Do you have a strategy when you walk through the doors of your neighborhood supermarket?
If you don’t…you should seriously consider making a plan before your next trip to the grocery store rolls around.
The rising price of food is expected to cost the average American family hundreds of extra dollars next year.
You should be aware of those sneaky little tricks that stores try to play with the hope you’ll spend a little more money, or miss a better deal. Don’t worry – that’s what Check Advantage is here for…
In recent weeks, we’ve discussed how the rising price of commodities or the raw materials needed to make the final product has had an effect on the cost of many of the things you buy. Read about it in the post Why the Bare Necessities May Cost You More.
Corn is the biggest culprit here. Just about everything you eat has corn in it – mostly because high fructose corn syrup is used as a sweetener in the majority of store-bought items.
That’s the reason you see soda companies going back to using real sugar. It’s not because they want to offer a more natural alternative to high fructose corn syrup – it’s because corn is so doggone expensive!
Don’t forget – corn is also used to make ethanol for gasoline and to feed livestock.
So if you see fewer snowmen with corncob pipes this winter – don’t be surprised!
The price of coffee has seen some of the biggest jumps in the past few weeks. Some of the most recognizable brands in the coffee game like Folgers and Dunkin’ Donuts boosted their prices around 9%!
Coffee is trading at a 13-year high, which is up 40% from 2009. Coffee crops around the world are smaller than normal – so the good old fashioned law of supply in demand is kicking in hardcore.
If you want to avoid writing huge personal checks for that growing grocery bill – and you absolutely hate clipping coupons – try to remember these 5 tips as you navigate the aisles.
1. Avoid the Bait and Switch
According to DailyFinance.com, this is a classic sales tactic used by grocery and other retail stores. Readers at the website say it’s one of the most annoying things they run into when shopping.
Basically, a bait and switch is when a store advertises an amazing deal on a certain product. But when you get there …they are completely sold out! So a “helpful” and “friendly” (please imagine finger quotes) employee points you toward a more expensive alternative. After all – you drove all the way to the store to get that product – you might as well leave with SOMETHING!
See if the store will give you a rain-check so you can get the item at the sale price when it’s back in stock.
2. Essentials Are In the Back
Ever notice that the stuff you ALWAYS need when you go to the grocery store is way in the back? Things like milk and eggs, bread and butter are never near the front. That’s no mistake.
It’s the same reason you have to go all the way to the back of the department store to find the toy section with your kid. You know Junior isn’t leaving until he gets to check out the latest action figures and beg you for one.
And it’s the same reason why zoos, amusement parks and museums make you go through the gift shop before you leave. In fact there’s usually no way to avoid those gift shops.
They want you to pass by as many items and in-store advertisements as possible before you get to what you really need.
Just keep that in mind. If you’re on a mission to get milk, stay focused like a laser and don’t let the distractions grab hold of you and your wallet.
3. Upsells and Impulse Buys
There’s another danger, but this time it’s at the front of the store. Candy bars, bubble gum, bottles of soda – they all look so tempting after you just spent an hour wandering around looking at groceries like a zombie looking for brains.
Then as you wait in line while others write their checks, your eyes drift to the titillating headlines on the tabloids and entertainment gossip magazines. Brad and Angelina are doing what now!?!? Is Barack Obama really having an affair with Sarah Palin?!? Scandalous!
My suggestion – try and sneak a free read before you get to the front of the line.
If you’ve really got to have an overpriced soda or pack of gum – don’t feel too guilty. Just realize that you are falling for a trick, and the store is squeezing a couple of extra bucks out of your checking account.
Up-selling can be another problem. You don’t normally see it at the grocery store check out lane, but it could certainly happen at the deli or the bakery department. It’s like super-sizing your fast food combo, or getting a loaded baked potato at a steakhouse.
Stores like to get a little more out of you by making you think those add-ons are necessities instead of luxuries.
4. Buying in Bunches
Sometimes stocking up on items and buying in bulk is a good way to save some money. But stores also use deals with specific quantities to get you to buy more than you’ll need or use.
It can be quite frustrating when you see advertisements that tell you you can save $10 when you buy 10 of something – and you only want to buy two.
Occasionally, that’s just the way the marketing department put it on the sign. You’ll still get the sale price if you buy just one of the frozen pizzas.
But other times it does mean you actually have to buy a certain number of items to get the deal. Usually the sign will tell you this in the fine print.
5. How Low Can They Go?
Here’s a trick I never realized until very recently.
The higher-priced name brand grocery products will usually be at or near eye level on the shelves. But if you are looking for generic products and value prices – you might have to look high and low.
Tilt your head back and look for the better deals on the barely reachable top shelf. Squat down and use your leg muscles to grab the lower-priced can of chicken noodle soup that’s on the bottom shelf. You can do it! Think of the calories you’ll burn!
If you need to reorder checks for your next trip to the supermarket, remember Check Advantage. We offer a great selection of personal check designs like our Cute Checks and Retro Checks. And we continue to be one of the best online resources for business checks and accessories!
Got some good supermarket strategies of your own? Share them with us and let’s all save together!
Image: Stefano Valle / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image Credit: onemhz
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