a story on shopping locally last week where I discussed my blog and how my experiment is going so far.
As I said in the story, I'm still sticking to the local shopping and there hasn't been a case yet where there was something I really, really needed to buy that I couldn't find in New Westminster. (Other than food and a sufficient amount of clothing, there's really not much that anybody really, really needs to buy. Most purchases fulfill wants, not needs.)
Still, I am having moments where I really, really want to go somewhere, anywhere else, and buy something, anything.
The main conclusion I've reached at this point in my experiment, almost four months in, is that limiting my shopping to a small geographic area hasn't magically made me shop only at small, locally owned independent businesses. I thought maybe it would. Despite the impression some have that there's no shopping in New West, it's actually pretty easy to find major chains to shop at and to shop solely at big chains.
One of my main goals for the year is to change my shopping habits and include smaller independents in my routine shopping. So far, it hasn't happened yet, so I'm going to make February no big chain grocery shopping month. I'm curious to see how that will change our eating for the month and especially how it will change our grocery bill.
The New Westminster NewsLeader did a story on shopping locally last week where I discussed my blog and how my experiment is going so far.
As I said in the story, I'm still sticking to the local shopping and there hasn't been a case yet where there was something I really, really needed to buy that I couldn't find in New Westminster. (Other than food and a sufficient amount of clothing, there's really not much that anybody really, really needs to buy. Most purchases fulfill wants, not needs.)
Still, I am having moments where I really, really want to go somewhere, anywhere else, and buy something, anything.
The main conclusion I've reached at this point in my experiment, almost four months in, is that limiting my shopping to a small geographic area hasn't magically made me shop only at small, locally owned independent businesses. I thought maybe it would. Despite the impression some have that there's no shopping in New West, it's actually pretty easy to find major chains to shop at and to shop solely at big chains.
One of my main goals for the year is to change my shopping habits and include smaller independents in my routine shopping. So far, it hasn't happened yet, so I'm going to make February no big chain grocery shopping month. I'm curious to see how that will change our eating for the month and especially how it will change our grocery bill.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Spend Reports #14 and #15: Christmas blackout
With the Christmas crazy season, I have fallen behind in both writing for and thinking about my blog. Predictably, with Christmas approaching, my spending is up. I'm not expecting the January credit card hangover to be too bad since I have been using debit a lot.
From Dec. 3 to 9, I spent about $550 in New Westminster (excluding Christmas presents) on/at:
From Dec. 10 to Dec. 16, I spent about $370 in New Westminster (excluding Christmas presents) on:
I've been dreading writing about what I'm buying for Christmas and how much I'm spending. Itemizing every single present I've bought and posting about it doesn't seem very Christmas-y. Saying how much I'm spending on presents doesn't seem very Christmas-y either.
Theoretically, someone could do the math and figure out roughly how much I'm spending per person. Theoretically, you might say, but who on earth would actually do such a thing? Bear in mind the kind of family I'm from. My dad once counted every single carrot, pea, green bean and piece of corn in a bag of frozen mixed vegetables because he felt the photo showed more carrots than were actually in the bag. He then wrote a letter to the vegetable company complaining that the photo was false advertising since there were far more carrots on the bag than in the bag.
So, for the month of December, I've decided to do a truncated version of my usual spend report. I've named all the locations where I shopped, but I haven't named any presents and the amount doesn't include the price of any Christmas presents.
Overall, shopping only in New West for Christmas has been a relief. One night early in December an Old Navy commercial came on blasting away about some great deal on jeans or sweaters and I was glad when I realized I didn't have to pay one moment of attention to it. I didn't have to go to the Old Navy Website to figure out if the deal was being offered in Canada. I didn't have to drive to Metrotown to fight my way through crowds to see if I could get a stripey sweater or whatever the heck they're selling this season for $10. I haven't had to pay attention to the stacks and stacks of Christmas flyers in the paper either.
I do feel though my Christmas shopping in New West has been somewhat of a failure. I had every intention of checking out every cute-sy store in New Westminster and I did check out some (as I wrote in this post for 10th to the Fraser). I found lots of things I liked for myself and I bought stuff for myself. But in terms of finding stuff that fit the people on my Christmas list, I did not do so well and ended up sticking mainly to chain stores, including Wal-mart, for many of my gifts.
