SAVING ON YOUR WEEKLY SHOP
Shopping is a necessity for every one of us in society today. We have to buy food, clothes, and toiletries, among other household items. As much as the activity is a necessity, the prices soar higher and higher creating an increase in the cost of living. With this phenomena, it means that we should be conscious of how we spend our money so that we spare some money to be left aside for rainy days or investments. Here are some tips on how you could save some money on your next shopping experience.
- Prepare a shopping list
You can make a shopping list by having a weekly meal plan. The meal plan will inform you of the items you need to purchase for the week. Always make sure that you buy what is only on the list. Strictness is paramount in this exercise no matter what is on offer in the store, or no matter what your kids or shopping partner(s) are suggesting. Sticking to the list saves time and money since you do not have to analyze whether you are in need of a product or item or not. It’s also best to check if you can get a product cheaper by looking at price comparison websites like Only Reviews before you head to a store.
2. Shop on a full stomach
Shopping on a hungry stomach creates temptations. It leads to the purchase of snacks and food that are of no use to the week’s plan. Always make sure that you are full when going shopping to minimize unnecessary expenditure.
3. Shop only once a week
Regular trips to the store will lead to impulse purchases that lead to extra spending. Always buy what you need for a whole week by making a shopping trip only once a week. These reduced shopping trips create reduced temptation avenues hence you will not buy the unnecessary item that eventually translates to money saved.
4. Shop using a calculator
The calculator helps to keep you on track of the expenditure as you shop. This is especially so if you have a precise expenditure amount for the activity. The calculator helps you stick to your budget since you are aware of the total cost of goods purchased on the go.
5. Buy what is necessary
Stores put on sale items so that they can lure you to spend more money. They are aware that when they put items on offer either by lowering the price or offering 2 in 1 or 3 in 1 deal, you are likely to purchase it. When picking items on sale, make sure that you are buying the item because you are in need, rather than because you want to save money on the next shopping.
6. Be a loyal customer
Do your shopping at only one store. This helps you take advantage of the promotions and offers given by the management. Some stores give chances to their customers to earn loyalty point is redeemed once in a while. This helps in saving your money since you can buy some items using the redeemed loyalty points earned over the shopping trips.
7. Buy in bulk
You can come together with friends or family and buy the items you need in bulk. As a group, you can buy the things at a wholesale price hence cheaper. The higher the quantity, the lower the price since you’ll be sharing the total cost of the items as a group instead of individually. More so, it helps in reducing the shopping trips since you will have items that could last a whole month, therefore saving some more money.
