Never shop when ~
We’ve all heard “never shop when you’re hungry”. Well, there is another “never” in shopping too; NEVER shop on payday. The same principle applies here. If you shop when you’re hungry; you tend to buy things that you wouldn’t normally buy simply because you are hungry and all food looks a little more appealing. On payday, or when you have just gotten your tax refund, you are also more likely to buy things you wouldn’t normally buy simply because you have more money in your pocket. Why do you think Walmart offers to cash your checks for you? hmmmm….. So, eat a small meal or snack before you go to the grocery store and wait until the day after payday to go shopping for anything other than the necessities.
The hidden value secret ~
The best values and clearance items are often found at the back of the store. The endcaps of the store often hold the items that store is trying to sell the most. The endcaps in the back of the store often hold the best sale items. The logic behind this is that you have to walk all the way through the store, past all of the other high-priced items to get the greatest value. So, don’t be deceived just because it looks pretty; it may not be a great value.
Loss Leader? ~
Oh yes! This is one of my FAVES! Loss leaders are the few products a grocery store may have each week where they do not make a profit on or may even lose money with. Why do they do this? Because, they are taking a chance that you will buy their higher priced items while you’re in their store. This is one reason why taking a list is always very important.
Get it FREE? ~
You really have to ask yourself if the Buy 1 Get 1 FREE sales are worth it. Typically, I like the Buy 1 Get 1 FREE sales, especially if they come with a coupon or even 2. It gets tricky when you start having to buy more than one to get something free. Still, sometimes these are great, but other times they can just be a way for the retailer to mask a high price. Anytime they tell you you’re getting something for free, your brain automatically gets excited LOL An example of when it may not be great is when you see “Buy 2 12-packs of Coke products, get 3 FREE.” If they are $8 each, you’ll end up paying $16 for 5/12 packs, which is equal to $3.20/12 pack. This means that the store has just sold you 5/12 packs of Coke for $3.20 each! Last week, the regular price of Coke was $3 or 4/$12. Not only did you just pay more for a 12/pack of Coke, but you also bought more than you needed. I always carry my calculator so that I can figure out what I’m actually paying for “free” items and if it’s actually a great deal!
Are my eyes deceiving me? ~
Manufacturers pay for product placement. Many times the new, more expensive, items are at eye level or next to the most popular items in the store. They will also have more brightly colored, eye-catching tags place in front of them. You may need to bend down or stand on your tip-toes to find the deals that are on the bottom or top shelves.
To stock up or not to stock up? THAT is the question! ~
I post a lot of deals for stock up prices. I often stock up when the prices are really low. I even stock up on fresh meats and produce. I freeze or can what I do not use. Yes, it makes sense for me to stock up because nothing goes to waste around my house. If you are simply stocking up because you have to buy in bulk to get that great price, but you know you’ll never use it all before it is outdated; the answer is no, do not stock up. You will be better off paying $6 for one pound of strawberries than paying $12 for 12 pounds of strawberries if all you will ever use is one pound. Now a great way to take advantage of stock up sales is to get a friend or family member to split the price and product with you.
