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In the previous post, I shared with you my first impressions and experiences of higher education in Finland. In today’s post, I will take you to the Finnish shopping paradise. For an international student, especially who are not yet self-financed like me, shopping and reasonable spending should always be the top priority. After a few months of living and studying in Finland, I have gathered some experience in shopping to not only fit my budget but also meet my preferences and needs.
1. Flea markets
In Finland, on your way home, you may encounter many flea markets or thrift shops at every corner of the road. People consider it as a significant point in Finnish culture, which will probably be attractive to second-hand shopping enthusiasts. Saving money at flea markets and buying old items is part of the Finnish culture, which grew in popularity among the urban population during the 1990s economic downturn. Recycling and giving unwanted clothing and furniture to friends, family and neighbors has long been a popular practice in Finland, particularly in rural areas.
With this culture, the younger generation like me has figured out the concept of sustainability in daily lives. If you don’t have time to go to those places, they are some popular digital markets such as tori.fi and vintage Marimekko groups on Facebook to meet the customers’ demand.
2. Lidl and S-Market
The two places above are the places I usually go to buy food on the weekends. I’ve been to a few other supermarkets. However, Lidl and S-Market are the two that sale products at the most affordable prices. Not only that, both have discounts weekly with many items . As for Lidl, they also have an online system to check out good deals and discount codes for the whole week. Lidl is already well known to European countries, while S-Market is the largest of the S Group’s supermarket chains.
3. Last golden hour
In some supermarkets like S-Market, K-Supermarket, or Prisma, they often discount items that are due. However, it’s only “Best before”, so you can absolutely use them a few days, or even weeks after the expiry date. However, you need to know how to store them in the refrigerator. With food items, supermarkets often attach a discount label of 30%. If you go to the checkout in the last hour before closing time, the discount on those items will increase to 60%. It’s a great deal, isn’t it?
4. Black Friday
Black Friday is a good opportunity for you to find everyday items with relatively high prices that make you hesitate to buy, such as electronics or cosmetics. For example, Sokos cosmetics chain in Finland had a 25% off storewide for last Friday 26 November, and continued to offer a 25% discount for the next two days on online orders. And if you want to find discounted items at Amazon, you can order them from Amazon Germany and UK websites with the lowest shipping prices.
5. Local brands
Sustainability is a lifestyle, and items created in the country are always ethically produced and of high quality. Markets, antique stores, handicrafts, and regional delicacies are all popular among Finns. Based on my experience, domestic brands like Extra and Rainbow are popular in providing affordable but quality food products. As for cosmetics, you can easily find the counter of Cien brand in every store of the Lidl supermarket chain. Initially, I was surprised at the price they offered, and had some doubts about the quality. However, after once buying a moisturizer, its quality is not bad! Indeed, it is somewhat better than the one I brought from my home country.
In the end, those are just the things I’ve learned from going shopping and talking to people who live there. I hope it will be useful information for you. If you want to read more similar articles, follow Edunation on our Website and other platforms, such as our Facebook Page or Facebook Group