Still, I did buy Christmas presents at places I have never considered before, like the Van Dop Gallery and the Fraser River Discovery Centre's gift shop. And I haven't been tempted to go shopping outside of New West. (We did buy our Christmas tree in Richmond as that's a family tradition to go to the same place every year. We also went to a Vancouver Giants game as we got discounted tickets through a reading program at my son's school.)
Still, I did buy Christmas presents at places I have never considered before, like the Van Dop Gallery and the Fraser River Discovery Centre's gift shop. And I haven't been tempted to go shopping outside of New West. (We did buy our Christmas tree in Richmond as that's a family tradition to go to the same place every year. We also went to a Vancouver Giants game as we got discounted tickets through a reading program at my son's school.)
From Dec. 3 to 9, I spent about $550 in New Westminster (excluding Christmas presents) on/at:
- Lunch at Victoria Sushi
- Dinner at McDonald's
- Massage at Columbia Integrated Health
- Breakfast at Couzie's on Carnarvon St. – eggs Benedict for $7.95!
- Deck plate for our new faucet at The Ensuite
- Van Dop Gallery
- Bracelet (just $10) at the Arts Council of New Westminster's Christmas Treasure Room
- Starbucks
- Tim Hortons
- Swimming lessons at Canada Games Pool
- Groceries at Safeway and IGA
- Gas at Petro-Canada
- Garland workshop at Queen's Park Florist
- Lunch at Graze
- A&W
- Taco Del Mar
- Facial and brow wax at True Serenity Day Spa, a great small spa right in Queensborough
From Dec. 10 to Dec. 16, I spent about $370 in New Westminster (excluding Christmas presents) on:
- Groceries at Safeway and Kin's
- Christmas cards at London Drugs
- Baking supplies at Galloway's
- Lunch at Graze
- Stamps at Queensborough postal outlet
Also bought items at:
- Wal-mart
- Purdy's
- Carter's/OshKosh
- Home Outfitters
- Lindt store
- Fraser River Discovery Centre gift shop
- Black Bond Books
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Spend Report #13: I can resist the mall, I can't resist a party
I had another busy shopping week (mostly) in New West. I thought I would be all prepared and early with everything for Christmas this year (I think this every year), but whoops, all of a sudden, it's December and I'm suddenly feeling very far behind (this happens every year too).
Now, it's true confession time: I left New Westminster and bought stuff in not one, but TWO other cities. I also broke my pledge to avoid Wal-mart for the entire month of November by buying some craft supplies for Beavers there on Nov. 29. (I know, I was so close!)
As for my other shopping sins: I went with some friends to a wreath making workshop at Garden Works in Burnaby and out for dinner after. Our financial planner does a movie day every year at Silver City Coquitlam. The movies are free, but the snacks aren't and even at 10 a.m., the popcorn was impossible to resist.
It was funny going to Garden Works because in addition to shopping only in New West, I've pretty much been staying only in New West for the past two months. Driving along Lougheed Highway seemed to take so long and the Garden Works seemed incredibly far away. I ended up driving past the entrance and had to circle around to get in. I felt like a tourist.
I felt quite guilty during the wreath making. I bought the bare minimum to do my wreath and shielded my eyes from all the (I'll admit) tempting merchandise. I felt less guilty about the dinner because after two hours of sticking tree branches into peat moss I was cold and hungry.
I knew it would be tough for me to stick to my New West only rule at this time of year. I can resist the mall, but I can't resist a party and these were more social occasions than shopping expeditions. Other than that, I have nothing to say in my defence. Go ahead and pillory me. (But bear in mind it's Christmas, when we should all be keeping the words of that delightful old carol in mind, the one that says, "Jingle bells, jingle bells, be kind to wayward bloggers." It goes something like that. I can't recall the exact words.)
