Don’t Go to the Grocery Store Hungry and 4 More Ways To Avoid Overspending
Written by
Gina Hagler
Edited by
Nicholas Morine
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A recent survey from food company Dole revealed that going grocery shopping while hungry actually leads to spending extra — around $26 more on average. Based on this info, it makes sense not to go to the supermarket on an empty stomach.
Of course, there are more ways to avoid overspending. These often come down to optimizing your shopping strategy to account for human behavioral quirks that survey respondents indicated. Here are four additional ways to curb overspending at the grocery store.
Set Up a Weekly Budget
You can avoid overspending by adhering to a weekly or monthly budget. Plan out how much you want to spend during a certain period. During your shopping, tally up the prices as you go — then you won’t end up at the checkout line surprised by the total.
Don’t Overvalue Deals
BOGO deals and other savings, typically offered to loyalty cardholders or warehouse club members, are understandably attractive to shoppers. These offers can result in you overspending, and are especially dangerous if they’re for items you weren’t initially planning on purchasing. As a bonus, you’ll reduce your waste with fewer incidences of expired milk, eggs, meat and other perishables you only bought more of due to an offer.
Stick to a Shopping List
A good strategy is to prepare a shopping list of the items you need or truly want. Once you’re in the store, don’t deviate from your list. You’ll end up saving money, plus you won’t overstock your cabinets and pantry with food and other goods your household isn’t particularly interested in.
Buy Store Brands
An article from CNET revealed how after a week of switching from name-brand to store-brand items, you could save as much as 40%. It’s no mystery that people prefer name-brand items — they often align with certain ideal metrics, like healthiness. That being said, store-brand items are often equivalent in nutrition, simply trading notoriety for value, according to Forbes.
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