East London Advertiser: The Poor Pay More Than The Rich?

The East London Advertiser is now re-named the Docklands and East London Advertiser. It is the dominant local newspaper in Tower Hamlets, but also sells well in Hackney and Newham.

Many years ago George Orwell outlined how the poor pay more for goods than the rich. The wealthier you are, the easier it is to buy in bulk, and therefore to buy more cheaply. Two loafs of bread are often cheaper, in real terms, than one. A modern variant of this is where the wealthy pay less for the same item than others - for example the student discounts given at take aways and clothes shops to usually middle class students living in many inner city areas.

Another example exists in east London. Buy the Docklands and East London Advertiser in Hackney, Newham or Tower Hamlets at your local newsagent, and you will be charged 60 pence. Go to Canary Wharf, and amble down any of the shopping malls - and the East London Advertiser is free.

Clearly those working in Canary Wharf are considered more valuable customers than those living in the heart of east London?

Comments

[Wrinkle cream reviews]

This is a sad reality.

[Posh Phil]

Obviously people who are wealthier are more valuable customers than those who aren't.

However the ability to buy cheaply is available to everyone and it is the habits of many poor people , especially poor white people, that lead them to make bad decisions.

Whilst African women in London often make excellent use of markets to make cheap nutritious meals using vegetables and small amounts of the cheapest cuts of meat you see poorer white people buying processed foods at Iceland and convenience stores. Whilst South Asian originated people buy sacks of rice at discount prices many poorer white people are buying sliced white bread at inflated prices on a daily basis.

Whilst poor white people are quite happy to but 42 inch TVs on the never-never the idea that they would bulk buy cheap unprocessed foods using the same credit is almost unheard of yet this sort of habit is often found amongst less affluent middle class people and ethnic minorities.

During the late seventies my own very middle class family had a massive downturn in prosperity. Suddenly our garden was dug over for vegetables, half a pig was bought from a farmer and frozen, pocket money was only to be got buy selling fruit from the garden, there were no new clothes for several years (certainly no 120 quid trainers).

Thrift seems not be in fashion for many people who could really do with employing it.