Current consumption, or what is known as “shopping at the supermarket”, constitutes a significant share of the monthly expenditure of each and every one of us. The rise in the cost of living in recent years has not spared consumer goods, and the average household consumer often finds himself feeling helpless when shoppingweekly at the supermarket.
Along with the common tips – sticking carefully to a shopping list or a weekly budget, not going to the supermarket hungry and not taking the kids with you – here are some other tips that may be helpful and effective for you:
- Spread out your shopping: It is true that it is more convenient to make a large purchase in one place and at once, this is the source of the familiar marketing strategy that includes, alongside the promotions in each chain, the pricing of popular consumer products at less attractive prices. Take this into account during your market research, put convenience aside and consider dividing your ongoing shopping between different retail chains in a way that will be most cost-effective for you.
- Do your shopping at the end of the day: When comparing prices between different stores, many tend to miss the fact that many supermarkets and minimarkets offer discounts on fresh products at the end of the day, so you can buy baked goods as well as vegetables and fruits at a significant discount. Another common scenario is the sale of products, both fresh and dry, which are about to expire soon, at a significantly lower price. Such scenarios can also be found in grocery stores and neighborhood minimarkets, take a walk around the neighborhood and check – you may not have to go far to buy groceries for the upcoming dinner at a significantly cheaper price.
- Be flexible with your shopping list: Remember the familiar recommendation to stick to the shopping list without kinks? In the case of vegetables and fruits, the recommendation is actually sometimes not to stick to the list, but to buy according to prices and promotions – choose the vegetables and fruits offered in this week’s sale. Diversify your salads and dishes accordingly, and you’ll save money along the way.
- Don’t stay loyal to brands: In the age of abundance we are in, it’s safe to say that there is hardly a product that is irreplaceable. Also give the opportunity to other brands that offer the same product, only under a different name and at a lower price. You will often find that a new, unfamiliar brand is just as successful as the familiar brand you paid more for, and in some cases you may even find that both brands contain exactly the same ingredients, and sometimes are even made by the same manufacturer, and only the price is different.
- Don’t stock up: A promotional price often leads to the purchase of products in much larger quantity than consumed. At first glance, the impression created is one of saving and thinking for the future, but you should beware of exaggeration. Keep in mind that deals have a tendency to repeat themselves and even upgrade, so there’s no reason to buy triple the amount and more, even if it’s your favorite food.
- Differentiate between a cheap product and a worthwhile product: Sometimes a product that costs more will be more worthwhile in terms of consumption volume: for example, it will be more worthwhile for them to purchase “cheese fingers” that are packaged separately, instead of packaging with slices that will cost less, but its shelf life at home will be shorter, which will lead to earlier repurchase. The same is true for other products, such as purchasing a package of frozen vegetables that allows the use of a quantity adapted to momentary consumption, instead of a can that will cost less, but will have to throw away some of the quantity, if there is no demand for all the contents.
Final tip: After making the purchase, sit at home with the receipt and ask yourself if everything you bought was indeed required and justified, and learn lessons for the next purchase.
