Common Shopping Traps to Avoid If You Want to Save Money

Shopping is always fun for those who enjoy it, and highly stressful for those who do not enjoy shopping. As the former, I really do enjoy a trip to the store so long as I don’t have to take my kids with me. However, it’s a common bit of knowledge that all stores use flashy techniques designed to trick us into paying more than we want to, and more than we should, when we shop. If you really want to save money shopping, you have to learn how to avoid these common traps. The first step is to learn to recognize them.

Poor Layouts

Have you ever wondered why the things you need the most at the store are so spaced out and not even remotely laid out well? It’s all a design trick. The more you have to walk by to get what you really need (the necessities), the more likely you are to buy things you did not come to the store for. That’s why anytime I go into the store just for a quick bottle of wine or a quick gallon of milk, I leave with more. I have to walk by so many other things first.

Endcap Attraction

You do not need two boxes of Cheerios if you don’t even eat them, right? Right. But when you see a sign that tells you that you can buy one box and get the second one free, you buy them. You don’t even eat them, but you bought them because of that flashy and catchy endcap. It was all a trick, and you totally just failed the test they threw right at you.

Product Placement

I have noticed that there is always something that works well for stores. They like to place the most expensive item where you see it first. It works well for them. You either buy the most expensive one, or you pick up the one next to it because it’s a bit cheaper. However, in another location, you will find one that’s half the price of the cheaper one. The problem is that you never looked for that one. You leave thinking you scored a deal picking up the cheaper item, but there was one even less expensive around the corner you completely missed because you were one and done.

If you can avoid traps such as these, you might be surprised just how much money you can save at the store. Remember, compare prices, stick to your list and don’t let pretty things and low prices fool you into buying what you do not need.

Photo by Getty Images    

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