How to shop smart, without wasting money

Always have a complete list of things to buy, only to add something at the last minute. Never enter the supermarket or even a delicatessen hungry. And beware of anything advertised as promotions or super discounts, which could be a trap. do your shopping well, combining maximum savings with the best quality, we do not have to enter the store we have chosen unarmed and unprepared.

La grocery it's cultureIt may seem like an exaggeration, but if you think about it, grocery shopping is the time when we best, or worst, express our capacity as conscious and responsible consumers. Can we shop simply and intelligently? Absolutely. We're the ones who decide, and so it's a good idea to equip ourselves with a few helpful tips for efficient shopping, saving money and avoiding waste.

Index of topics

How to shop smartly

To save money, there are really just a few essential and effective rules. And they're very simple. In short:

Always have a complete shopping list with you
Before writing the list of things to buy, always take a look at the refrigerator, to understand what you really need
Don't go into a supermarket hungry (the brain, in this case, is primed for compulsive buying)
Don't choose a large cart unless you're doing a weekly shop.
Read prices and labels carefully, at least the essential parts
Select promotions and offers to distinguish what is truly convenient
Do a final check of your purchases before paying, just to see if any products were bought on impulse.
Learn to compare supermarkets and choose the one with the best price-quality ratio.
Check the lower shelves in supermarkets: generally, large-scale retailers tend to display the most expensive products, with the best profit margins for the seller, at shopper's eye level. Yet, if you look lower, the price could drop.
Don't fall into the trap of paying for bags: they're a waste. And bring your own bag from home, preferably made of cloth. Practical, convenient, and, most importantly, free.
Don't always shop in the same place. Given the enormous diversity of options available, it's a good idea to always be aware of competition and comparisons. Furthermore, each store may have its own strengths, particularly in terms of the low cost of certain products. And you should focus on those.

Supermarket strategies

It's important to keep in mind, when shopping, that all large-scale retailers have now developed marketing techniques to guide purchases. This isn't a Big Brother following and accompanying us, but simply a sophisticated and recurring use of psychology and technology: the important thing for those who shop is to be aware of it.

Have you ever noticed how supermarkets always have the same layout? You start in the produce section and end up at the checkout where you find the candy. This is because the produce section gives you a sense of cleanliness and freshness; at the checkout, however, where you have to wait, there's time to buy products you don't really need.

Placing the more expensive products at eye level, or to the left of the shelf, is part of the supermarket strategyThis is because, typically, we enter quickly and tend to buy the product we see first. Since we're used to reading from left to right, we also search for items this way. Therefore, the least expensive foods are usually found at the bottom right of the shelf.

Where you save

The number one enemy of smart spending is, therefore, the hurry. Therefore, it is not enough to have drawn up a rigorous list and stuck to it to save money. You need to have time to search for products Based on their quality-price ratio, take the time to browse the offers and decide if they're truly suitable for your family's lifestyle. Rushing isn't helpful for another reason: it could lead you to buy something you don't even need and perhaps already have at home, in your refrigerator. In this case, you'll have wasted more than you've purchased.

Generally speaking, there's no one store where you can definitely save money on your groceries. A retail store can offer better prices than a supermarket, and discount stores aren't always the best option, especially when it comes to price/quality ratios. Instead, to identify places where you can save money on your groceries, we need to follow a three-step method. First, in every city, even the smallest, there are markets where prices are lower for the same quality products. You need to know them, frequent them even if they're not near your home, and perhaps go once a week for a larger purchase. Second, competition between supermarkets has become fierce, and this can benefit the consumer. You shouldn't be a prisoner of habits, and changing supermarkets, even just for a test run, can bring savings benefits. Altroconsumo carried out a survey on 1.148 supermarkets distributed in 70 cities and came up with this ranking: for discount stores, first place for savings appears Eurospin; for supermarkets and hypermarkets on the podium rises FamilyThe third step is to stay informed about Coldiretti's markets, offering locally sourced products. Excellent quality and often good prices.

How to shop online

Where can I shop online? The selection is very extensive. All major retailers are now equipped to accept orders and deliver to your home. Then there are some ad hoc services, namely sites that only sell online, generally for locally sourced products. At this point, with a view to minimizing waste and maximizing savings, here are some helpful tips.

Always choose known sites, or that you've already experienced. Don't risk it in the jungle of the Internet: you might have some unpleasant surprises.
Check the times carefully and first of all delivery costsAfter a certain amount of money, home delivery should always be free. If not, change your online provider.
Prefer sites that specifically do the online sales service And among these, those who sell locally sourced products. They're usually the most attractive, both for their price and for the quality and uniqueness of their products.
Another possibility is that of place an order online, and then pick it up at the store. This way, you can avoid lines and waste time.
Speaking of online, keep an eye on the apps we reported in this article: You could do last-minute shopping with very interesting discounts and excellent products.

How to shop for free

Come si fa la free shoppingThere are some opportunities we can seize to eliminate the cost of groceries, or at least bring them very close to zero.

I coupons They represent a good opportunity. They don't apply equally to all supermarkets, and should be downloaded on a regular basis.
Another interesting award comes from paid surveys: participate and you can get good discounts on groceries. The Nielsen app pays the best, but be aware that your consumer profile is completely tracked.
Check the supermarkets that have special machines that collect plastic bottles And, in exchange, they give you shopping vouchers. You could save a nice sum for your purchases.

Suspended spending

Finally, try to favor stores offering suspended shopping, a wonderful solidarity initiative that is increasingly popular in Italy. We talked about it in this article, and each of us can do our part. Following the old format of the suspended coffee, when you go grocery shopping, you can add something to your cart to donate to someone in need. Volunteer organizations will then pick up your suspended groceries. A simple, concrete, and very helpful gesture.

How to shop without wasting money