How many times have you walked into a grocery store and said, ‘I just need 5 things,’ and the next thing you know you have a cart full of stuff you want but don’t need?   Sound familiar?  We’ve all been there.  We know exactly what we need, but often times we buy more.  Maybe the allure of a free sample gets us to buy something that wasn't on our radar.  Maybe we think we’re out of something, so we purchase the item, but when we get home we realize we already have it.  Who knows?!  There are many reasons for that grocery bill to expand.

I remember a time when I couldn't go to Costco without spending at least $100.  It didn't matter if I was there to buy only 2 things, inevitably I walked out with a cart full of stuff and at least $100 was gone!  This grocery store spending spree wasn’t sustainable.  I needed to figure out a way to reduce my grocery spending and stop blowing my monthly budget. 

8.18.TW

Here are my three keys to success I adopted for successful grocery store navigation that will help you reduce your grocery store spending too: 

1) Use the hand basket instead of the shopping cart

The idea is similar to using a smaller dinner plate to reduce your caloric intake.  If you have less space - then you consume less.  Similarly, if you have less space available for groceries, you’ll reduce the temptation to fill the cart and purchase less. 

2) Make a list

I know that it sounds basic, but many people stop by the grocery store unarmed without a list.  By making a shopping list before you leave the house, or keeping a running list of items as they run out, will help you stay focused on what you need and what you don’t.  That accountability minimizes food-purchase distractions and the temptation to buy stuff that you don’t need.  Making a list also helps to avoid buying things you already have at home.  Lastly, list making helps prevent forgetting a key item and thus saves you a return trip to the store, which wastes time and gas.

3) Don’t shop while hungry

A study conducted at the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University found that people who shop while hungry purchase between 2 – 3 more high caloric items than people who didn't shop while hungry.  Imagine what this can do to your health and our bank account!  Also, if you shop while hungry you’re probably more likely to purchase prepared foods, which tend to be more expensive and higher in calories than cooking at home.

Adopting these 3 easy tips will help you save money instantly at the grocery store.  

Which of these 3 strategies will you implement immediately?  Let me know how much you save!

 

Aisha Taylor is a #1 Amazon Best Selling Author of the book '5+5 FNPhenomenal Ways to Save $100 This Week Without Killing Your Lifestyle,' and the Founder of FNPhenomenal (Frugal –n- Phenomenal). FNPhenomenal helps women break the vicious cycle of making money, but not keeping it. FNPhenomenal provides education about money management, empowers women to take control of their lives, develop a healthier relationship with money, and pursue being phenomenal.

Visit Aisha online at www.FNPhenomenal.com
Follow Aisha on Instagram/Twitter: @FNPhenomenal
Facebook: facebook.com/FNPhenomenal

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