Shopping at the supermarket is definitely not rocket science. However, we often end up paying an unexpectedly high bill at the cashier and fill in our fridges with food that expires and we simply fail to eat and cooking. As result, we promise ourselves we will shop smarter next time we visit the supermarket, but then again, we somehow end up in the same vicious cycle. It is not your fault, the truth is that supermarkets are designed to make you spend a lot of money on things and goods you don’t actually need. The key here is to make sure you are following a few simple guidelines and not stepping aside from your shopping list and plan in order to make sure you are purchasing only what you really need and you are not tempted by the rest on the shelves. In fact, shopping at the supermarket requires a smart and effective strategy to do it right and save as much money as possible while buying everything necessary. Today we share with you some of the best tips that will help you become the next best supermarket shopping master, stay with us.
Pay in Cash
Recent studies and statistics show an interesting tendency we often do not consider but it definitely works on a mental level and forms our shopping and spending habits in a specific way. We tend to be willing to pay more and higher prices whenever we are paying with a credit or debit card instead of paying in cash. The problem is that credit and debit cards are an abstract form of payment and they usually do not feel like “real money”, therefore, we are not that concerned with spending more and paying higher prices as we would be when paying in cash. You don’t use bank cards as carefully as you would do with cash. When paying in cash, you are able to actually see the physical money getting less and less in your wallet and this alarms your brain in a different way. Therefore, next time you are visiting the supermarket, make sure you are bringing cash only and this will help you be a more responsible buyer.
Snack Before Shopping
Another popular conclusion assumed by the studies focusing on customer behavior is that whenever we are shopping on an empty stomach, we are prone to buying more and more, usually the food we don’t actually need at home or too much food that will expire without us having the chance to eat it. It is a no-brainer that an empty stomach leads to a lot of cravings and whenever we are shopping while hungry, we are willing to buy whatever. Since hunger affects your decision-making skills while shopping at the supermarket, make sure to always have something to eat, even if a little snack, before you go to the supermarket for your weekly shopping.
Navigate Your Way
It is the same thing you would do once you get into your car and before driving – you type the address of the location you want to reach and you leave the GPS to lead you to this destination so you are not wandering around little streets and wasting your time. Similarly, you want to enable your own supermarket GPS when going out for grocery shopping and you want to make sure you are navigating only the route you are supposed to in order to buy the necessities only, instead of wandering around the other aisles and shelves and being tempted to buy goods you actually don’t need. Creating a shopping list and bringing it with you will definitely help a lot for staying focused on only shopping for the things you need to buy. nothing outside the list.
Take a Shopping Cart
A study published by marketing researchers concludes that pushing a shopping cart instead of carrying just a basket while shopping can help you make smarter shopping choices. The discomfort of bringing a basket with you is most likely going to make you quicker and more impulsive purchases that are not that good for you and your wallet too. In addition, supermarkets always place goods crisps and chocolate at eye level so they can grab the attention quickly. Usually, these goods organized on the shelves at eye level are the more high-end and expensive version of bargain items you can usually find at the lowest bottom shelves. As result, when bringing a basket with you, you are prone to buying these unhealthy snacks and foods and actually buy them at a higher price when you can have the cheaper alternative just laying a couple of shelves down.
Bring Your Reading Glasses
Now, when you are shopping, you don’t want to shop just for food and other items at better prices, you also want to shop for better quality products and healthier foods. Always making sure you bring your reading glasses with you can help you a lot. Every packaged food and good you are going to find in the supermarket will usually have a list of ingredients you can check. The law says that the higher amount of the ingredient the good contains, the higher it will appear on the list. Therefore, if you want to be a smart buyer, you will learn to ignore all front-of-label claims such as “Low sugar”, “No parabens”, “Low calorie”, etc. and you will always check the actual ingredients list on the back. Such front-of-label claims can easily trick you into thinking you are purchasing healthy food, while, in fact, the food you are buying is full of sugars or saturated fats. The fewer the ingredients, the easier it is for you to pronounce their names, the better for you, so make sure to check the ingredients list and shop responsibly for your health.
