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Money Saving Ideas
Part 2: Shopping
Saving money when shopping can be quite a difficult task. So much to buy, so little money! Everyone wants something!
But with a little forethought, planning and by following some simple ideas, you can save a lot of money off your shopping expenses.
This is Part 2 of a series of articles designed to help you save money. Visit the other parts also for more ideas.
Part 1: Your Finances
Part 3: Life and Home
The following tips focus on your saving money on shopping- how you to avoid the pitfalls and make it go further.
With a lot of the tips, even though it may suggest to skip doing something, it doesn't mean you can't do it once in a while as a treat, just don't do it frequently. You'll appreciate it much more anyway, if it's something special rather than just commonplace.
- Keep a lookout for cheap/two for the price of one/free coupons.
- Plan non-extravagant, healthy meals ahead, and make a shopping list accordingly. Try to stick to your shopping list and not be tempted by clever item placement and colourful packaging!
- Before meal planning for the week, you could check the supermarket sale catalogues and utilise what's on special. Don't over buy just because it's cheap, on the fresh stuff especially, because if it's not used it's not a saving!
- Remember, driving here and there and everywhere to get all the specials may not work out economical. Preferably find a shopping centre nearby, if possible, with at least two supermarkets, then you have a couple of places to compare. If there are fruit and veg shops and butchers etc as well, then that gives you even more options.
- Cut out buying sugar or fat laden snacks, convenience foods, soft drinks and all those impulse buys.
- If you don't trust yourself, make a list and get your spouse or grown child to shop for you... just make sure they are able to resist temptation at least better than you!
- Try shopping online. There are delivery costs and some items may be dearer, but you can make a list of what you want, and stick to it without seeing something right there in front of your eyes and buying on impulse.
- Try shopping at your local market. There can be some really great savings, and often fresher food too.
- Don't shop while hungry or depressed!
- Don't shop with the kids (or a spouse who just grabs whatever catches their eye!) if you really want to save money. It often helps save your sanity too! And learn to say "No" and stick to it!
- Consider buying generic brands for some items. Some generic products are very good... others not so much. It will probably take a bit of trial and error to ascertain what is best for your family.
- If you go to the supermarket near closing time there is usually marked down bakery products, maybe hot chickens, possibly butcher or dairy items. You can get some real bargains... but don't over buy more than you can realistically buy or freeze (and then really use later.) Just before Easter, Christmas etc there can often be quite a bit marked down, as the store will be closed for a couple of days or whatever, so they sell off fresh stuff.
- Keep your eye open for unlikely places for cheaper items... for example, where we live some BP On The Run service stations have loaves of bread for 99c (2008). Our local one also has chemical free, large roast chickens for $6.99, which beats the supermarkets.
- Take a healthy home made lunch to work instead of buying it.
- Make your kids lunches for school, instead of the school cafeteria.
- Skip those coffee bar/juice bar visits. It's amazing how much these add up to over a year.
- Try not to get regular takeaway, or eat out too often. Save it for special occasions! Cook together- and clean up together- as a family. It's usually much cheaper and often healthier, as long as you make the right choices, as you know exactly what has gone into the food. If you don't want it to be too much work and mess up the kitchen, have a BBQ, buy a slow cooker and chuck everything in together to cook before you go to work or wherever, or make a quick stir fry.
- Enlighten your kids about the tricks of advertising- in all its forms! Equip them to be aware and not be taken in.
- Don't buy designer clothes or expensive items, unless you can ascertain to your satisfaction that they will outlast the equivalent number of cheaper items- and that you will actually want to use that item for that long. Even though a really good pair of shoes may last longer than several pairs of cheaper shoes, they will start to look dirty and scruffy (and maybe smell!) while the several pairs of cheaper shoes each have a *new look* period. And you may find that the expensive jacket you bought lasts so long that it no longer goes with what you now have, or goes out of style, or you just find something else you like better, so no longer wear it. If you're not using it, it's not really saving you money.
- Buy clothes on sale, or at end of season clearances or discount shops. But make sure you only buy what you really like and will wear. Does it *go* with what you have? Will you still want to wear it next year when the season comes around again? Buying things cheap is no saving if they just hang unworn in your wardrobe.
- Rather than just buy non urgent items outright when you think you *need* (want?) them, write them down on a list. Put the list away for a month, or whatever time you feel is right, then reassess. Do you really need/want it? In many cases, that momentary urge will have been replaced by something else, or at least not be as burning.
Good luck with your money saving venture! Don't forget to visit the other parts of this series.
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