Do you ever do that to yourself? Go grocery shopping when youโre starving? I fall for it ALL the time and I always want to buy everything! It really is the worstโฆ every aisle just seems to jump out at ya and tries to wiggle out all that money in your pocket. But what are you to do? Youโre hungry! You want to eat everything your eyes can see!
I wonder if itโs anything like showing up to the mall with a full pay check? Like, you have this huge appetite for shopping and all the food is now clothes or electronics, or books, etc etc. Youโre there ready to shop, and you just so happen to have the most cash on you as possible ;) What do you think? Do you know people who do that? I dunnoโฆ
I guess what Iโm trying to say is that itโs important to understand HOW weโre putting ourselves into such vulnerable positions. When you tempt yourself at your peak weakness, youโre gonna be tons more likely to act on it. Makes sense, right? And in this case, it means spending a lot more money than you really intended to in the first place.
If you donโt go to the grocery store hungry, chances are youโll make smarter decisions. Just like if you donโt go to Target with a wad of cash youโll probably walk away with a lot fewer goods. At least in theory. Obviously Iโm not a perfect example of this ;)
But really, you canโt go wrong with giving this stuff a little thought before walking out that door. If you know youโre gonna spend a lot more than you care for, turn back around and plan to go out a bit later. Or if you have to, just hit up some Taco Hell on your way out! Iโve been told that squashes your appetite real quick ;)
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(Photo by iboy_daniel)
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This is 100% true! Many times weโll grab something at the cafe/bakery and a pop for a couple bucks before actually doing our shopping.
Costs a little bit of money and 5-10 minutes of time, but taking the edge off the hunger saves $10-20 in frivolous spending every time.
Meal planning can also help TONS with overspending at the grocery store. After planning two weeks of meals, I can get out of the grocery store for around $70 every time. Thatโs breakfast, five lunches per week, and dinner every night to feed me and my husband. The trick is to stick to your listโno matter what looks delicious while youโre shopping! (And yes, never EVER go grocery shopping while youโre hungry!)
I used to always laugh at this tip, but I found it to be true for me! I always buy more junk and prepared foods when Iโm hungry. Itโs as if Iโm buying everything that I want to eat at that moment!
@Greg โ Yep! Exactly. And for me it usually means an extra $20-$30 cuz I keep on plopping things into that cart. Itโs a good thing the Mrs. does most of our shopping ;) And watches over me when weโre together doing it! Hahaโฆ
@Caitlin โ WOW we spend way over that each week! Thatโs impressiveโฆ we donโt plan our meals really but I know we should. Although I prefer to have it be a surprise every night ;)
@Khaleef @ KNS Financial โ Haha me too. Although I should also say that if Iโm shopping around for other stuff (like, not food) and Iโm starving I just wanna hurry up and get out of there to eat! Which is why places like Target & Walmart are smart in having food RIGHT THERE for you. Cuz they know once you eat youโll be much happier and get right back to it ;) Plus, that Pizza Hut pizza is freakinโ tasty!
We went from spending $110 per week to $60 per week for a family of four and it has changed the entire experience of grocery shopping. For one I donโt go unless Iโm full!
A few other benefits is that our food waste is way down and we hardly buy processed foods.
I find what helps me is shopping with my GF. That way we can apply checks and balances on each other. If she notices that Iโm running around like a headless chicken throwing things in the cart that sheโll put a stop to it.
Ha! This happens to me ALL the time and most of that ALL the time is right after a work out because its on the way home from the gym I really do know better heck most of my Masterโs Degree in Financial Planning was about behavior! I know I shouldnโt do that and the some low blood sugar and a desperate yearning for carbs gets the best of me everytime. I do have to say this planning meals for the week and pre-cooking them makes it sting a little less but sometimes I canโt help but reach for something thatโs not chicken or sweet potatoes โ and that usually costs me! Great post and way to make me hold myself accountable!
