Our philosophy is a bit different (edit oh right in in the Nordics), there's just really shitty quality things from generic store brands which they've imported from somewhere.

Like the cheapest shampoo is 500 ml for 1€. Whereas actual brand shampoos for like 250ml are ~3-4€.

That's often the way for most economic shopping, buying the very generic brand and family size. But for some things it just doesn't work for a single person. Like when I was 18 I used to buy a generic brand 1kg block of cheese but I never managed to get through it before it was moldy af. So it's very annoying because the market is more aimed at the family size.

Only in recent years have there been smaller packaging sizes of meats and cheeses. Shrinkflation in some cases, but usually they just skip making the package slightly smaller and make it much smaller and market it with the excuse of it being for single people.

[–] megane_kun@lemm.ee 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I imagine something like that yes. No offense.

No offense taken, don't worry.

I am not sure what the cheapest shampoo is around here, but as far as I can recall, the brand shampoo I usually buy is roughly 3€ (converted) per 250mL bottle. Somewhat surprising that we're paying 1st world country prices in a 3rd world country. I can probably go for a much cheaper one, but I am not sure I can find one that is much cheaper. Most of the really cheap stuff tend to be in bulk, and usually in those big warehouse-like stores that are meant for wholesale buying. This reinforces my point earlier: I can buy cheaper overall, but I have to pay a lot upfront. And when people try to live in under 10€ per day, I don't think it's feasible.

For fairly non-perishable stuff like shampoo, toiletries, detergent, and the like, I guess it really makes sense buying in bulk (or what one can use up in a reasonable amount of time). Food though? That's the first thing that went "single portion sizes" here. Heck, there was a time before "single-use" cooking oil sachets, where we can just buy that stuff to the mL. We just need to bring our own containers and the store will put the appropriate amount on it. Same goes for vinegar and soy sauce (which are basic kitchen staples here). Now? That stuff can be bought pre-packaged in amounts as little as 50mL.

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Basic brands are like 3-4e, but special shampoos can be more than 10. Just saw one for 35e.

Yeah it's expensive being poor, no matter which part of the world.

Buying in ml sounds actually nice. Wish more products were available like that.

Like a nice food shop where you can get most things by weight. Deli, basically, but not just for food but for cooking stuff as well. Like "I'd like this jar filled with garlic mince, here's a box for 400-500g of soffrit, heres a container for rhe demiglaze but I only need some 150ml. Then uhm, that wonderful spice rub you have, yeah, could I get this jar of that. This jug balsamic vinegar pls, top it up, yep."

Automation can be a good thing if it increased "artisan shops" like that, imo.

[–] megane_kun@lemm.ee 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Yeah!! I actually find it quite nice, nevermind that the necessity that gave rise to it is communal poverty.

If the same kind of piecemeal purchases (minus the dizzying amounts of plastic) can be adopted for more products, here and everywhere, that'd be very nice. I can't imagine it'd be any more troublesome than keeping a huge vat of whatever, a weighing scale or some sort of a liquid measuring device and a person to make the measurements and handle the payment.

Well, I guess it can't handle a rush of customers, though, hence the 50mL sachets of food stuff (and 5mL of shampoo, dishwashing liquid, etc).

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

It wouldn't be complex at all. Have a scale under the dispenser. Place your container on it. Then it tares it (discounts the weight of the container), then you just pour and it sees show much it gave and that It matches what the weight increased by. Don't even need a person.

All sorts which are a removed to make at home because of the time and usually large batches and limited room in the fridge. I'm thinking of buying an extra freezer.

I don't think single use plastics were bad... IF the global infra for producing actually biodegradable plastics existed and was used. But it doesn't.... yet.