Our 'Year of Thrift'

Drawn Threads is my business but as a family we decided have a ‘Thrifty Christmas’ really thinking about everything we bought, from presents to food and most importantly, were it came from. We decided to continue in to 2014 with guidelines set down for our ‘Year of Thrift 2014’.

 

For us the Year of thrift began with where we bought our groceries and the importance of shopping local.

As a trader on the Darlington Sunday Peoples Market each month with my creative business Drawn Threads, I support shopping and selling locally. Supporting the local indoor and outdoor market was never far from my mind and the ‘use it or loose it’ principle very firmly rooted.

 

On Saturday we went to the Darlington Indoor market to do a twice weekly shop for food, eggs, cheese and meat etc.

Each week we will try to compile how much we have saved by shopping on the local market compared to buying such items at supermarkets. This week we have spent about £29, but if the same was bought in a supermarket we would have spent nearly £43.00.

 

The money saving is only the first part, the actual shopping experience is very different and more pleasurable. The service we received was excellent with one incident making me feel incredible important as a customer. We bought some cheese for the price of £3.12 but the stall holder only charged me £3.00, as that was the amount of cheese I asked for. It established that the sellers business was customer orientated over the Kerrching of the till ringing.

 

To ensure the future of our markets and local small business, we really do need to use them or loose them. 

I appreciate every customer I have through my business, understanding the vitally important part they have to play in the success of Local Markets and their future.