Unless you’re going completely homesteading, you’re like plenty of others who need to go to the grocery store to get their food. Whether it’s weekly, biweekly, or monthly, you can count on spending quite a bit of time and money at the store. However, no matter what meal plan you’re on, you’re going to have to ensure you have a good experience. You don’t want to deal with stress; you want to save money and get everything you need for your diet. While all grocery stores are the same, and none of them are created equally, here are some tips for improving your grocery shopping experience.
Know Exactly What You Need
Ideally, you should already have a list in mind, and you need to know everything you need. That way, you’ll have an exact plan and an exact goal. Regardless of what questions you have, such as greek yogurt vs regular yogurt, what matters most is getting what you need and saving the big questions for later. Now, why is this important? Well, it’s about getting everything that’s needed for your diet and for your meal plan. You should ideally have done research prior to going to the grocery store.
Never Go to the Store Hungry
One of the biggest mistakes anyone could make is heading to a grocery store while hungry; you’re going to crave things you don’t usually crave. Plus, doing your grocery shopping on an empty stomach is a recipe for impulse buys that will lead to a stuffed cart and expensive groceries. Hungry shoppers are more likely to make poor decisions and buy higher-calorie foods.
Grocers know that hungry shoppers spend more and often purchase unhealthy items, which is why they put their best deals right in front of you — at eye level for kids, near the store brand, bulk, and generic options. They also use softer music, narrower checkout lanes, and slower sales clerks to keep you in the aisles longer. So if you can, eat before heading to the store.
Avoid Distractions
In a way, grocery shopping can be pretty nice, especially if it’s a grocery store like Whole Foods; they’re calm, spacious, and pretty clean. But it’s important to be mindful and avoid distractions to help you shop more efficiently. This will save you time and money! Product displays, music, and announcements can all distract you from what you need at the grocery store. This will help you avoid going down every aisle and getting distracted by random items on sale. Also, try to stick to one grocery store so that you know the layout and where everything is located. Alternatively, ordering your groceries online may seem lazy, but it can actually be super efficient and even cost-effective.
Generally speaking, when it comes to grocery stores, what people dislike the most is the amount of overstimulation that’s being presented. This can include the music, the general noise, the bright lights, etc. So, it’s just best to go into the grocery store with a set goal for everything you’re going to purchase. This way, you get what you need, and you don’t have to worry about any U-Turns. A grocery shopping experience can be nice, but like anywhere else, you need to have an end goal.