We all need to eat, and one can hardly consider a trip to the supermarket to be a luxury. Yet we often end up spending much more than we intended at the supermarket, buying items we really do not need, or spending more than necessary on those that we do need. Here are some tips to help keep your supermarket spending under control.
Don’t shop when hungry.
Sometimes you really cannot avoid shopping when you haven’t eaten in a few hours, especially if you’re terribly busy and you have to work in a trip to the supermarket between dozens of other to-do items in your overscheduled day. Even so, do your best to avoid shopping on an empty stomach whenever possible; if you don’t have time for a sit-down meal, slip a granola bar or a piece of jerky into your handbag or pocket so you can gobble it down before you set foot in those gleaming aisles. Remember that the supermarkets doing absolutely everything within their power make you spend more money. Don’t give them any extra ammunition.
Make a budget and a weekly meal plan.
Perhaps you are accustomed to waiting until you run out of items, or deciding you want to try a new recipe you saw in a magazine, and then throwing together a list before you run off to the supermarket. But that haphazard approach can result in overspending. If you make a budget and vow to stick to it, you’ll end up saving a lot. And if you make a weekly meal plan it’s much easier to keep your spending within that budget. It’s not that you want to eliminate all spontaneity from your life, and the occasional impulse buy or splurge can be a welcome respite in your life. But too much impulse buying and splurging at the supermarket is not a good thing. If you plan ahead you can save time and money (both on groceries and petrol), and you will have less wasted food as well. If you need help getting started with meal planning, there are several web sites that offer assistance and information, and some even have downloadable shopping lists.
Do price comparisons.
If you don’t want to do the footwork, there are numerous web sites that allow you to do price comparisons between products and between different supermarkets. As the old song goes, “It pays to shop around!”
Be aware of the ways that supermarkets make you want to spend.
The items that most consumers regularly buy are spread around the store, which necessitates the shopper passing by many “non-necessities.” The most profitable items are at eye level of the average adult, and the most popular “impulse” items, such as sweet treats and tabloids, are right there at the checkout counters. Just be aware of how you are being manipulated, and exercise extra self-discipline if necessary.
Name brands aren’t the be-all and end-all.
For many if not most items, store and generic brands are perfectly good – whether it’s orange juice, canned soup, or nonfood items such as toiletries and cleaning products. More people are beginning to realise this, but the siren song of name-brand advertising is still too sweet for some to resist. Granted, with some items, there is a difference in quality, which matters more to some shoppers than to others. If this is true for you then you may want to consider the help of a payday loan to stock up on your favourite things. You may find that in some cases you prefer the name brand to the comparable store brand or generic item. But never be afraid to experiment and try the cheaper version.
Take advantage of loyalty schemes, coupons, and vouchers.
The retail grocery industry is highly competitive, and the supermarkets are constantly scrambling to outdo themselves and each other to earn your loyalty. It is definitely a “buyer’s market.” Peruse the ads and don’t forget to look online for deals.
Take advantage of sales… but remember that a deal isn’t always a GOOD deal.
Particularly when you’re dealing with perishables, or canned or bottled goods that are nearing or past their expiration date, those “Buy One Get One Free” offers should be approached with caution. Also remember that even if that “deal” is a sound one, on consumable goods that aren’t nearing their sell-by deadline, it’s not really a good deal if it’s something you don’t actually like or are not going to use.
With a little self-discipline and a bit of practice, you can become a smart supermarket shopper, feeding your family well without starving your bank account.
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