Hilltowns Senior News for Monday, May 1, 2017
It’s not my fault. There really is a national grocery store conspiracy.
They call it “marketing”; I call it psychological warfare. Every aspect of your shopping experience has been carefully analyzed and constructed to maximize your suggestibility and their profits.
Case in point: The other day, I stopped at the store to buy celery and milk. Simple, right?
I went through the entire produce department and finally found trimmed celery hearts, amongst a display of pre-sliced, chopped, and gourmet veggies. I don’t want celery hearts, I just want celery.
So, I go back through the produce department (which takes more time) until I find a store employee. He leads me to the regular celery, way on the other side of the produce section, cleverly tucked away by the kale.
Do you think this is an accident? Oh, no! Every step you take is orchestrated. Literally. Did you know that slower background music slows down your shopping, so you pay more attention to the displays?
There’s a reason why flowers, roasted chickens, and bright-colored vegetables and fruits are some of the first things you see. They get your salivary glands flowing, and make you feel hungry.
Where are you likely to linger and buy more? Surrounded by the warm smell of baking bread and the sight of crisp produce, or in an atmosphere of cardboard packaging?
Positioning doesn’t stop there, however. “Sale” items are placed on those convenient end caps to make them easy to pick up; they may also have the best markup for the store, and aren’t necessarily the best buy.
Other brand-name products are right at arm level on the shelves, and the really expensive specialties are at eye level. Of course, sugary cereals are positioned at child’s eye level, so they can be quickly grabbed by greedy little hands.
Have you noticed how much weaving in and out you have to do to get to the milk and eggs? Did you think those piles of cookies were in your way by accident? Or that you have to traverse the entire store to get to the foods that you most often need? They’re in the far back on purpose.
No one, not even left-brainers like me, are willing to do the math to figure out if using a coupon for a brand item is actually cheaper than the store-brand at regular price. (Let’s see, $4.79 minus 99 cents, divided by 21 ounces, compared to $3.49 for 22 ounces is...)
Really smart retailers also use combination positioning to increase sales. Spaghetti cheese in the pasta aisle, and potato and tortilla chips across from the soda. It’s no surprise that we usually spend more than we intended.
How did my trip come out? I needed $4.38 worth of groceries. I spent $27.75, even though, all the way through, I kept repeating to myself, “Never shop when you’re hungry, never shop when you’re hungry...”
Coming up
April is Fresh Florida Tomatoes Month, National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month, and National Pecan Month. April 30th is Adopt A Shelter Pet Day, Beltane, Kiss of Hope Day, and National Honesty Day. May begins with Global Health and Fitness Month, Go Fetch! Food Drive for Homeless Animals Month, and International Mediterranean Diet Month. Next week is Children's Book Week, Choose Privacy Week, and National Wildflower Week.
May 1st is Batman Day, May Day, and National Library Legislative Day. National Teacher Day is the 2nd. The 3rd is the Great American Grump Out, Paranormal Day, and Public Radio Day. International Firefighters Day is the 4th. Cinco de Mayo is the 5th, along with Tuba Day. The 6th is World Naked Gardening Day.
The next trips for the Wednesday shopping bus (to Walmart and Whole Foods at Colonie Center) will be May 3 and May 17. Call CDTA at 437-5161 two days in advance to schedule your ride.
The Hilltown Seniors May meeting will be the second Saturday, May 13 at 10:30 a.m. at the Berne Senior Center. Please bring your table service and a dish to share. A charge of $1 is asked for supplies (coffee, tea, paper, etc.). Annual dues of $5 will be collected during April and May; please be sure yours are up to date.
A free Tai Chi exercise class has started on Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m. at the Berne Senior Center. Each class will run about 20 minutes, and will be conducted by Mary Jo McKeon. Tai Chi is easy and low-impact, and helps to improve balance and reduce stress. The next classes are scheduled for May 2, 16, 23, and 30.
A number of post-lunch activities are on the books at the senior center for May and June. We will have a fire drill on May 1. May 2nd is the monthly birthday party for May celebrants. May 15th will be a discussion on emergency preparedness, and we will be painting lady bug rocks on May 16th. There will be a nutrition talk on June 6th followed by crafts (weaving a fabric box). “Painting with Fran” will be on June 13.
The Hilltown Seniors anniversary dinner will be held on June 4 at 1 p.m. at the Briar Creek Golf Course in Duanesburg. Choices are sirloin steak for $12, chicken parmigiana for $7, or baked haddock for $8. Salad, rolls, potato, vegetable, pasta, and dessert are included. Call Shirley Slingerland at 797-3467 for more information.
The Westerlo Reformed Church’s Thursday lunch program is on vacation until fall. The first and third Thursdays’ lunches continue year-round, at the South Westerlo Congregational Christian Church at 282 County Route 405. First Thursday is most likely pizza; third Thursday is usually a hot meal. Call Pastor Will Balta for information at 966-5094.
Need some legal advice? Appointments with attorneys from the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York can be scheduled at the Knox town hall by calling Pat Lightbody at 872-9400.
Menu
Next week’s menu for Helderberg Senior Services will be:
— Monday, May 1, chicken parmesan, romaine salad with shredded carrots and tomatoes, dressing, pasta, wheat bread, peaches, and milk;
— Tuesday, May 2, turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, peasa and carrots, wheat stuffing, milk, and birthday cake; and
— Friday, May 5, pepper steak with onions and peppers, summer squash, rice, wheat bread, lemon cake, and milk.
Doors open at 11 a.m. and lunch is served promptly at noon. We also have transportation to and from lunch. Just ask Linda Hodges when you call with your reservation.
Does your Loon Lovers Society, Garden Grubbers Club, or Pit Bull Posse need an easy place to meet? Why not meet at the Senior Center? Come have lunch, and then get together with your friends. There’s plenty of space, and the center is open for all of us. We already have games, dominoes, and cards after lunch on Mondays and Tuesdays, so join us.
Please call Linda Hodges 24 hours in advance to 872-0940 to reserve lunch, or email her at: , or sign up when you come in. Tell us how many are coming, your name, and your telephone number. If you’d just like to come and help out, call Linda or send an email to , and put “volunteer” in the subject line. Lunches are provided by Helderberg Senior Services, the Albany County Department of Aging, and Senior Services of Albany. The town of Berne Community and Senior Services Center is located at 1360 Helderberg Trail (Route 443) in Berne.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email me at phyllis.e.johnson@aol.com.