15 simple ways to save money.
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Unlike a fixed monthly cost such as your mortgage or car payment, the amount you spend on groceries each month is somewhat flexible. While the common advice of clipping coupons and buying generic brands to save money while shopping is sound, by far the best way to truly keep your grocery shopping expenses under control is by understanding how grocery stores entice you to spend more than you really want. By fully understanding the ways grocery stores encourage you to spend, many of which you probably never even noticed before, you can combat their strategies and spend money only on the merchandise you really need.
Lets face it, you could always use more money. I’ve tried to take a frugal approach to my spending habits. I’m not perfect, but I’m getting better. I’m going to give you some tips on ways to save money. The less money you spend, the less you have to work. None of these tips will make you rich, nor will the results be instant. With a little discipline over time, you can save a hell of a lot of cash. Please feel free to add your money saving tips in the comments section at the end.
- Drive Less. Or better yet give up your car all together. Doing it for the environment is noble and all, but with gas prices over $3.00 per gallon, doing it for your pocket book just makes sense. Take public transportation, walk, bike, or carpool when possible.
- Quit Smoking or Drinking regularly. I’m working on the process of quitting smoking cigarettes. I need to quit. I will save roughly $2500 per year if I quit smoking. I’m doing it for my health and my pocket book. Think of the vacations you could take instead of smoking cigarettes or drinking all the time.
- Don’t Go Out to Eat. My parents never cooked meals when I was growing up, we went out a lot. As an adult I’ve come to discover the “Joy of Cooking”. I cook my meals, eat leftovers, and pack a lunch for work. I’ve begun to really notice the savings.
- Use Coupons. But don’t use coupons as an excuse to purchase something you wouldn’t normally be buying anyways. Knowing when things are on sale can save you money over the long haul.
- Cut the cable. Turn off the TV. Cancel your cable service. You don’t need hundreds of channels playing infomercials all night. We have the Internet now, TV is obsolete. Use not having TV as an excuse to go outside for once. $100 a month can be much better spent.
- Shut Up. If you have a huge cell phone bill with tons of minutes, or you go over your plan often, you need help. Nothing beats face to face contact. If face to face isn’t an option, get yourself a prepaid cell phone and use it less. Go out for coffee with your friends to play “he said she said” instead of paying a phone company for the pleasure.
- Spend less on entertainment. You could be spending your time going on a walk, playing a board game, talking, having sex, or playing sports. All of that is free. Find some free events in the community or your neighborhood. Invite friends over for dinner.
- Buy used. If you are searching for consumer goods such as kitchen equipment, furniture or electronics, check Craigslist. Go to a rummage sale (hey free entertainment!). Thrift stores can be a fun adventure too.
- Buy Online. Many times prices for products online can be cheaper than in stores. When you buy items in the store you are paying what I call an “Instant Gratification Tax”. Sometimes this tax can be higher than 20% of the cost of an item. Buy it online, and for waiting a couple days you’ll save big.
- Buy in bulk. If you are constantly running out of things and going to the store each week, you are wasting a lot of your time and money. Buy in bulk to save cash on volume discounts, save gas money, and save your precious time.
- Be flexible. The real world isn’t Burger King. Sometimes Your Way Right Away costs a lot extra. If you are willing to settle for “good enough” instead of “bling bling” you’ll actually have more dough for some used bling bling!
- Use Online Banking. Avoid late fees. Never buy a stamp again! Save time by paying bills automatically. Online banks pay higher interest rates than brick & mortar establishments.
- Use less electricity. Unplug your power strips. You can save a bunch of cash by unplugging unused electronic devices. Even in a standby mode the electronics consume electricity. Those red LEDs arent self powered. Replace your light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs that last for years.
- Drink Water. Carry a refillable water bottle. Stop drinking soft drinks and other high cost specialty drinks. (Sorry, but I will never give up my coffee, but to each his own)
- Be consistent. If you stick to your plan you will save tons of money. One binge can wipe out your savings though, so be careful and make it count.
Although a grocery store may appear to be simply a place to purchase food and other household necessities, in reality it’s a cutting edge example of “how to sell more than consumers really need.” Since you are the consumer, it’s important that you realize these sales tactics so that you walk into a grocery store to get only what you need while avoiding everything else that the grocery store wants to sell you.
Here are some ways that grocery stores manipulate you into spending more than you had planned and some simple steps you can take to counter them:
Smell: One of the first things you’ll notice when you enter a grocery store is the mouth-watering smell. There is a specific reason why grocery stores smell of freshly baked goods, and also why the bakery is almost always found near the store entrance. The reason is that a bakery making bread and desserts gives off an enticing smell, and that smell is likely to make you hungry. The grocery store also knows that if you feel hungry while you shop, you are likely to spend more money - a lot more - than if you are not hungry.
A simple way that you can combat this is by going grocery shopping only after you have had a meal and are full. If timing doesn’t allow for you to do this, at least drink a couple of glasses of water before leaving to make you feel full before shopping. Shopping while you’re full makes it much easier to resist the great smelling temptations that the grocery store will flaunt in front of you.
Overall Store Layout: Did you ever notice that when you only need to buy a few staple items, you have to travel the entire grocery store floor in order to get them? While one might assume that the convenience of putting basic staple items in the same general area would make happier customers, grocery stores know that the longer that they can keep you in the store, the more money you are likely to spend. They also know that making you walk as far as they can inside the store will make it more likely that you’ll pick up impulse items. Stores are specifically designed in such a way as to make you spend as much time as possible inside them and walk the entire store floor to get the basic staples that everyone needs.
Although there is no way around going to the far corners of the store to get the groceries you need, you can avoid the trap of impulse purchases on the store floor by taking the time to make a list of the items you need and sticking to it when shopping. Getting into the habit of making a single trip once a week to take care of all your grocery shopping needs instead of several smaller trips throughout the week will also greatly reduce your time in the store and the chances that you’ll buy items you don’t really need.
Item Display Layout: Manufactures of brand named products pay hefty stocking fees to stores to have their merchandise placed on the shelves at adult eye level (and child eye level in the case of products aimed at children such as cereal). Manufactures are willing to pay these prices because they know that you are much more likely to purchase something that you can easily see as you are walking down the aisle than something you have to stop and search for. The result is that the products placed at eye level are usually the most expensive.
Before grabbing the first item you see, take a few seconds to look at the upper and lower shelves. Similar products are placed together and simply looking will often reveal the same product at a much better price… [read more]
I hope that list will give some of you some ideas for controlling your consumption. Being able to control your consuming habits is a key skill for a lifehacker. Goodluck.
Source: www.thew0rd.com
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