Payday means grocery shopping and yes, overspending! You’re not the only one who has driven out of the parking lot with bags of food, personal items and even the most ridiculous products you don’t even need. You may have heard of the usual “plan ahead and make your list” advice and after months of doing that, and failing miserably, it may be time to check out other ways to avoid the buying frenzy. Here are six odd ways to make sure you only get what you need from the supermarket.
1. Chew Something Minty
Think about the grocery stores in your city and their layout. Is there anything similar with their layout? Yes, that’s right. All the wonderful-smelling foods are situated near the doors. The enticing smell will definitely make you hungry and buy more! You certainly can’t make the rotisserie chicken stall move. But you can bring along mints and chew on them to make the hunger pangs go away.
2. Listen to Songs that Make You Want to Dance
Forget about those songs that make you want to snuggle in bed. They will just urge you to put more food in your cart. Studies show that slow music not only makes people want to move slowly, but also want to buy more than they originally planned. So, if you want to finish shopping early, make sure that your playlist has your favorite upbeat songs.
3. Choose a Smaller Cart
Most supermarkets have small-sized carts that are easy to maneuver around, especially on those days when the markets are more crowded than the usual. But that’s not the only reason why you should opt for smaller carts. When you’re lugging around a huge one, you’re likely to want to fill it, especially when you have extra money you got from your salary loan as well.
4. Buy in the Evenings
During off peak hours or towards the end of the day, the prices of fresh food are significantly lower and you can enjoy as much as 50% off the original price. Most of the baked products are also cheaper at this time.
5. Be Impulsive
Before you go careening around the supermarket and buying anything you can think of, we mean that you don’t plan your meals until you get to the store and check the deals out. See what’s on sale first before making a list of items to buy. Typically, it’s the other way around but you can actually save more by planning your meals based on what’s cheaper.
6. Grow Your Veggies
If you have a big residential property and weeds are the only things that are growing in the backyard, planting vegetables and herbs can actually save you a lot of cash. Not only do you get to save money, you also feel more confident that you’re eating food that’s not grown with chemicals. There’s something quite satisfying about picking your own carrots, kalamansi, and herbs that you can add to your dishes. You can also raise your own chickens! Now, that’s adding more oomph to your home-cooked meals.
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