6 Shopping Tips to Save Your Money

Budgeting has always been a headache for me. I don’t know how to make the ends meet as they say because I’m a big spender. I cannot resist the temptation filling up shopping carts. I don’t usually look at price tags. If I like it, I’ll buy it. That is why two days after every pay out… I’d be financially broke.

Getting rid of that habit required me a lot of effort and it took me a while to absorb the new routine but it served me well. With the help of my older sister who was such a pro in budgeting and saving bucks, I finally learned the frugal way to budget and save my money. Although I cannot say that I’m good at it now, I just want to share what I’ve learned from my own experience.

So here are some tips on how to shop and save:

1. Make a list

This is on the top of the list because this is the most important factor on how to save up. You must always have the list of items that you need to pick and buy at the store or market. If you have this list with you when you go shopping, you would be able to set the right cash that you need to put in your wallet or the amount that you need to spend.

2. Stick to what’s on your list

Yes, it can be very tempting to pick just about anything when you are already doing your shopping. But you must stick to your plan; buy only the things you need. Also, purchase only based on the expected prices you stated in the list. You should follow the quantity of the items in the list, as well as the corresponding price in the list.

3. Bring cash

I used to swipe my debit card in paying for my groceries so I really don’t have control with my expenses. If you have a debit or credit card, you should use it wisely. We may not see our money leaving our hands when we pay using our cards, but we should realize that we are reducing the cash in our debit card or in the case of credit cards, we are using the money of the credit card company, who will charge us for that. Thus, if you have the cash, have the guts to use that cash in paying the cashier.

4. Eat before you go

One of the most necessary things you have to do before shopping especially with grocery shopping is to fill your tummy. Firstly, if you are hungry while shopping, you tend to be impulsive on buying things that looks delicious to the eyes without really thinking of their necessity. Secondly, because you are starving, you tend to do the shopping in a hurried way. If you are not in such a rush, you would usually take some time to look at the label, net weight and price and compare it with other brands. Moreover, you’ll also have enough time to accomplish your list.

5. Know your store

If you have been shopping for quite some time now, you would most probably be aware of which store gives you the best price for a particular article and what day or time it become jam packed with shoppers. If so, then you could use that knowledge and information to put yourself in advantage in terms of saving money and time.

6. Watch out for sales

Most shops and stores offer discounts during seasons, such as summer, back-to-school, Valentine, and Christmas sales. So if you really want to make some shopping savings, you might want to anticipate and shop during those times. Just make sure you’ll be there earlier to avoid the long line in the counters.

How about you? How do you save your money during your shopping day?