Differences in Shopping

These are the differences we've noticed so far in shopping, particularly grocery shopping.

None of the wheels on the cart lock so it's interesting getting them around corners. The other night I actually thought I was getting the hang of it, until the cart got full!

You normally have to put a coin in to get a cart, though the larger Tesco doesn't do this.

Tesco has free bags (but they've stingy with them), but most other places charge for them. This definitely takes getting used to. It's helpful to keep some extra bags in the car. Until you know how to ask for them (i.e. buy them) you could be doling out your purchases to every member of the family, no matter how young.

People stand close to you in line. Personal space is definitely different here.

Choices are more limited here. I don't necessarily think of this as a bad thing, but it takes some getting used to. Sometimes it is frustrating when you don't like what is offered, but you know you have to buy it anyway. On the other hand, it saves a lot of debating and decision making!

Meat prices are high. Of course meat prices in the States can be high too, but if you look for sales you can normally save quite a bit. We try to save on meat by shopping in the clearance section, but there isn't always a lot available there. When Jason was doing his tutoring at a cafe just outside of the Tesco he was able to check it more often and we got a lot of great deals on meat.

Dairy products are cheaper overall. Yogurt and milk are definitely cheaper. We only pay around $2.50 for a gallon of milk, whereas we were paying around $3.90 before we left. Cream cheese is about the same, but comes in smaller containers. Sour cream seems cheaper to me, but it's hard to compare as the container here is smaller. Butter is about the same or maybe a little cheaper. I can usually find discounted butter in the clearance section, so I stock up and throw the extra in the freezer until I need it.

Milk comes in cardboard type boxes. It doesn't have to be refrigerated until it's opened. Since frig space is limited, it is nice to be able to store the extra in the pantry. It is also in 1 liter container, rather than a gallon.

The cheapest vegetables are cabbage, potatoes, and onion. Now you know what their staples are! I just bought a 5 kilo bag of potatoes for $2.50 (1.99 Euros) Overall veggie prices seem reasonable to me. We can find just about anything, though the lettuce selection isn't stellar. Slovaks don't really eat tossed salads as we think of them so there isn't much demand. The cheapest fruit is apples. I always bought lots of bananas in the States because they were the cheapest fruit, but when they are priced normally here they are one of the highest. When they go on sale they are very reasonable, so we enjoy them in spurts.

The chip section is interesting. You can find some things that are fairly comparable, though of course there are some unique flavors like bacon or even rosemary. We have found some good tortilla chips, though they are a little pricey. I can't find corn chips, which is something we like on our chili. The cracker selection is  limited. Again, they are not big cracker eaters so there isn't a high demand for these either. The other thing that is scarce as far as selection is cereal. Corn flakes and different kinds of granola are popular and in fact, corn flakes are the cheapest cereal here (as they are in China and Papua New Guinea as we've compared with other missionaries!). There are several brand name cereals - Cinnamon Toast Crunch (though I think they're made differently), a chocolate something or other (can you tell I don't like them here or there?), and Honey Nut Cheerios (again, not quite the same, but good). All three of those are expensive, so the boys are only allowed to eat them on Saturdays or Sundays. I paid 3.15 Euros tonight, which is just under $4.00. It is a good-sized bag, but still expensive. We can find a generic version of Rice Krispies at the Tesco in Budapest, but it's between $4 and $5 a box for those.

There is a lot less packaging, etc. here. This produces a lot less waste, which is good. Most cereal comes in bags, though some come in a box. Spices come in little packets rather than plastic containers. A lot of things come in smaller sizes than we are used to. Juice often comes in the same type of containers as milk and again, does not have to be refrigerated until opened. Many things like yogurt and sour cream come without a lid. If it does come with a lid, I wash it and use it again!

The tea section is very large and is quite a bit cheaper. There are lots of flavors to choose from, especially fruit flavors.

Canned soup is nonexistent. You can find packets of instant soup, but not cans. They do have a mix for mushroom soup, but I haven't found a mix for cream of chicken yet. Most Slovaks make their soup from scratch and they eat it nearly every day - summer and winter - so it's amazing they even have the packets. Tonight I got some packets of tomato soup and mixed them with water and a can of plain tomato sauce. It wasn't Campbells, but it was a pretty good substitute!

