How to save money when household shopping

Have you ever noticed when you go to a supermarket to pick just one item, and by the time you get to the check-out point you have more than five things in the basket and a bill bigger than you had expected?

The reason this keeps happening is because supermarkets or retailer stores use a range of methods to get you to pick those items up.

How you are tricked to get spending

• In most supermarkets, shopping carts are placed right at the entrance and although you may have wanted to buy only one or two items, you find it handy to have the trolley so you can lean on it while moving around and putting stuff in it. Psychologically, it becomes easy to toss in an item you do not need. After all there is room for plenty more.

• You may also have noticed that the items you are likely to buy on impulse are placed at the check-out points.This is where you will find the latest DVD releases, lifestyle magazines, along with over-priced beverages and candy.

• Most retail chains locate the most expensive brands of product at eye level. Take a look at the arrangements of different choices for a particular product, such as toothpaste or laundry detergents. Almost every time, the most expensive options per unit are placed at eye height, so that you can see them as soon as you enter the walkway. The bulk options and better deals are usually on the bottom shelf.

• How many times have you bought new items just to oblige impressive sales persons, even though you did not really need the product?

• Most shopping businesses deliberately locate important items such as light bulbs and laundry detergents far from the entrance so that you spend more time walking through and in the process encounter a lot of consumer goods that tempt you and detract  from your purchasing plan, because there is a likelihood that you will see something you do not necessary need and carry it.

• Have you ever gone to buy socks in a clothes store? you will usually find them surrounded by shirts and jeans. One has to sift through a good number of racks full of different types of clothing just to reach the socks. Why? If your mind is already open to the idea of of buying clothes, you are more likely to look at other clothing items. 

• You will also find that most of the items put in the bins are not always a bargain buy. Do not be moved by promotions like "Buy one body lotion and get one free". Sometimes the prices are marked up to account for a few shillings of the other item. And do you really need another bottle of body lotion sitting there for three months.

• Why music in the store? It is part of the strategy to slow you down and encourage you to take your time looking at all the items that surround you.

• Children can also force you to spend more. You will often find that the toy section is sometimes put very far from the entrance, especially in hype-markets. Children will always demand to visit the section and you always end up buying what you had not budgeted for as you walk through the aisles.

Tips on how to save money

1. As boring as it sounds, draw up a shopping budget to avoid impulse buying. Strictly follow your budget and do not spend a penny more.
2. Carry a pocket calculator or use the one in your mobile phone. Do the math yourself to find out what the best buy is.
3. Always look at the bottom of the shelves first. When you are in the section you want, start looking at the bottom. This is usually where the better per unit deals are.
4. Carry cash whenever possible and leave credit and debit cards at home. Even small impulse buys can add up to big expenses.
5. Do not buy anything because it is a 'deal' unless you are sure that it really is an excellent bargain
6. Look at nothing but the prices and sizes. Find the one that has the best price for its size, get that one, and move on.