Unless you have an eternal supply of food, toiletries, and other daily essentials, you have no choice but to take a trip to the supermarket every once in a while to replenish your supplies. Purchasing your daily essentials can be enjoyable and rewarding if you know a few tricks. Are you interested in learning some of them? Read on for some best practices that you can follow to save money, stay safe, and have a more convenient grocery shopping experience.
Save Money
Staying on the budget at the supermarket can be challenging, let alone saving money. Nonetheless, there are proven ways that can help you keep track of your spending and save a few pesos in the process.
Use a Debit Card
If you prefer to use a card over cash when grocery shopping, it is better to use a debit card than a credit card since it is easier to overspend when using the latter. Debit cards function like cash, considering that every peso you charge is readily deducted from your savings account. And because you immediately feel the pain of your purchase, it will be easier for you to control your expenditures.
Aside from training you to be a smart spender, using a debit card that allows you to earn reward points, like the Robinsons Bank RRewards Savings card, can help you reap special perks and benefits. The more you save, the more money you have for grocery shopping, and the more reward points you acquire. You can use the points you earn to pay for groceries or to shop for clothes and other things you love.
Do Not Go to the Store Hungry
Make sure that you go to the grocery store on a full stomach. Buying when you are hungry can make you spend more on things, even those that you do not need. Multiple studies on the effects of hunger on shopping behavior reveal that hungry shoppers tend to spend more money on items that catch their attention just for the sake of acquiring things.
Essentially, the internal desire to get food leads to the desire to buy other stuff—anything to satisfy the impulse to purchase. So, the next time that you go to the store to buy your daily essentials, make sure that you grab a snack first so that you will not end up spending your hard-earned money on things that you do not even need or want.
Take Advantage of Cashback Credit Cards
If you must use your credit card for your groceries, it would be best to use one with a cashback or rebate feature. Cashback credit cards give you back a certain percentage of what you spend, so it can be a better option than payment cards that give you none
Using a cashback card will beis like buying groceries on a permanent discount and much more since the discounted amount will be credited to your account. Ultimately, the more you spend, the more savings you can earn.
You may want to try getting a Robinsons Cashback Credit Card as it allows you to gain back as much as 3% of your grocery money every time you shop at Robinsons Supermarket. Moreover, as a cardholder, you can expect to be treated to exciting rewards, such as big discounts at sale events, special rates with partner airlines, and other exclusive promotions.
Make a List and Stick to It
Preparing a grocery list can save you a lot of money as it helps you to prioritize your spending according to what you actually need and how much budget you have. When you shop with a list and focus solely on the items written there, you can easily skip multiple sections of the supermarket. You can finish your grocery shopping in record time and avoid the temptation of buying products that you do not need.
Scan the Shelves and Avoid Eye-Level Products
Grocery items are strategically located. Grocers tend display the pricier items at eye-level so that you are automatically drawn to them. In the end, you will most likely end up buying more expensive goods without even realizing it. As a cost-saving measure, you should look at the higher and lower shelves, where prices tend to be cheaper.
Stay Safe
Grocery shopping has become even more challenging because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides wearing a face mask, which is mandated by the Philippine government in public places, you also need to follow precautionary measures to significantly lower your risk of being infected. Below are a few tips on how to stay safe when buying what you need
Wipe the Handle of Your Shopping Cart with Disinfectant Wipes
While supermarkets have people who wipe down the handles of shopping carts, it is advisable to carry your own sanitizing wipes so that you can easily disinfect the handle of the cart before grabbing it. The same procedure applies if you are using a shopping basket. Keep in mind that the virus that causes COVID-19 can spread through surfaces That infected people touch.
Practice Physical Distancing
The World Health Organization recommends physical distancing to control the spread of COVID-19, which means you need to maintain at least one-meter distance from other shoppers in the grocery store. If the section you are eyeing is busy, you can wait for the aisle to clear up before getting the items that you need.
Maintain a safe distance when you are checking out as well. Follow the social distancing signs on the floor to prevent yourself from standing too close to where other people are. You may also consider shopping during off-hours to ensure that there are fewer people in the store and that you can buy more comfortably. Weekday mornings are your best bet.
Sanitize Your Hands Often Instead of Wearing Gloves
While you may be inclined to wear latex gloves as a means to protect yourself when purchasing your daily essentials, the practice could give you a false sense of security. Instead of being cautious about the things that you touch, you may end up touching everything you want, including your face, leading to an increased risk of infection.
Experts recommend that the most reliable course of action is to limit the surfaces that you need to touch and to sanitize your hands often by washing with soap and water or by using an alcohol-based sanitizer. Remember that the virus can enter your body when you touch an infected surface and then accidentally touch your nose, eyes, or mouth.
Shop Easy
Listen to Your Favorite Music
Shopping for your essentials does not have to be a drag. Make it more fun by creating a playlist of your favorite tunes that you can listen to whenever you shop. Listening to music can trigger the release of dopamine, a brain chemical that makes you feel excited and happy.
It is recommended for you to choose songs that are fast-paced if you want to stick to your budget and avoid impulsive purchases. Music affects shopping behavior, and upbeat tunes tend to make you shop more quickly, while slow-tempo music tend to have the opposite effect. This is probably why love songs and similar slow sounds are often played in supermarkets—to slow you down and entice you to buy more.
Enjoy the Freebies
Do not ignore the people behind the counter who are offering you free cookies, sandwiches, drinks, and other food products. The process can help you discover new brands and products that you will otherwise ignore. Trying out product samples can also make the grocery shopping experience more fun as it activates all your senses—sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste.
Organize Your Shopping Cart Using Grocery Baskets
Keep your cart in order by using grocery baskets. Have one for fresh produce, meat, or frozen items to keep them from being crushed by canned goods and similar products. You can have another basket at the bottom of your shopping cart for toiletries, detergents, dishwashing liquids, and other household products that contain chemicals to keep them away from your food items.
When your grocery items are in order, the checkout will be a breeze. More importantly, you can shop with a relaxed mind. Did you know that clutter can overload the senses and make you feel anxious and stressed? On the contrary, putting things in order can keep your mind at ease and spark joy. So the next time you shop for groceries, arrange your grocery items à la Marie Kondo.
Try Online Grocery Stores with Delivery Services
Perhaps the most convenient way to shop for your daily essentials when you are too busy is to have everything that you need to be delivered to your home. Use online grocery stores that offer delivery services so that you can shop at any time of the day without leaving the house.
Apart from offering convenience, shopping for essentials online allows you to stick to your grocery list since you can avoid impulsive purchases.
The suggestions above are just some of the things you can do to make shopping for your daily essentials a satisfying experience. Even if you already enjoy your weekly trips to the supermarket, you can still learn a thing or two to stay on budget, protect your health, and make grocery shopping even more convenient.