Grocery shopping can be an enjoyable activity or a costly nightmare that consumes your time and strains your budget. The good news is, there is a way to master your grocery shopping if you become aware of the habits or mistakes you’re making every time you head to the grocery store. From shopping on an empty stomach to impulse buying, we gathered up a list of the most common mistakes we all make while shopping for groceries and how to avoid them.
1. Shopping without a list
Supermarkets are stacked with colorful temptations, perfectly designed to empty your pockets. The number one mistake that might blow your entire budget is not knowing what you’re heading to buy. Having a grocery shopping list can help you save time and energy spent staring at products, avoid overspend or multiple grocery store visits, and only stick to the essentials you need. Checkout Breadfast’s recommended grocery shopping list for every household.
2. Shopping on an empty stomach
Picture this: You’re walking with a growling stomach into the one place full of appetizing desserts, snacks, and tempting goodies at every turn. Shopping on an empty stomach is a sure recipe for overspend and impulse buys, because it means your purchases are controlled by your stomach –not your mind. Studies show that hungry shoppers spend 64% more money than those who are less hungry and are bound to make decisions based on cravings rather than nutritional content. If you want to avoid having impulse ‘snaccidents’ (snack accidents that occur when you’re hungry) in the supermarket, mall, or your local grocery store, be sure to do your grocery shopping after eating.
3. Splurge without thought
Kids always find a way to sneak in some candy bars, sour patches, and gummy worms while you’re not looking –but that doesn’t mean we don’t get love-struck too by quirky oven mitts and perfectly-packaged gourmet chips. Impulse buying is one of the most common mistakes we make while grocery shopping. When you don’t have a shopping list, or a clear plan of what you’re buying, making impulse purchases is unavoidable. A grocery shopping list can help you recognize your everyday needs, and steer clear from the temptations or pricey items you don’t need. A good way to keep impulse buys at bay is to compare your shopping list with your shopping cart before you leave the grocery store. If you added too many products than what you originally planned, that’s your sign that you stacked too many items.
4. Buying too many perishables
When we overbuy perishables that have limited shelf life, including fruits and vegetables, raw meats, dairy products and bread, we run the risk of throwing away more spoiled food than what we planned to consume. When it comes to perishables and fresh produce, always buy the quantity you know you will eat within a week. If you are unsure of how much fresh produce you eat on a weekly basis, keep a log of how much fresh food you eat so that you can waste less food and start building a more sustainable shopping and eating habits.
5. Shopping for a recipe only
Shopping for a specific recipe means you only look for the ingredients you need to execute that recipe, rather than the groceries your house actually needs in general, which means you’ll end up paying more money. When doing your grocery shopping, choose recipes according to the staple items you know you’ll actually use several times, or according to the ingredients you know you already have in your kitchen to avoid having a pricey shopping list that strains your monthly budget.
Why online shopping is the way to go:
Being mindful of the mistakes we make while grocery shopping – like shopping without a grocery list or shopping on an empty stomach – can help us buy within our budget, save more money, and identify our everyday grocery and household needs. If you’re short on time, or looking for a smarter and more convenient way to shop for groceries, try online shopping. Online grocery shopping allows you to keep track of your spending and always know how much you’re going to pay on your essentials.
One-stop-shop apps like Breadfast offers instant same-day delivery available 24/7, and gives you the option of choosing your own next day delivery slot, so that you won’t have to stay in the house all day waiting for your groceries to arrive. Get your groceries now from Breadfast and enjoy EGP100 off on your first order of EGP300 or more using promocode BL300. Promotion is available until July 24th. Download Breadfast here: https://brdfst.com/blogx
