What Are The Greatest Changes In Shopping In Your Lifetime

What are the greatest changes in shopping in your lifetime? So asked my 9 year old grandson.

As I thought of the question the local Green Grocer came to mind. Because that is what the greatest change in shopping in my lifetime is.

That was the first place to start with the question of what are the greatest changes in shopping in your lifetime.

Our local green grocer was the most important change in shopping in my lifetime. Beside him was our butcher, a hairdresser and a chemist.

Looking back, we were well catered for as we had quite a few in our suburb. And yes, the greatest changes in shopping in my lifetime were with the small family owned businesses.

Entertainment While Shopping Has Changed
Buying butter was an entertainment in itself.
My sister and I often had to go to a favourite family grocer close by. We were always polite as we asked for a pound or two of butter and other small items.

Out came a big block of wet butter wrapped in grease-proof paper. Brought from the back of the shop, placed on a huge counter top and included two grooved pates.

That was a big change in our shopping in my lifetime… you don’t come across butter bashing nowadays.

Our old friendly Mr. Mahon with the moustache, would cut a square of butter. Lift it to another piece of greaseproof paper with his pates. On it went to the weighing scales, a bit sliced off or added here and there.

Our old grocer would then bash it with gusto, turning it over and over. Upside down and sideways it went, so that it had grooves from the pates, splashes going everywhere, including our faces.

My sister and I thought this was great fun and it always cracked us up. We loved it, as we loved Mahon’s, on the corner, our very favourite grocery shop.

Grocery Shopping
Further afield, we often had to go to another of my mother’s favourite, not so local, green grocer’s. Mr. McKessie, ( spelt phonetically) would take our list, gather the groceries and put them all in a big cardboard box.

And because we were good customers he always delivered them to our house free of charge. But he wasn’t nearly as much fun as old Mr. Mahon. Even so, he was a nice man.

All Things Fresh
So there were very many common services such as home deliveries like:

• Farm eggs

• Fresh vegetables

• Cow’s milk

• Freshly baked bread

• Coal for our open fires

Delivery Services
A man used to come to our house a couple of times a week with farm fresh eggs.

Another used to come every day with fresh vegetables, although my father loved growing his own.

Our milk, topped with beautiful cream, was delivered to our doorstep every single morning.

Unbelievably, come think of it now, our bread came to us in a huge van driven by our “bread-man” named Jerry who became a family friend.

My parents always invited Jerry and his wife to their parties, and there were many during the summer months. Kids and adults all thoroughly enjoyed these times. Alcohol was never included, my parents were teetotallers. Lemonade was a treat, with home made sandwiches and cakes.

The coal-man was another who delivered bags of coal for our open fires. I can still see his sooty face under his tweed cap but I can’t remember his name. We knew them all by name but most of them escape me now.

Mr. Higgins, a service man from the Hoover Company always came to our house to replace our old vacuum cleaner with an updated model.

Our insurance company even sent a man to collect the weekly premium.

People then only paid for their shopping with cash. This in itself has been a huge change in shopping in my lifetime.

In some department stores there was a system whereby the money from the cash registers was transported in a small cylinder on a moving wire track to the central office.

Some Of The Bigger Changes
Some of the bigger changes in shopping were the opening of supermarkets.

• Supermarkets replaced many individual smaller grocery shops. Cash and bank cheques have given way to credit and key cards.

• Internet shopping… the latest trend, but in many minds, doing more harm, to book shops.

• Not many written shopping lists, because mobile phones have taken over.

On a more optimistic note, I hear that book shops are popular again after a decline.

Personal Service Has Most Definitely Changed
So, no one really has to leave home, to purchase almost anything, technology makes it so easy to do online.
And we have a much bigger range of products now, to choose from, and credit cards have given us the greatest ease of payment.

We have longer shopping hours, and weekend shopping. But we have lost the personal service that we oldies had taken for granted and also appreciated.

Because of their frenetic lifestyles, I have heard people say they find shopping very stressful, that is grocery shopping. I’m sure it is when you have to dash home and cook dinner after a days work. I often think there has to be a better, less stressful way.

My mother had the best of both worlds, in the services she had at her disposal. With a full time job looking after 9 people, 7 children plus her and my dad, she was very lucky. Lucky too that she did not have 2 jobs.

S&P 500 Rallies As U.S. Dollar Pulls Back Towards Weekly Lows

Key Insights
The strong pullback in the U.S. dollar provided significant support to stocks.
Treasury yields have pulled back after touching new highs, which served as an additional positive catalyst for S&P 500.
A move above 3730 will push S&P 500 towards the resistance level at 3760.
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Pfizer Rallies After Announcing A Huge Price Hike For Its COVID-19 Vaccines
S&P 500 is currently trying to settle above 3730 as traders’ appetite for risk is growing. The U.S. dollar has recently gained strong downside momentum as the BoJ intervened to stop the rally in USD/JPY. Weaker U.S. dollar is bullish for stocks as it increases profits of multinational companies and makes U.S. equities cheaper for foreign investors.

The leading oil services company Schlumberger is up by 9% after beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Schlumberger’s peers Baker Hughes and Halliburton have also enjoyed strong support today.

Vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna gained strong upside momentum after Pfizer announced that it will raise the price of its coronavirus vaccine to $110 – $130 per shot.

Biggest losers today include Verizon and Twitter. Verizon is down by 5% despite beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Subscriber numbers missed estimates, and traders pushed the stock to multi-year lows.

Twitter stock moved towards the $50 level as the U.S. may conduct a security review of Musk’s purchase of the company.

From a big picture point of view, today’s rebound is broad, and most market segments are moving higher. Treasury yields have started to move lower after testing new highs, providing additional support to S&P 500. It looks that some traders are ready to bet that Fed will be less hawkish than previously expected.

S&P 500 Tests Resistance At 3730

S&P 500 has recently managed to get above the 20 EMA and is trying to settle above the resistance at 3730. RSI is in the moderate territory, and there is plenty of room to gain additional upside momentum in case the right catalysts emerge.

If S&P 500 manages to settle above 3730, it will head towards the next resistance level at 3760. A successful test of this level will push S&P 500 towards the next resistance at October highs at 3805. The 50 EMA is located in the nearby, so S&P 500 will likely face strong resistance above the 3800 level.

On the support side, the previous resistance at 3700 will likely serve as the first support level for S&P 500. In case S&P 500 declines below this level, it will move towards the next support level at 3675. A move below 3675 will push S&P 500 towards the support at 3640.

Why You Should Rethink About Junk Removal Services

It is time for that renovation, foreclosure, or just getting rid of unnecessary items from your home. You want to take the unwanted items off your hands quickly and efficiently and you feel that you can do it yourself. Well, it is good to be self-sufficient. You get that feeling of satisfaction in doing things yourself. As much as you may consider being able to handle the removal of your junk, there are many factors to consider. So, why not get a free quote on junk removal to start?

Suggested site: Best Junk Removal and Waste Management Company in the USA

The sorting, packing, lifting, loading up, hauling away and disposal may seem easy, but then doing it practically is complex. If you are going the DIY way, you may end up miscalculating what it entails and how you will get rid of all your junk. This could end up badly for you if your approach and mode of disposal don’t work. You may have your truck, know someone with a truck or have many other reasons to remove your junk; which is okay. However, the benefits of leaving the work to professionals outweigh the reasons for a DIY removal. This is why:

Junk Removal Is Cheaper In The Long Run
When removing junk yourself, with the help of friends, neighbors, or colleagues, you cannot just task them for free. Not only will you spend on feeding them, but you will also give them tokens of appreciation for taking their time. Consider the cost of treating injuries sustained in the process of removing junk yourselves; in addition to extra costs in the disposal and hauling away. While you may think it is cheaper to avoid hiring junk removal services, doing it yourself may cost you more. Medical bills in the event of injury, truck hauling fees, or dumpster rentals could make it end up being a costly undertaking. Most junk services give all-in-one service packages that take care of the junk’s removal, hauling, and disposal.

Convenience For Junk Removal
While you may consider clearing out your space, packing, loading up, and hauling away all by yourself, there is no convenience on your part. Not forgetting the headache that comes with the disposal of bulky junk items. The time spent and the stress that comes with all this could affect you, your work schedule, or your business. In addition, the people helping you get rid of your junk could also be inconvenienced in terms of time. If you consider junk removal services, you will get rid of your junk and enjoy the convenience of it being done for you!

Health Concerns and Safety
If the junk you are removing from your office or home is high in quantity, you may think about letting junk removal services handle it. From the back-breaking work of lifting, cuts, joint sprains, and other injuries, many things could go wrongdoing it yourself. This is because you may lack the expertise to do it right and safely hence getting yourself or others hurt. Furthermore, you may not be aware of the chemical composition of some of the items while handling or disposing of them. To mitigate these possibilities, it is better to let professionals do the work for you.

Efficiency and Reliability
With a DIY junk removal, you may tend to overlook some aspects of hauling away and disposal. After all, it is not just about throwing things in a truck and dumping them anywhere. There are things to consider. Such include what kind of junk can be disposed of in landfills, dumpsters, or waste centers. You may also need to know what items can be recycled, repurposed, or donated. This is too much research and physical input that you could avoid by hiring professionals. Being in the junk business, they can handle your junk efficiently and reliably; saving you all the hassle.

Less Mess
Sometimes, thinking of the stress that comes with junk removal can make you reconsider clearing those useless items lying around. The sorting, loading and disposal process can give you cold feet whenever you consider clearing out your space. You may end up moving them around, hiding some behind walls, or dumping all of them in a room. This could create a messy home or office environment that could additionally be hazardous and attract pests. Having junk services remove it for you will guarantee less mess around your house or office.

Final Thoughts On Junk Removal
Junk removal will give you the peace of mind you need. This is by providing safe, efficient, and environmentally sustainable junk disposal from your home. You will be free from worry about hauling and disposal of junk after clearing out your space. Depending on the kind of A removal company that you are using, your junk will be handled differently. Since most companies aim to minimize waste in landfills, most of the junk in good condition will donate to charity organizations or vulnerable groups in society. However, when hiring a company, you can always ask how they handle the items they haul away. It is better to pick one that uses eco-friendly junk disposal and donation.