There are lots of flavored waters and water with bubbles is very popular. You have to really watch for this when you want "still" water! They have a few varieties of Coca Cola and Pepsi. I haven't seen anything like Sprite or 7 UP yet. Kofola is the Slovak soda, so that is often the soda of choice. When Kofola or Coke goes on sale it goes quickly and may or may not be re-stocked during the sale.

Often you have to open up the plastic packaging around items to get what you want. This is especially true for things like sugar, salt, and flour. You often have to do it for soda and/or water as well. It's good to make sure you have a long nail or a set of keys handy!

If something sells out it may or may not be re-stocked. It all depends on what it is and what time of year it is. If a school supply runs out it probably won't be re-stocked unless it is something like a pen. The two Tescos we shop at ran out of a certain kind of paper G needed for school and neither one re-stocked.

We just recently discovered you cannot find spray hairspray. Only aerosol is available and as Jason confirmed tonight, none of it is scent-free. Apparently Slovak men don't use hairspray! I'm beginning to have flashbacks from my big bang days when I single-handedly put a hole in the ozone layer.

There is a range of comfort in the paper products. Since I use the majority of the toilet paper in this household, I've decided we can splurge a little. I wait for the sale and then stock up so I can enjoy comfort! If you want cheap, you get one step away from a tree. If you pay a little more you get one step away from cardboard. If you pay a little more, you get comfort.

Ready made foods are appearing more and more, but they are still less common and expensive. There is a type of "Pasta Roni" here, but even on sale it is $1.56. You can find a few cake or muffin mixes, but not many. I'm actually not real fond of pre-packaged stuff, so it's not a big deal to me. I prefer to bake and cook from scratch, though it is nice to have something to throw together quickly once in a while.

Bread, rolls, and pastries abound! I am still amazed at all you can buy in the bakery section. Loaves of all sizes, pastries filled with fruit, creams, or chocolate, and rolls of all shapes and varieties. Not good for the waist line, but oh so yummy! Normally the price is pretty reasonable, especially since it is fresh.

No grated cheese here. You can get sliced cheese, but it is cheaper to slice it yourself. We usually buy Eidam as it is the cheapest. Gouda is another reasonably priced cheese. You can find a small block of cheddar cheese here, but the price is over $7.00 a pound! No, that's not a typo. And no, we've never bought it!

Personal care products and air fresheners are very pricey. I brought a good supply of personal care items over with us thanks to the all the great pharmacy deals I got over the past few years. Other than soap we haven't had to buy much, for which I'm thankful. There will definitely be sticker shock when we do!

Chicken and pork are the main meats here. Even ground meat is often ground pork or a mixture of beef/pork. It doesn't hold together very well for hamburgers - as I sadly learned one day! Using it for meatloaf is a little disconcerting as the color is quite different. Once in a while we do get beef, but it's a rarity and normally it's because we found it in the clearance section. Not sure if this a demand issue, a hold-over from the problems of Mad Cow Disease 10+ years ago, or something else.

Spaghetti sauce is becoming more readily available, even in the short time we've been here. That said, it is very pricey, so I rarely buy it. It is anywhere from $1.40 to $2.00 (even on sale) and this is for a smaller jar. I now use tomato sauce that I add seasonings to. Still haven't found "the perfect recipe", but we're getting used to the different taste. It's probably better for us anyway.

When you go grocery shopping, or any shopping for that matter, you will bag your own items. It doesn't matter how much you have, you will do it without assistance. Because of this we typically go shopping as a family. (I miss my quiet, solo shopping days.) I like to buy food for a couple weeks at a time, so we normally have a completely full cart. By the time you get the cart unloaded, there's already stuff at the other end waiting to be bagged. So typically J and I put stuff on the conveyor while the previous customer is paying and he or I shifts to bagging once the cashier starts scanning items. When that person is done unloading, they shift around to bagging as well, directing the older two boys as to what to put in their bag. It's quite the process for us and quite the spectacle for the cashier and those behind since they rarely buy a full cart of food.

Well, that's all I can think of for now! I'll add more later if I think of anything else.