Grocery shopping is something we all need to do in order to have food in our homes for the month. While some of us visit the grocery store several times in a month, others keep it to a minimum of once a month. Here we will share some inside information on the tactics used by your supermarket to get you to spend more than you have to on your groceries. We will also show you how you are sabotaging your own budget! Pay careful attention and remember these things when you go out with your shopping list next time!
Have a Shopping List
There’s a very good reason for the eggs and milk being right at the end of the grocery store. Of course, it is partly to do with the fact that that happens to be the area nearest to the loading docks, and so ensuring that your milk is cold and your eggs aren’t damaged or broken. However, what nobody will tell you is that the store is specifically designed that way so that you have to walk past aisles and aisles of tempting items that you don’t need in order to get your staples. Clever, right! Well, have a shopping list and make sure that you stick to it. Entering the grocery store without a list is a recipe for a shopping cart full of items you don’t need!
Beware of the Discounts
Your supermarket may be full of banners and posters advertising their many discounts and sale items, but if you think about it carefully, you will realize that if your supermarket saved you money, they would go out of business! All of their discounts are disguised as an effort to help you when what they are is actually sales tactics! The next time you look at the special where you buy 4 cans of beans and get $1 off, think about whether you really need four cans of beans! Buying less in bulk for the sake of discounts will keep your pantry tidy and your wallet full!
Don’t Shop When You’re Hungry
Even if you made sure you didn’t put anything extra into your basket when you were strolling through the aisles, and even if you wrote out a shopping list to stick to, it can be difficult not to throw in a bag or two of crisps, cookies, or chocolates while you’re standing in the check out queue. Supermarkets place all the junk food at check out counters because this is where you will have nothing else to do but look at shelves of candy bars and packs of snacks. It’s even worse if you go shopping with your kid who will be begging for ice cream and candy in no time! Of course, if you go shopping on a full stomach and if you preferably have your kid at home or perhaps sucking some candy already, you will be less likely to give in to those tactfully placed items!
Don’t Shop When You’re Tired
Many people pass by the grocery store on their way home from work, when they’ve been beaten around all day and they’re looking forward to kicking back. Supermarkets know this is and of course, take advantage of it. The fact that the convenience foods are right next to the fresh produce is no mistake. Fresh produce is often at the front of the store, making you feel like you are doing good shopping at such a healthy store, but then the ready-made meals and convenience foods are also there, you question yourself: why cook a decent meal from scratch when there's a "healthy" ready-to-eat meal nearby? Yes, it is all very deceptive, and its been working on you all along! Shop on a day off or during the weekend after lots of rest and when you have the energy to take on that recipe you’d love to try!
So the cat is out of the bag! Your supermarket is not the friend you thought it was, with its’s ‘healthy meals ready-to-go and its many ‘cost-saving’ discounts! The next time you go grocery shopping, beat those stores at their own game and stick to your list and your budget!
