Mother's column – local products are win-win
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Christian Life
From my parents, I learned how to find the best discounts — getting nice stuff in the sale, sniffing through thrift stores, and looking for discount stickers in the supermarket. Buying products in second hand is sustainable, which is nice. Still, for me, the challenge was mainly aimed at saving as much money as possible.
Only in the last years have I realised that cheapness also has a price. And that buying local products leads to more satisfaction.
“Come in; our store is bigger than you think”, a sign next to the entrance of the local general store reads. And it is true. When the strong elastic of the hood of our cargo bike breaks, it turns out that the local shop has precisely the same elastics in store. They are packed in sets of ten and placed on the same shelf as the camping articles. Happily, I leave the shop again. For two euros, we are good to go for the next twenty years.
It feels good to support the local entrepreneur, but with a few euros every now and then, they will not be able to survive. On my way home, I promise myself to skip the large chain stores a bit more. Of course, buying local is a bit more expensive, but most of the time, it creates a win-win situation.
During the lockdowns, it turned out how nice it is to be able to get your primary products in your hometown. During that time, I discovered several cute addresses close by: a man who calls himself “De Worstenkoning” (The Sausage King) and sells delicious smoked sausages, a farmer who sells gigantic bags of potatoes and the little lockers next to the road from which you can get eggs.
The children especially like the double yolk eggs, available just outside the village for 20 cents each.
When I discover on Saturday evening that all the eggs are gone (and that while I promised them an egg for breakfast on Sunday), I do not hesitate. Reinout is still wide awake, so I put him in the front of my cargo bike and go my way.
The sun has already gone down, but the last beams paint the horizon mint green and orange-yellow. Will the egg locker already be closed for the Sunday? No, there is even an inviting light. Under the first twinkling stars, I bike home a bit later, happy with my double yolk eggs.
