RE: Шампанско за смет? Champagne for Trash?
Let me assure you: we also have fun with broken machines (or kilometre-long queues in front of them) in Germany. Yes, the deposit here is also 25 pence. But you paid that in advance on top of the regular purchase price. When you return the deposit, you just get it back. In that respect, I personally wouldn't care whether it was 2 or 25 pence. The amount was probably set based on the pain threshold of the average German: up to what amount is the deposit irrelevant and the empties are still thrown away instead of making the effort... The fact that people today (have to) make a living from collecting bottles was certainly not taken into account.
Incidentally, the cheapest champagne I could find here costs €21... That would be covered by your load of bottles ;-)) Of course, I have no idea what it tastes like...
I see your point :) Still, well, given the prices for the same products are usually much bigger here, I suppose we also pay for the deposit anyway, but there isn't such a "custom" to return it. We aren't there yet :)
Many people aren't happy here, because it is really easy to compare the prices for the same products (especially in Lidl, here about the half of the stuff is made in Germany). Dairy products are +30% - +100% sometimes. Probably not the best comparison but the main voices say - "see, in the normal countries 0.25, here - 0.02 EUR".
Some say - Bulgaria is a small market, not fair to compare to bigger ones, and costs of transport must be added on top (no tax or extra VAT as we're all in the EEA). Then, however, I compare with our neighbor, Greece, similar market in size, and the prices in their Lidl are again, much better than ours. Quality of the Greek products... unfortunately it is always better that ours :( From time to time we go to a city in Greece that's about 120 km from our house and even with the high gas prices it's still cheaper to load groceries for two weeks...
Probably I should've called the product from my link a "sparkling wine", champagne is probably a trade mark? With such a price I bet they don't pay royalties :)))
I am sure drinking up a bottle of this one would guarantee headaches on the next morning! :P :D
Thank you and... cheers! :)
With us it depends how much you receive back on a bottle but ..you only receive back what you paid for. So you pay for the drink + the price of the bottle (glass or plastic or can).
During my childhood the milkman delivered at home in glass bottles but I doubt we paid for those bottles. We simply have them back (cleaned) as he delivered the new order.
We did receive a refund for the glass bottles (just milk, yoghurt, custard, buttermilk and beer nothing else) about 30-35 years ago. No machines but a human collected them.
If you ask me this problem counts for most countries. Back then as the EU started they told us every product within the EU will cost everywhere the same.
No way. Shopping in Germany is at least 30% cheaper, same for Italy and if it comes to Lidl it's by far not the cheapest supermarket.
Even Malta is cheaper although this is an island which beats me. Also we deal with empty shelves and fewer products unlike Malta, how come?
It was more than 30 years ago, but I clearly remember the glass bottles for everything - milk, yogurt, boza (very popular back then, nowadays out of fashion but still sold at many places), beer, even Coca-Cola, specific and different shapes and sizes, even colors for each of the products. We had to wash them good and keep them, it was hard to buy new stuff if the empty bottles have not been returned first. :) Hm, I seem to miss those times. Everything tasted much better.
The standard of living here is so screwed, that Lidl is unfortunately one of the cheapest stores. We don't have all of the big chains though. Only Billa, Kaufland, Lidl and Metro (not exactly an everyday store but still), from the top of my head. No Aldi and none of the UK chains.
I think it is a bit utopic to even imagine products cost the same everywhere as all the prices depend on the value/prices of the services, salaries, etc. and those have huge discrepancies around the union.
I don't know what would be the entry-level monthly salary for Lidl in the Netherlands, but I saw a public advertisement for the Bulgarian Lidl with gross monthly salary of about 700 EUR. I guess I could safely bet it is more than 2000 EUR there :) probably more in the big cities...
The only time I've seen empty shelves here was during the covid panic when people were overstocking with certain products.
I've seen much worse though, in 1991, I was a student, living far away from my family, the government was "former"-communist and the economy was so screwed that we were given coupons for bread and cheese in small quantities and in order to actually get some, I had to wake up at 4:00 AM and get in a long queue long before the shops open.
