HOW TO SHOP SMART AND SAVE MONEY

Product placement, the strategies of the retailers, the massive discount waves in the shops are just a few examples of factors that can influence even our most elementary impulses to buy. There are however ways to be able to resist the temptation to spend a lot of money while we are out shopping.

1. Pay attention to the 1+1 offers

Always avoid offers that offer one free product with the purchase of another because these are meant to encourage us to get more than we usually buy or need. If you will spend on them more than you originally planned to, there is no savings in it, just an excess of consumption.

2. Set up a goal to save at least 30% when shopping discount products

Generally speaking, a promotion will really be worth it if it will help you save at least 30% of the retail value of the product. There is always an offer that can help you achieve that goal, so if you don’t want to pay full retail price, just wait until the products you desire are on sale. Making friends with a shop assistant that can tell you about their upcoming promotions and sales can provide beneficial here.

3. Start shopping from the back of the shop

A universally valid retail strategy is to “hide” the products with the best discounts at the back of the shop so the clients will discover the new merchandise before getting to the sales. The retail shops will try to influence your shopping list by massively promoting the new sales, even the most insignificant ones. Most of the times the best offers are not advertised during the promotions but hidden on a shelf somewhere at the back of the store.

4. Don’t look to the right

And this is not a joke! The recent studies show that most clients are right handed and instinctively look to the right, so this is where the newest and most expensive items will be placed. To encourage this instinct, the retail shops will use music and lights that will lure you closer. How to avoid this? Only go shopping with a clear list in your hand or head, get what you need and leave without sparing an extra glance to products that are not on your list. Don’t allow the decorative strategies to detour you from your goal.

5. Don’t go shopping on an empty stomach

While sometimes it will seem like a good idea to duck out to the supermarket before lunch or dinner to get what you need to prepare a nice meal for your family, this can lead to a real dent in your budget. It is a well-known and proven fact that we tend to buy more products when we are hungry, and most of the times these are also the products that will shortly see the recycle been, thrown away as they reach their expiration date, and we didn’t get to consume them. Avoid this by getting a bite to eat before leaving the house each time you go grocery shopping.