From Nov. 26 to Dec. 2, I spent about $735 in New Westminster:
I spent about $40 in Burnaby:
I spent about $25 in Coquitlam:
 |
| Christmas ornaments from Lofty Living, Cadeaux and Van Dop Gallery |
I did a post for Tenth to the Fraser about some of the places I will be shopping in New West this Christmas. I like giving and receiving Christmas presents that get used up or used often. I make an exception for Christmas ornaments, which don't get used every day, but they do get used regularly every year. I found lots of shiny, pretty ornaments at Lofty Living, Cadeaux and the Van Dop Gallery.
Now, it's true confession time: I left New Westminster and bought stuff in not one, but TWO other cities. I also broke my pledge to avoid Wal-mart for the entire month of November by buying some craft supplies for Beavers there on Nov. 29. (I know, I was so close!)
As for my other shopping sins: I went with some friends to a wreath making workshop at Garden Works in Burnaby and out for dinner after. Our financial planner does a movie day every year at Silver City Coquitlam. The movies are free, but the snacks aren't and even at 10 a.m., the popcorn was impossible to resist.
It was funny going to Garden Works because in addition to shopping only in New West, I've pretty much been staying only in New West for the past two months. Driving along Lougheed Highway seemed to take so long and the Garden Works seemed incredibly far away. I ended up driving past the entrance and had to circle around to get in. I felt like a tourist.
I felt quite guilty during the wreath making. I bought the bare minimum to do my wreath and shielded my eyes from all the (I'll admit) tempting merchandise. I felt less guilty about the dinner because after two hours of sticking tree branches into peat moss I was cold and hungry.
I knew it would be tough for me to stick to my New West only rule at this time of year. I can resist the mall, but I can't resist a party and these were more social occasions than shopping expeditions. Other than that, I have nothing to say in my defence. Go ahead and pillory me. (But bear in mind it's Christmas, when we should all be keeping the words of that delightful old carol in mind, the one that says, "Jingle bells, jingle bells, be kind to wayward bloggers." It goes something like that. I can't recall the exact words.)
From Nov. 26 to Dec. 2, I spent about $735 in New Westminster:
- Coffee and food at Starbucks
- Ornaments at Cadeaux
- Groceries at IGA and Donald's
- Ornaments and soap at the Van Dop Gallery
- Christmas present for my son and ornaments at London Drugs
- Pulled pork sandwich at Graze
- Food at McDonald's
- Craft supplies at Wal-Mart
- Kitchen faucet at The Ensuite (on Braid Street)
- Dinner at Boston Pizza
I spent about $40 in Burnaby:
- Wreath making at Garden Works
- Dinner at Soho Bar and Grill
I spent about $25 in Coquitlam:
- Popcorn and pop at Silvercity Coquitlam
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Spend Report #12: Soap, glorious soap!
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| Soap and other goodies from Pure and Juicy Bath |
Twenty-four. That’s how many bars of soap I have squirreled away in my bathroom. That’s why my husband groans a little when I tell him I’m going to a craft fair.
Other people go to craft fairs to buy Christmas presents. That’s why I claim I go. I really go to buy soap. My habit started off with the Body Shop’s glycerine soaps, especially satsuma. I was pretty loyal to their stuff for quite some time, but then I started trying other types and now I'm a hardcore bar soap user. I dabble a bit with some French bars, but what I really love is pure B.C. gold. There are a ton of fabulous soap makers in B.C.
One of my favourites is Naked, made on Bowen Island, but I'm always on the look-out for more sources and craft fair season is when I feed my addiction. (See how close I was to making a lame joke about having "a good, clean habit," yet deftly avoided it? See how I got it in there while claiming to avoid it?)
This year I discovered Juicy Bath Soapworks at the Herbert Spencer Elementary craft fair. I got four bars, including chocolate covered strawberry, which my husband initially thought was fudge. I stopped him before he ate it.
One of my favourites is Naked, made on Bowen Island, but I'm always on the look-out for more sources and craft fair season is when I feed my addiction. (See how close I was to making a lame joke about having "a good, clean habit," yet deftly avoided it? See how I got it in there while claiming to avoid it?)
This year I discovered Juicy Bath Soapworks at the Herbert Spencer Elementary craft fair. I got four bars, including chocolate covered strawberry, which my husband initially thought was fudge. I stopped him before he ate it.
