9 costly mistakes you make when shopping

Inflation keeps hitting you left and right, every time you fill up your tank you rush to the checkout hyperventilating and groceries are getting more expensive too, really. But you’re not falling for it anymore, you’re never going to make these expensive mistakes again, in the supermarket.

Alarming: 32% of households in the Netherlands are struggling to make ends meet. Expensive groceries are largely to blame for that. A single-person household: 190 euros per month. A couple: 380 euros. A couple with children: from 400 to 450 euros per month, depending on the age of the children. Yes, that’s how much we all spend every month in the supermarket, calculated by Nibud (National Institute for Budget Information). On average, some people spend even more. How can you ensure that you come in under that average? By avoiding these pitfalls from now on, it’s easy enough.

Mistake 1: you don’t ask for money back

If there’s a deal of 3 for the price of 2, sixth can free and a little gift with that: then take advantage of those offers, even if it means you have to send in a receipt or fill something out on the producer’s website. Often people buy the products that are part of that promotion, but they quickly forget the second step, asking for the discount back. Cash in!

Mistake 2: you turn your nose up at the store brand

Hello snob, the store brand coffee is just as good as Douwe Egberts (maybe because they come from the same factory?) and the Cola Light from the store brand even came out as the tastiest in the test. At least try it once, because on average store brands are much cheaper than the A-brands.

Mistake 3: you’re too good for the loyalty card

Discount card, collecting piggy points at the butcher, sticking stamps for a grocery package: no, you can’t start that. Too bad, because that saves you a lot of money. Activate your loyalty card, your family pass or whatever all those loyalty programs are called, even if it’s with an anonymous email address. Just wait until you see how much discount you rake in with that. And do you also keep an eye on Too Good To Go ? Ka-ching!

Mistake 4: you’re starving

If you go grocery shopping on an empty stomach, the chances are slim that you’ll make sensible decisions. Your inner caveman takes over, you rush through those aisles looking for quick, fatty, and sweet. Result: you come out with pudding rolls, two ounces of smoked Sockeye salmon, a piece of expensive cheese and those delicious Airfryer bitterballen, while the cheaper items remain untouched. First eat a cracker at home and then go into the supermarket with a shopping list. Boring, but it works.

Mistake 5: you buy a recipe all at once

You grab all the ingredients for the dish you want to cook tonight in one go. The chances are slim that they’re all on sale, so you end up paying too much. Cook from your pantry and keep that stock up by buying when items are on sale, then you make the most of all the offers and your own creativity.

Mistake 6: you only dive into the supermarket when everything is gone

The last roll of toilet paper is gone, there’s no milk left in the fridge, and the cat is hungry, so now you have to buy that. Then you pay full price. No, next time pay attention to when your favorite products are on sale and then strike.

Mistake 7: always the same supermarket

You always make the same round in the same supermarket. But variety is good: check out another chain to see how the prices are there, what’s on sale, and you’ll be surprised. Don’t forget the Asian grocery store and the Turkish supermarket either, especially fruits and vegetables can be significantly cheaper there!

Mistake 8: you never convert the prices

Always look at the price per kilo or per liter. Then you can really compare prices well. And don’t be tempted by the size of the packaging: sometimes the bag of chips is bigger, but there are fewer chips inside. Shrinkflation, ever heard of it?

Mistake 9: you don’t understand those offers

Check the conditions of the offers in the store and in the flyer. Is it four for the price of two, or does that discount also apply if you only buy one? Do all variants of the same product participate, or is only part of the assortment discounted? It’s annoying when you only find out at the checkout that you didn’t understand it correctly, and there goes your discount out the window.

Tip: watch out for the latte factor

One last tip: skip that daily coffee-to-go, that Sultana or bag of candy at the gas station. That’s how you ‘leak’ money unnoticed. There’s even a name for it: the latte factor.

Source: Money Talks News