I go to the grocery when i am most tired and cranky, then nothing looks good. I just want out of there as fast as possible and be heading home. I work my list and i work it fast and diligently, no time for hanging around. Works for me!
We used to just buy whatever struck our fancy, but that was KILLING our budget. So I started planning out our meals for a two week period and making the list from that. And I have to stick exactly to the list when I go shoppingโwhich is difficult when my husband comes along. He is always trying to sneak in the box of twinkies. :) We also cut out snack foods (besides fruits, vegetables & yogurts) and I canโt remember the last time I bought something like a taco kit or hamburger helper. Making things from scratch can save so much money! Itโs a lot of work, but right now with both of us working on our masters and working probationary student positions, itโs a must!
You are so right on this one. I try to hit the grocery store right after a big, filling meal from Panera. :)
I know if we get a bonus or something, it is easy to say โhey, lets just go out to dinnerโ. Thatโs fine if you do it once if you are going to celebrate. But, it has to stop there. I think part of why athletes and such go broke is because they just see a lump of money and have no self control. I try to preallocate any โextraโ money so I donโt feel like there actually is any extra.
I never go to the grocery store hungry; and I try at all costs to leave my family at home! My kids and hubby are the worst shoppers and totally throw off my coupon, sale, and bargain shopping mojo! They throw items in the cart that are not on the list, not on sale, and without a coupon!
@Molly On Money โ Thatโs pretty good! Makes my $110 a week look bad considering there are just TWO of us ;)
@Ace โ Hahaโฆ.I hear ya brotha. My wife will stop me tooโฆbut if Iโm really hungry Iโll buy it anyways!
@Nunzio Bruno โ Weโre like doctors who smoke ;) We KNOW whatโs best but we donโt always follow our advice. At least weโre aware of it though!
@finallygettingtoeven.com โ Hah! That makes a lot of sense actually. I take it you donโt open up food and eat it there while shopping then, eh? Every now and then Iโll do that (and pay for it of course) to help sooth me.
@Caitlin โ Good for you guys!! Iโm hoping/thinking weโll change our ways once we start producing bebes ;) Itโll at least get us on a regular eating schedule again, weโve been eating dinner at 11pm lately โ crazy.
@Everyday Tips โ MmmmmmmโฆI can go for some Panera right now! Love that place :)
@Suzanne โ Blasphemy! Hahaโฆitโs true though. Us husbands & kids shop with our eyes!
I always have at least one granola bar in my backpack, in case I get low blood sugar when Iโm a long way from home. Any time I find myself near a market with good prices, I eat the granola bar before I go in. A quick snack goes straight to my ears: I canโt hear the siren songs of potato chips, cookies, etc. (And believe me: All junk food knows my name.)
@ Donna, thatโs a great tip! I do that in general to avoid buying fast food on the road, but I never thought about carrying a snack just in case you need to stop by the market.
i think we have all be subjected to this rookie move. what gets me is when i go and buy a bunch of stuff i would typically not eat then on the drive home decided to pop in and just get something in the drive thru. this always makes me scratch my head.
@Khaleef: Well, thatโs not the *only* reason I carry it. I got into the habit when I was a student and sometimes wound up on campus longer than Iโd planned. I didnโt want to have to buy a snack, especially since Iโm an avid couponer and have bought granola bars for as little as one penny each.
Now I think itโs a good idea to have something to eat just in case, say, my bus breaks down and it takes me an extra hour to get home when Iโm already pretty hungry. Iโve also given away a couple: Once to a panhandler and once on the bus on Halloween, as I walked past a costumed preschooler carrying a plastic pumpkin half-full of sugary loot. He looked surprised. His mother smiled and said โGracias.โ
@Donna โ You just reminded me โ I have pop tarts in my glove compartment ;)
@James โ I do that too!!!! But I blame it on all the fast food joints so freakinโ close to the grocer store ;) Wendyโs and Taco Bell just tease me like no other.