Be A
Wise Shopper
You
are the Secretary of the Consumer’s Association in your town. You are invited
to give a talk to students of a secondary school on ‘Be a wise shopper’.
Good morning, students of Sekolah Menengah Menteri. It is
a great pleasure to be invited to your school to give a talk on ‘Be a wise
shopper’.
First of all, you must not be influenced by
advertisements in the mass media such as the television, radio, newspapers and
magazines. Advertisements only show a positive side of a product without
revealing the shortcomings. This is very misleading and consumers are often
tricked into buying products. For example, to promote the SKIPPI brand of
shampoo, an attractive girl with long, shiny hair is shown on television. One
is led to believe that by using the SKIPPI brand, one will have similar
beautiful hair.
Also, a wise shopper should compile a list of necessary
items before going shopping. This will help you buy only what is required.
Without a list, you will tend to buy unnecessary items and thus spend a lot of
money.
Furthermore, it is a good habit to compare prices in
shops. In this way, you will know where to get what you want to buy at the
cheapest price. This practice is particularly useful for big families who buy
in large quantities or for those on a tight budget.
Another good habit is to check the quality and expiry
dates of goods. Ensure that tins are not dented or damaged and the expiry dates
should be well ahead of time to allow you to use the products for some time.
Finally, be careful when you buy during sales. Don’t be
fooled! Know your prices first before you buy anything at a sale. Only then
will you know if the sale is genuine or not. Also, many goods during sales are
old or rejects. Make sure you check the goods carefully first.
By following these steps, I hope you will be wise
shoppers and spend your money wisely. Thank you for being such attentive
listeners.
.