Bulgarians joke about this situation - during the communism there was a deficit of everything but people had money. Nothing to buy though. Presently, there is surplus of everything one could think of but now people can't afford it 'cause they don't have enough money. Funny... thinking of it, we're getting closer to the Brazil model - 1-2% superrich, no middle-class and the most of the population struggles to buy food and medicine, and pay for heating during the winters.
Sorry, this came out too long :) Sweet dreams :)
At Lidl we have self scan and paying meaning the crumpy cashier's are soon history. The shelves are packed in most cases by students meaning this is a side job and way saver than being a newspaper delivery boy. Btw the prices of Lidl are not the same in the entire country, the west is cheaper with nearly everything.
If I may believe the news Hungarians have the lowest salary of Europe.
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@wakeupkitty
Interesting fact, a nearby Lidl store had about 6 self scans points but they removed it while Kaufland introduced a dozen of new points and they didn't have such. I think Kaufland is under the same mother company, as they often sell the same products here, sometimes at exactly the same prices, fueling people who claim there are cartel agreements.
I did some searching, the minimum wage as of 2026 in Hungary is said to be about 815 EUR while here it is 620 EUR, so the difference is still noticeable, not in our favour, unfortunately :)
<3
It's a difference, but I assume the costs of living also play a role. Both isn't much.
Can be one is better off working somewhere else, although Lidl also offers education. No need to finish some school to be a manager.
How about the taxes?
Interesting Kaufland belongs to the same club... For sure there are cartel agreements. They will push out all the small businesses.
No Kaufland in Hungary and Hungary News frequently mentions Spar, Tesco and Aldi want to leave the country. More left for Lidl if they leave and Penny Market and the small shops.
True and true!
The government says we have the lowest wage taxes in EU , flat 10% no matter how big the salary is.
Then, however, comes a big injustice. Even the minimal wage, that is is very hard to live on with, also get taxed. Then, when you add the obligatory health, two pensions and unemployment taxes, it all jumps to 20% or more.
Then, consider the fact Bulgaria is the only country in EU that has 20%VAT on all food and other stuff needed. That pushes up food prices a lot too. The state is happy, more money for corrupted politicians to steal...
Penny had many stores in Bulgaria like ten years ago but they all went bankrupt due to poor management, I think it was then Checz subsidiarity and they forced only Checz managers and that didn't play well in the long run.
Have a great Sunday!
Perhaps this news makes you happy...we have taxes on everything!
Income/salary even social help income!
Gifts,inherence included so no need to buy a house and leave it to your children.
Annual taxes over the house you own or...rent!
Annual taxes (besides of the monthly) over water and garnish
Taxes for dog owners
Monthly raxes for owning a car! No matter if you drive it.
We also lay taxes over taxes we paid taxes over.
The new taxes will be the freedom taxes where the lower your income is, the more you pay!
The monthly basic health insurance is about 129 euros and the first 885 euros you should pay yourself. No dentist included, nothing.
Rich you are if you have no loans, no debts, own nothing they can charge you (house, car) extra and are not forced to take extra (life) insurances.
I wish you a super start of the week. Let's count our blessings or Steem or euro cents and ignore the bills.
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@wakeupkitty
Yes, champagne is always made from specific grapes in a specific growing region in France. The one I mentioned to you, for €21, is a cheap offer at ALDI. Really good champagne costs €75 upwards on average. And it doesn't cause headaches at all! Still, it's not ‘my’ drink, if I have a choice...
Exactly.
Not my "specialty" either, I'm more of a red-wine/beer guy, but a couple of times throughout the year, it works. Holidays, celebrations, etc.
Bubbly makes me wobbly :DDD
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@wakeupkitty
Congratulations you are nominated by SC05 True Colours.
https://steemit.com/hive166405/@blessedlife/true-colours-9-curation-report-week-2
Thank you :)
To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what that means though :) apart from that's good :D