As the researches show, a lot of customers make definite mistakes while going to the supermarkets. Due to their faults they can lose about 2.5 billion dollars a year. Usually, mistakes are absolutely different. For instance, some people can buy certain goods at an impulse, without thinking. But still there are some common mistakes which many people make during their visits to shop. I’d like to tell you about these consumers’ faults in order to prevent you from undesirable expenses. So make sure to remember them and consult every time you come to the supermarket. Here is the top list of mistakes. Read it carefully.
1. Taking Items at Eye Level Sight
It’s obvious that a great number of shoppers prefer to pick up goods which lie on the middle shelves as they can view the items at their eye level. That is a common and big mistake that we should definitely avoid at a supermarket. Most supermarkets nowadays use this trick to earn more money. Customers’ inattentiveness is beneficial for the shop owners. They always try to put more expensive items at eye level view. Those are the first things people can see and choose. Be attentive, look at the bottom and top shelves also. Surely you will find cheaper goods there.
2. Not Buying Generic
Today various supermarkets offer their customers lots of generic items. Perhaps some people don’t trust the quality of such things, but I must convince you in the opposite point of view. You just need to take the item and check out the list of ingredients, after you will understand there is no difference. The generic form of products is usually almost identical with popular brands. And if you buy them you will manage to save your family budget.
3. Hold On to Your List of Items
The first step that you should make when going to the supermarket is a list of items you need to buy. So write your list on a sheet of paper and stick to it. Some people make a mistake when they think it’s not important to write a list of purchases beforehand. If you make the one it will considerably help you to avoid buying things which you really don’t need. Consequently, you will save more money.
4. Not Controlling Coupons
Coupon is another reason for numerous mistakes made by customers at shops. Personally I cut coupons only for the products I buy. I try to avoid different unhealthy items which are offered at supermarkets. Taking coupons will certainly lead you to considerable expenses. For example at most shops coupons are about 50 cents and if you buy two same items it will be doubled. Coupon offers are not available through mobile devices at some stores. Just keep in mind that you should purchase the most important and necessary things for you. The best recommendation for you is to control coupon policies at shops when you plan to do shopping.
5. Non-taxed Goods
A lot of stores offer us taxable goods, though in fact they are non-taxable. We should be careful about this issue if we want to save some money. Do you know that items sold at grocery department are non-taxable while other special items are? Sometimes it can happen that the cashiers charge shoppers tax on those foods which are non-taxable in real. To avoid this you should control every item on the checkout line and in your bill. There is such tendency that some supermarkets do wrong input of items into the machine system. Perhaps they do it purposefully.
6. End Caps
Today almost every store offers the customers various goods that are on sale. But the main problem is that these goods are mostly put on the end caps distracting people from the truly low cost items located on the shelves. That is another great trick which many stores use to benefit from the consumers. I can tell you more truth about that than anyone else as I have an experience of working at a supermarket. When there was need to increase sales of definite goods our managers put them on end caps. They also put together similar products so that to sell them faster. That’s why remember this trick when you go to the nearest shop next time. Certainly that doesn’t mean that only expensive things are sold on the end caps. Sometimes you find quite cheap items there.
7. Forgoing Frozen
If you think that frozen foods are not worth buying you are greatly mistaken. When you come to the supermarket pay more attention to those items which are frozen. Especially it concerns vegetables and fruits. Some people consider that we can’t get any vitamins or nutrients from such food. But the reality is different. Fruits and vegetables are usually frozen when they are ripe and include all the vitamins necessary for your health. So you can easily use them for different dishes whenever you want. For example, I prefer to buy frozen greens, berries and also frosty smoothies. There are a lot of advantages of buying frozen food. You can cook a great variety of dishes using frozen vegetables such as salads, omelets and stew them either. If you choose frozen fruits you’ll definitely save some money as they are cheaper. I made it a rule to buy fresh fruits every week, but when I think about my budget frozen items are more appropriate. I’d like to advise you to focus more on generic products. They will cost less that some famous brands but the quality of the items is similar.
8. Buy Unnecessary Items Eagerly
It is the greatest mistake of the most people to buy impulse items. We should try our best to avoid this mistake. The main rule is to remember that numerous tricks and temptations are waiting for us at supermarkets. That’s why don’t look aside at different beneficial offers which are aimed to bankrupt you. Choose thing which you really need and make your way to the register.
9. Do Shopping after Workout
I would strongly recommend you not to go to the shop after your workout. Due to various reasons you can make essential mistakes and spend much money. When you visit a supermarket after the gym you are usually hungry and all your actions are influenced by an endorphin rush after hard exercise. That means you are more likely to buy a lot of things as you are in high spirits. Certainly, you will not be always successful trying to avoid unnecessary purchases. Simply don’t forget that you should minimize your visits to the store after workout. But if you finally decided to buy something, make sure to take some snack with you so that you can eat after your workout. As a result, you won’t buy too much food because of hunger. It is important that your snack includes fiber, fat and protein to provide you a good mood and stable blood sugar.
I try to keep to a healthy diet and buy foods that are useful for my body. At the same time, I’m careful with my money. You can tell about other supermarket mistakes which you know and the ways you avoid them.