I also bought a bar made by Pure Daily Essentials (based in Langley) at Urban Academy's craft fair, along with some of their skin care products, which are gentle and smell great too.
It was a good shopping week in New West:
- I attended the long-awaited opening of Donald's Market, (which I waxed rhapsodic about in a previous post);
- I went to a shopping night at Pedagogy Toys;
- I found some ultra-pretty, ultra-sparkly Christmas ornaments at Lofty Living;
- I tried out the Village Coffee Lounge on 12th St. for the first time and found out they sell reasonably priced coffee beans;
- and I got a massage at Columbia Integrated Health
From Nov. 19 to 25, I spent about $750 in New Westminster (please remember, and I'm addressing my husband here, I had a couple of really slow spending weeks!). Close to half was spent at local, independent businesses and/or on locally or Canadian-made items.
I spent $750 at/on:
I spent $750 at/on:
- A & W
- Hand cream at Adriana's in Royal City Centre mall
- Toiletries at
London - Bloco set at Pedagogy Toys
- Christmas ornaments at Lofty Living
- Candles and holders at a PartyLite party
- Lunch, an eggnog latte, and fair trade coffee beans at the Village Coffee Lounge
- Coffee and sandwich at Starbucks
- Snack at Tim Hortons
- Groceries at Safeway and Donald’s Market
- Massage
At Herbert Spencer craft fair:
- Cutting board
- Soap and lotion by Juicy Bath
- Christmas ornaments
At Urban Academy
- Tea
- Pure Daily Essentials soap, skin care kit, and face mist
- Cookies
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Spend Report #11: Another slow shopping week
It was another fairly slow shopping week and mostly full of chain stores. (Still no Wal-Mart though.)
I sent my husband out to do the big grocery shop since I was still sick in bed. He got to use my grocery list template, which I created in one of my rare Stepford wife moments.
I wanted to improve my efficiency at grocery shopping. My usual procedure was to make a list in any old order, then go up and down each aisle, scanning the list to see which items were in that aisle. That meant I went up and down each aisle, whether I needed anything from it or not. So I made a template organized by aisle. The template includes the most common items I buy in that aisle. When I make my list, I just need to delete the items I don't need that week and print it out. Then I know exactly which aisles I need to visit and which ones I can skip.
My husband was fairly stunned when I told him about the grocery list template. He's used to my lackadaisical (and somewhat contemptuous) attitude to housekeeping and the housewifely arts. Example: when the topic of ironing came up early in our marriage, I paraphrased the line from the English Patient: "A woman should never learn to iron and if she can she shouldn't admit to it." (In the movie, the statement was applied to sewing, which works for me too.)
From Nov. 12 to 18, I spent about $310 in New Westminster on:
Groceries
Pulled pork sandwich at Graze in Sapperton
Starbucks
Taco Del Mar
Advent calendar at the Lindt store in Queensborough – only $6!
A baby gift at Carter's/OshKosh B'gosh in Queensborough
I sent my husband out to do the big grocery shop since I was still sick in bed. He got to use my grocery list template, which I created in one of my rare Stepford wife moments.
I wanted to improve my efficiency at grocery shopping. My usual procedure was to make a list in any old order, then go up and down each aisle, scanning the list to see which items were in that aisle. That meant I went up and down each aisle, whether I needed anything from it or not. So I made a template organized by aisle. The template includes the most common items I buy in that aisle. When I make my list, I just need to delete the items I don't need that week and print it out. Then I know exactly which aisles I need to visit and which ones I can skip.
My husband was fairly stunned when I told him about the grocery list template. He's used to my lackadaisical (and somewhat contemptuous) attitude to housekeeping and the housewifely arts. Example: when the topic of ironing came up early in our marriage, I paraphrased the line from the English Patient: "A woman should never learn to iron and if she can she shouldn't admit to it." (In the movie, the statement was applied to sewing, which works for me too.)
From Nov. 12 to 18, I spent about $310 in New Westminster on:
Groceries
Pulled pork sandwich at Graze in Sapperton
Starbucks
Taco Del Mar
Advent calendar at the Lindt store in Queensborough – only $6!
