Do you always spend your hard-earned money wisely? Or do you sometimes (or always?) impulse buy things on the whim that you don't need? Shops are very good at making you do that with their beautiful window displays, product packaging, dressing up mannequins in the latest fashion pieces, friendly staff, or placing items next to the till so you grab them at the last minute just before you pay.
The first challenge in the Three Challenges Community in 2025 is Impulse Buying
I'm normally very good with my money, but sometimes I buy things because they're on sale, or because it's a new product, or because everyone is raving about it on social media and there's a feeling of FOMO. The worse is when I go on holiday, I often fall into the impulse buying trap. Today, I'll share three of my impulse buys with you.
Before I do that, look at this beautiful packaging. You'd be forgiven for buying them without knowing what it is. They would make a perfect present, or you can keep the entire box for yourself because it's too pretty to give away. Do you know what it is? Have a guess, and I shall tell you at the end of the post.
Rolling pin from Poland
The other year I attended the Hive Bee Con in Krakow, Poland. One day I was walking around town and saw a shop selling wooden rolling pins. They had loads of different designs displayed in their shop and I couldn't resist not going in to take a look. The patterns were intricate and beautiful and every one of them was different. Imagine how beautiful the biscuits would be if I made them with one of these rolling pins.
I spent a long time looking at each one in detail, trying to make up my mind which one to buy. They weren't very cheap, I think maybe something like Euro 12, but they were made of wood and very unique. I like to bake and even though I very rarely bake biscuits, perhaps I will after buying one of these beautiful rolling pins. In the end I decided on this one. There was some logic to my choice. This is a random pattern, after rolling it on the biscuit dough, I could cut random size or shape biscuits and still have a pretty pattern on my biscuits. See!! I have thought it all through.
This was back in October 2023, I still haven't baked any biscuits yet.....
Coca cola from Spain
I enjoy drinking Coke, but it has to be the original flavour. None of the silly zero coke, diet coke, or the weird cherry vanilla, raspberry or lime stuff. And the best coke has to be in glass bottles. Plastic bottles or cans simply don't have the same "fizz". A few years ago I was on holiday in Spain, and saw this 1 liter glass bottle of coca cola in the supermarket. I can't remember the last time I saw such a big glass bottle, Unlike many coke fanatics, I don't collect any coke memorabilia but maybe it would look cool on my kitchen shelf. Afterall, Coca Cola is such an iconic brand. I bought a bottle, and took it all the way from Spain back to the UK.
Since then it's been sitting inside the cupboard at home because I don't like putting too many things out on display in the kitchen (I sort of forgot about that when I bought it). I guess I could drink it but if I do, a glass bottle of coke isn't a glass bottle of coke when there is no black stuff inside.
Back in the cupboard you go now.
Olive paste from Portugal
Did you manage to guess what the product was in the first image? Colour paint? Lip balm? Hand cream? WRONG!!!! They are olive paste.
It's the first time I've come across olive paste, and the shop assistant was very patient in explaining the product in detail. According to her, the olive paste is made from 100% Portuguese organically grown olives. They can be used as a condiment to cheese or bread, and for many other uses, but I forgot what now. During our conversation, I found out that she spent some years in London previously, and have visited by city before! She was ever so nice, and let me try a lot of different flavours. Each little spoonful was quite intense, a little salty but packed with flavour. The texture was quite muddy, and to be very honest when you squirt something darkish green out from a tube, it doesn't look exactly the most appealing.
The olive paste can be bought as a single tube, or packs or 3 or 6 in different sleeve designs. They have some pre packed flavours, or you can choose your own.
I choose a pack of three, the original flavour, chilli because my husband likes it, and one with fig. We both liked that. I choose the black sleeve with a rooster, I know it's very Portugese but don't know why. The sleeve has Portugal written on it in case people don't know this is from Portugal. I loved the design. The shop assistant said I made some excellent choices and wished me a happy holiday as I left. Isn't she so nice 😊
Of course she's nice!!! She wants me to buy stuff off her!!! I'm not a very cheesy person, and I don't eat cheese often. When I do, I always forget I have the olive paste hiding in the cupboard. The paste is quite salty so I can't really spread it on bread. One time I squirted a lot into my pasta, it was ok. I still have two tubes left. Any ideas on how I can eat it?