Grocery Stores and the Tricks They Play

To keep myself from overspending, I usually shop with a list and stick to it. The grocery stores, obviously, want to provide every inducement to get me to spend more money and it's hard not to fall victim to the siren calls of the nice displays that you look at once you enter the store.

Since we're throwing a party tomorrow, I had to go to Safeway to buy a few items. For the party, I had to buy paper bowls and sugar, and for the house, I needed to get water and orange juice. So, what did I end up buying?

As I cruised through the fresh produce section, I noticed that asparagus was on sale. Hmmm, I could make some roasted asparagus tomorrow, I rationalized. I hadn't thought of a vegetable dish yet, and wasn't it convenient that I happened to find it front and center? Two bunches of asparagus went into my cart.

As I moved down the aisle where baking goods were, I got some plain white sugar and then got to the section that had the paper bowls. Since plates were also on sale, I bought some paper plates.

As I passed from one end of the store to the other, I also picked up some other items that weren't on the list, chips for people to snack on (they were on sale) and some peanut butter (we were running low). I finally reached the refrigerated section and bought some orange juice.

So what did I end up spending? $39.32. I should have ended up with a $10 or maybe even a $15 bill, but ended up spending more than twice as much as I had intended.

I think that it takes discipline to ignore the tricks that markets play to get consumers to spend more money. Have you noticed now the ends of each aisle are filled with convenient items that are marked for "sale" (sometimes that sale prices are not even that good), and how the more expensive and commercial items are in the middle of each shelf? I'm sure that a lot of market research went into consumer behavior to determine how best to showcase products and induce consumers to spend more. It's not an accident that the most widely used items, such as milk and bread, are found at the corners of the shop, so you have to go through many appealing items before you reach your destination.

That being said, and even though I fully failed this mission, here are some tips to keep you on point when shopping:

1. Write a list. At the very least write down what you need, (1) because if you forget something, you'll have to subject yourself again to more temptation and (2) you may actually limit what you buy to what is on the list.

2. Don't shop when hungry. You are more likely to buy more items when you are not in a clear state of mind. I tend to think of things I'd like to eat right then and there and suddenly, my cart is full.

3. If you only need a few items, opt for a basket. You are less likely to purchase more items if you have to carry it and will likely only get the things you need.

4. When looking for a particular item, pay close attention to the top and bottom of the shelves. The generic versions of what you are purchasing are probably in the same area (but at a slightly worse real estate), are cheaper and tastes just as good.

5. Coupons/loyalty card. I tend not to get coupons because they are usually for items that I don't normally buy, but when I do remember to bring my coupons, I have saved quite a bit. Also, special savings are available through loyalty cards. I'm a bit on the fence on using such cards, but the savings tend to be pretty good especially if they are offering buy 1 get 1 one free deals. When those happen, I tend to stock up on non perishable items that are used consistently, such as spaghetti sauce and pasta.