A baby gift at Carter's/OshKosh B'gosh in Queensborough
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Donald's Market and River Market Make Local Shopping an Adventure
I'm only in my second month of my shopping in New Westminster adventure and frankly, it was starting to feel like not such an adventure. I was starting to go stir crazy, especially as I watched the Canadian dollar climb in value and saw all the glossy, tempting Christmas flyers starting to arrive in the paper. I was getting pretty bummed about not being able to make a quick cross-border shopping trip to Bellingham or even a quick cross-border shopping trip to Burnaby.
Today all that changed. Today I got my local shopping mojo back. Today I went to the grand opening of Donald's Market at the River Market and saw all that potential New Westminster civic and business leaders have been talking since time immemorial realized.
I'm not going to lie. I had my doubts, especially given that the renovations dragged on for so long and at least one of the tenant choices seemed goofy. When I heard the Vancouver Circus School was a tenant I was skeptical. What the heck is a circus school doing in a market? After attending the grand opening today, I found out what it's doing there: being awesome. After all, which grocery store would you rather go to: normal grocery store with just groceries or grocery store where there's a guy doing a handstand all the way down the escalator and a girl juggling all the way up? I pick the grocery store with the circus school. (In addition to classes, they are also going to offer birthday party packages.)
I actually got a little teary-eyed on the drive home, thinking to myself that this marvellous place is in New Westminster. I went to San Francisco for the first time in August and visited the Ferry Building Marketplace. The River Market reminds me of that market, but I won't have to take a plane to get to it. It's right here where I live, in my city. And I think the River Market actually has a warmer, more organic atmosphere than the Ferry Building Marketplace. Maybe that's because the River Market is not quite finished yet. I found something rather charming about the work-in-progress feeling of the place.
I was pleased to read in the Record that the Market's management is being very careful and choosy about its tenants. I used to visit the Quay fairly often and always got a, "Close, but not quite," feeling about it. There were some bright spots among the tenants, but overall, the place didn't have a bustling, happening atmosphere. I think that's why I was getting a bit bummed about my local shopping: there are bright spots, but overall, New Westminster felt, "Close, but not quite."
Seeing the River Market confirmed to me again, all New Westminster needs to do is build on what we already have, to build a critical mass of exciting shopping options. Seeing the River Market confirmed to me that it can happen here and it is happening here. Local shopping is an adventure again.
Today all that changed. Today I got my local shopping mojo back. Today I went to the grand opening of Donald's Market at the River Market and saw all that potential New Westminster civic and business leaders have been talking since time immemorial realized.
I'm not going to lie. I had my doubts, especially given that the renovations dragged on for so long and at least one of the tenant choices seemed goofy. When I heard the Vancouver Circus School was a tenant I was skeptical. What the heck is a circus school doing in a market? After attending the grand opening today, I found out what it's doing there: being awesome. After all, which grocery store would you rather go to: normal grocery store with just groceries or grocery store where there's a guy doing a handstand all the way down the escalator and a girl juggling all the way up? I pick the grocery store with the circus school. (In addition to classes, they are also going to offer birthday party packages.)
I actually got a little teary-eyed on the drive home, thinking to myself that this marvellous place is in New Westminster. I went to San Francisco for the first time in August and visited the Ferry Building Marketplace. The River Market reminds me of that market, but I won't have to take a plane to get to it. It's right here where I live, in my city. And I think the River Market actually has a warmer, more organic atmosphere than the Ferry Building Marketplace. Maybe that's because the River Market is not quite finished yet. I found something rather charming about the work-in-progress feeling of the place.
I was pleased to read in the Record that the Market's management is being very careful and choosy about its tenants. I used to visit the Quay fairly often and always got a, "Close, but not quite," feeling about it. There were some bright spots among the tenants, but overall, the place didn't have a bustling, happening atmosphere. I think that's why I was getting a bit bummed about my local shopping: there are bright spots, but overall, New Westminster felt, "Close, but not quite."
Seeing the River Market confirmed to me again, all New Westminster needs to do is build on what we already have, to build a critical mass of exciting shopping options. Seeing the River Market confirmed to me that it can happen here and it is happening here. Local shopping is an adventure again.
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