The Inconvenient Convenience:
I started university somewhat belatedly at the age of twenty one. Rather than moving into halls of residence I opted to flat share with a friend from home who was entering his second year at the university in Newcastle which I was to attend. In reality my choice was based upon two factors: having had a false start at university in Leeds where I was in halls of residence I was entirely aware of the nocturnal habits of young freshers, I therefore wanted to avoid the somewhat dispiriting prospect of nightly fire alarms and punk rock, an aural concoction that I felt best to steer clear of; the second factor was the romantic ideal I painted of living in the leafy, student community of Jesmond with its numerous bars, restaurants, and conveniences.
With the view of hindsight spiked with nostalgia, my time in Jesmond has closely approximated my initial image of care free times punctuated by short bursts of university stress. However, around mid-December of my first year a rather surprising – at least to me – occurrence whilst in my local mini-market “Mr V's” rather shattered my cosy delusion of Jesmond as the all encompassing model-community that I had imagined. Whilst paying for a pizza, a four pack of beer, and some fags my card was rejected citing insufficient funds as the cause.
“Hmmm”, I thought, “that's not happened before.” And of course it hadn't, and for the reason that I had never in my life tipped just under £1000 into a local convenience store in the space of around three months.
The lesson to be learnt here is simple. As a student one's natural inclination is towards laziness, and to labour under the misapprehension that you are financially indestructible. The two together are – as my own story illustrates – a pretty disastrous mixture, and one that will almost certainly lead to tearful phone calls home to parents who may be anything but sympathetic. Believe me, I know.
Convenience stores do (and sorry to get all Ronseal on you here) exactly what they say on the tin, and because they're convenient they will most certainly charge you for it. Welcome to mark-up city. Knowing what I know now, I'd be fiscally far better off opening a store à la ‘Mr V', than in my chosen career as a writer. In plain speaking, if you don't want to waste a wad of cash that could purchase the Crown Jewels then kick your slothful habits and go to a supermarket.
There will of course be occasions at about 9.30pm when you've run out of cigarettes or chewing gum and you need to pop around the corner, but if you can avoid making the convenience store your primary source for all things eaten, drunk, or smoked, then the cash you have is far more likely to stretch until the end of term. Finally, and for what it's worth, supermarkets are ideal places to indulge in a rather enjoyable, if somewhat pervy activity that I call ‘over the trolley scouting.' Now that must surely clinch the deal?
Author: Joe Walker
Northumbria University
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