Have you ever considered why your trip to the grocery store always costs more than anticipated? You go to the store needing a couple items and end up leaving spending three times more than you planned. Why is this you ask? It all has to do with the location of the milk.
T
he Secret Grocery Stores Don’t Want You to Know
If you ever have gone to a grocery store just for milk, you will recall walking to the far back corner, opposite the entrance. Marketers and store merchandisers know that if they can get you to walk through aisles in the store to get the necessities, you will almost always, without fail, spend more money than you anticipated.
5 Ways to Know You’ve Been Duped by Grocery Store Marketers to Spend More
- You chronically buy a little snack. On your way to the milk, you see those popsicles in the frozen section. Since they cost next to nothing, you buy them. Not because you need them and not really because you wanted them, but because they were there and they were cheap.
- Where there’s a BOGO, you can’t resist. If you see that buy one, get one sign, you have to buy one. How many times have you bought something that you never would have bought in the first place because you got another free? While BOGO deals are a great way to save, they are a great way to spend money you otherwise would have retained for a better purchase.
- You end up throwing away non-perishables. This is embarrassing, but we have all done this. Soups, sauces and pastas are on a great sale so you buy more than you need. The sit in your pantry, untouched for years. When you finally decide to purge your pantry, you find those baked beans that were buy 2, get 3 free are all expired, and you only used one can.
- You need a breath freshener. When you’re standing in line looking at People Magazine, you realize that your breath isn’t quite as fresh as it could be, so you splurge for the Tic-Tacs or the pack of gum. If you would just go three aisles down, you could get a bulk pack for about fifty cents more. But, the convenience catches you every time.
- You forgot why you went shopping. This one is super embarrassing. If you have ever forgot why you went to the store in the first place, you are a victim of smart marketing. They overwhelm you with desire so much so that you buy a little bit of this and little bit of that. When you get home, you find out you did not even get the one item you actually needed.
4 Ways to Just Buy the Milk
While we all are guilty for buying more than we should at the story, there are ways to conquer the marketers sneaky schemes.
- Walk down the dog food aisle. Do your best to find your aisle where you are not tempted to buy something in. Maybe that’s walking around the perimeter of your grocery store because meats are rarely an impulse buy. For you, it could be a trip down the dog food aisle or maybe down the cleaning supplies aisle. While there are gimmicks around every turn, pick the road filled with least temptation.
- Make a list and stick to it. Indeed this sounds simple, but why don’t we do it? Simply make a list of what you need and do not deviate. No matter how good the sale is, stay the course. If you really need something, write it on a second list and come back to the store later that week. After all, sales are typically at least one week long.
- Eat before you shop. You have heard this tale many times but it is true. Most grocery stores are laid out so that when you walk in, you walk through produce then bakery. Why? Because typically both of those sections are filled with beautiful aromatics that get your salivary glands going. In addition, many stores will include samples in these sections to induce a bit of hunger. If you eat before you shop, you are more likely to avoid the bait.
- Shop with a buddy. Accountability is one of the top ways to make sure you leave with only what you came for. A good friend or spouse that shops with you may be quick to slap your hand when you reach for that extra large candy bar you both know you do not need.
Shop Smart – Just Buy the Milk
With these warning signs in mind, you are now equipped to face the crafty marketers that make you buy far more than you should at the grocery store. As a little test, go to your pantry and just take a look. How much of that food did you buy impulsively? If you put these saving principles into practice, I guarantee that you will quickly see a decrease in your monthly grocery bill.