If your grocery bills seems high, there may be more to it than the lamb you’re buying for dinner instead of the marked down ground turkey. Meat is one of the pricier items at a supermarket, and stores have ways to get you to spend more money. However, they also have ways to help you save money.
Here are some simple mistakes shoppers should avoid at the grocery store:
Buying Meat From the Front
If meat has expired but still smells okay, a grocer may put a new label with a new expiration date on it. That meat is then put at the front of the refrigerator, where customers are most likely to see it and buy it.
To find the freshest meat, look at the back of the cooler. This method can be used on other items that expire quickly, such as milk. Look for the latest expiration date.
Only Looking at Eye Level
Looking up or down in a grocery aisle isn’t that difficult, but too many shoppers don’t do it and instead keep their focus on the middle shelves or areas at eye level. That’s where the highest priced items are, and the store could be pushing those labels because food manufacturers are paying for that prime real estate.
Instead, look at items above your head or down by your shins. Store and generic items may be below knee level and contain the same ingredients as more expensive brand labels.
Not Negotiating
If some cans of food are damaged or the fruit is overly bruised, ask the person responsible for that part of the store for a discount. They don’t want to throw things away, and your offer will help them get some money for what might otherwise go in the trash.
Shopping Clockwise
Most grocery stores are designed to direct shoppers to go through the store clockwise. This gets you to walk through impulse buy areas to get to staples such as the butcher, milk and baking goods. Instead, go directly for what you need. The eggs and milk you want may still be at the back of the store but pushing your cart counter-clockwise through the store can help you avoid items you don’t need.
