To discover the mistakes that cost us more money, with every supermarket shopping trip;
We will address the most important ones according to experts;
In order to avoid them, shop smarter, and save more.
1- Shopping on the wrong day
Most of us go to the store at the same time each week, but Tracy Fobbs, a blogger and thrift expert, advises shopping "on the day when you can take advantage of all the available deals," because you can save by shopping on high-promotion days.
2- Shopping without a list
“Going to the store without a list of your actual needs, is one of the reasons for overspending,” says specialist writer, Kelly Ann Smith, explaining that without a “grocery list,” we may forget important and needed things, while we are preoccupied with things that may not be urgent, and then We have to take extra trips to the store, which can waste time and money.
3- Shopping without a plan
Smith stresses the importance of "checking inventory and the refrigerator, before heading to the grocery store, to avoid going back during the week."
As for Fobs, "the lack of a plan may force the family to eat extra times outside the house, which may put pressure on the budget."
Shopping when you are hungry can lead to what is known as impulsive buying, which causes you to buy more than planned (Pixaby)
4- Impulsive buying
One of the benefits of using a list is that it helps us avoid impulsively buying attractive items at a high price, which is "the most expensive mistake that shoppers make," as Stephanie Nelson, author of A Mom's Guide to Cutting Grocery Bills in Half, tells us.
Sticking to the items on your list helps you resist the rush of buying and leaving the store without adding things you didn't plan to buy in the first place.
As for Phobs, she adds another reason for impulsive buying, which is “hunger.” Even someone who makes a planned shopping trip while hungry, may make more impulsive purchases, while “may save between 10% to 20% if he is shopping when he is not.” hungry."
5- Allow promotional ads to spoil your menu
When you enter the store, you will receive a torrent of promotions that may affect your list, such as this one that gives you a free gallon of milk, when you buy 3 boxes of cereal.
But Nelson advises "only pick up the ads that go with your list, from the first entry through the store's front door, or pre-adjust your list according to the online store's ads", to ensure you build a shopping list based on the best deals, and win discounts.
6- The recipes differ from the available offers
Often we build a grocery list based on the ingredients we need for a recipe, and then we're surprised that the store "offers only 2 of the 10 ingredients in our recipe, and we end up overpaying for about 80% of our needs," says Terry Gault, author of The book "Shop Smart, Save More".
Which recommends choosing recipes according to the available offers.” If the offers are on chicken, for example, and not meat, let us adjust our menu to chicken recipes.
Buying more vegetables than we need, for example, may lead to counterproductive results if we do not take advantage of them (Pixabi)
7- Wait for the offer to run out
Waiting until the offer on your necessities runs out "costs you more money," says Gault.
Because "when something runs out, there will be no offers or discounts on it."
Therefore, Forbes recommends "stocking up on discounted items that are used regularly, so that we don't have to pay the full price without a discount when stocks run out."
Also, Nelson advises those who use chicken every week, and get a 50% discount, to buy enough for 2 or 3 weeks, and store it in the refrigerator, to save some money, rather than paying the full price each week.
8- Buy more than you need
“The average household throws away 20%-40% of perishable purchases,” Nelson points out, so she says, “It's better to run out before you buy more than to throw away the unused.”
Buying 10 instead of 5 kilograms of potatoes, may be counterproductive, if we cannot consume it completely, even if we buy it at a discount, "it does not save money if we do not eat it."
9- You buy the same things every week
Why stick with buying asparagus at full price every week, if we can buy broccoli at a discount?
The habit of buying the same things from the supermarket every week forces us to put them in the cart regardless of their price, which leads to more money, so it is better to “change our preferences, according to the available offers”, according to Nelson’s advice.
Heading to the store without a list of your actual needs is one of the reasons for overspending (Pixabe)
10- Assuming that bigger and more is always cheaper
While buying in bulk can help you save money, Nelson says, "You shouldn't always assume bigger is better, but it's best to check the price per piece first."
You may find that the selling price of one piece of the smaller size is lower than the price of the same piece in the larger size.
11- Adhering to trademarks
We stick with some brands, “to the point where we pay more for them,” says Fobs, noting that “the majority of stores have their own brands, which can be about 25% less than popular brands.”
It is a percentage that "you can reduce from your purchase bill, by giving up your loyalty to a specific brand," according to Forbes.
12- Focus on fresh produce
Frozen fruits and vegetables are often less expensive and more money-saving than fresh ones in season.
They are also of better quality, as they are picked as soon as they are ripe, and frozen quickly, keeping the beneficial nutrients.
13- Neglecting to record points for your purchases
Most supermarkets offer discounts on specific items, based on a customer's total points, by simply swiping a special discount card at checkout.
In order to save and take advantage of these discounts, you should not neglect to pass this card upon departure.