There are so many mistakes you can make when shopping for groceries, clothes, house hold items, and event tickets. Some of these mistakes are easily fixable like reading the sale papers or ads before you go shopping, and other mistakes are harder to fix like using coupons for items you need not just items you want.
When shopping for groceries always make a list before entering the store. Putting the list on your cell phone, paper or even on your hand is better than having no list at all. When you write a list, you should stick to the list! Always create your list based on your family’s needs and what is on sale that week at your local grocery store. These two should go hand in hand in the list making process. Writing a list is easy and shouldn’t take more than a few minutes of dedicated time. Planning your trip to the grocery store with a list in hand will save you more money, as opposed to just stopping in for a few things on your way home from work each week. Signing up for online coupons and a store savings card is a must! I have saved hundreds of dollars over the years by having a grocery store discount card.
Clothes shopping are either something you love or something you hate, but either way sometimes it has to be done. Buying clothes on the sale and clearance rack is a must! If you know of a big event, birthday, or trip planned a few months ahead of time, start clothes shopping early! Seasonal clothes go on sale at the end of each season, so if you family cruise is booked for January you should shop for a bathing suit and sandals in September when all the new Winter clothes are starting to come out, thus moving all the Spring and Summer clothes to the clearance racks. Going to large department stores can save you a lot of money because they have such a large amount of product they need to sell and turn over. Don’t shy away from opening up a store card when you making a huge purchase as it can save you over 20% sometimes! This is a very good idea as long as you know you can pay the card off ASAP.
New habits with a store card, shopping for clothes off season and making a shopping list will help prevent easy shopping mistakes and money loss seem like a thing of the past.