Do you total what items you add to your basket or trolley as you go along or do you just throw what you like in and then hope to be pleasantly surprised when you get to the checkout? I personally go shopping with intention of adding as I go but then I usually get distracted and lose count. I end up just guessing roughly how much it comes to and usually spend more than I meant to. I might go to the butchers with the intention of spending £15 and end up spending £30 because I lets my belly take over and start filling my basket with what I fancy instead of thinking of what I can afford Then I tell myself its food so its okay
I'm sure every man or woman who has ever shopped, is conscious of what they're buying and how much they can purchase, prior to or during their shopping. I have never seen a man or woman walk into a store and simply pile a cart full of store goods, then walk to the register and pull out a few dollars and believe that shall pay for it in todays pricing for products and services; unless that human intended on stealing, however, this is not something you've asked. Moderation, is a way of life or lifestyle, but most ignore this fact - shopping always require moderation, because in my opinion, one should only spend what he or she truly has in their pockets or bank account; no credit.
Yes! I usually prioritize things in my cart, necessities in the front, luxuries in the back (I can't be bothered to add up prices) then at the checkout line, I just cut it to where my budget lies, then I put everything I can't afford back. This way, I can shop happily without feeling deprived, but I still stick to my budget. It's just my lazy way of sticking to a budget. Although, like you said. It's food. So we shouldn't feel guilty. But then again, I buy really expensive food. )
Unfortunately I'm guilty of the exact predicament that you've described. I always intend on counting exactly what I'm spending as I add items to my cart, but unfortunately that doesn't always go as planned. Instead, as you do, I tally a rough estimate of the amount in my cart and hope to be surprised that the total is less than my estimated calculations. More often than not it isn't the case, but oh well.
Yes! I always have my phone with me every time I shop and I tend to use the calculator app just to add up all the things I'm putting in my cart. When your're living on a tight budget each month you can't afford to really spend more than what you're supposed to, I tend to only bring out my budget when shopping and always list the items I'm going to buy before hand and also take note of how many and how much for each item.
I always shop with a shopping list. Because I normally pay for my stuff in cash [mostly and I hate spending more than I planned to], I always have with me just enough cash to buy ONLY what is on my shopping list. So if that would get me classified as a "price-conscious" shopper then that's what I am. If there are any price changes that would require me to pay a little more, that's when I'd probably whip out my debit card. Otherwise, I never spend more than I initially planned to before going shopping.
Absolutely! Before every big shopping trip where I know I'll be spending more than $100, I'll be sure to look online to see if their are any sales and even wait for a good promotion to buy some of my staple groceries. I also be sure to stick to my list as deviating from it really starts to add up in price at the end of the shopping trip. Just doing these two things have really kept my grocery bill under control.
I am very aware of the prices when I shop. I am the type of shopper that totally prepares ahead of time so I have a list and know exactly where the best deals are. I have my coupons in hand and off I go. I have been couponing for over 5 years and I always save at least 50% on my grocery bill every shopping trip!!! With a large family , that's a must have!!! I advise everyone to try couponing, it's a little time consuming in the beginning, but well worth it in the end!! Hope this helps, Danyel
I am very much a price conscious shopper, every time I go to the supermarket I'm adding up everything I put in my cart. What I do is I either round up to the nearest dollar or add a dollar to everything I grab. This keeps me conscious of what I'm buying and at the end I have a few bucks left over for a treat.
That's also where I am going wrong always say I am going to make a list but then don't or I do and leave it on the kitchen side. Also realised when I don't have a list I tend up having to top up the shop because I don't always get complete meals. I mainly use cash but I take my card with me and end up visiting the cash point. I like your method and I am going to leave the card at home and take just enough cash that way I am forced to stay within my budget.
I am very price conscious as a shopper, and it's why sometimes it takes me so long to shop at the grocery or department store. It doesn't help that I often lose focus too so I often have to recalculate my purchases multiple times before I can go to the cashier. I find it fun to budget though so I don't mind, but of course I also think it would be lots of fun to have a bigger budget where I wouldn't have to worry too much about the price. At this point I'm still okay with my limited budget and hopefully in the future I can make it bigger but I am enjoying it as of now.
Yes, I am a price conscious shopper most of the time. I always look for the price tag first before looking at the label. What I do is streamline my choices by looking at the items with reasonable prices. I make my final decision based on the nutritional value and the ingredients on the label. I also set a shopping budget range to ensure I don't spend out of turn.
We always have a grocery list when we go to the supermarket. From that list, the total amount is already estimated unless there are drastic price changes to the items we are buying. And when we get an item that is not in the grocery list, we have to check the price very well if it is worth buying. Oftentimes the extra items are ice cream or fruits. Except for cherries which are so expensive, we are used to buying fruits for extra.
I started using a grocery list now that my budget is restricted now. I used to just put whatever I wanted in the cart not caring if I was spending too much. Now that I have to watch what I spend, I make a list of the items that I need and look through the sales ad. Then I search for the coupons that I need so I can save even more money. It is hard to get used to but it is nice to save money and still have a decent amount of food to have for a couple of weeks.
I'm definitely a price conscious shopper! But I don't go to the extent of going around with a calculator, literally adding up all the things that go in my trolley. If you shop at the same stores all the time, you do get a general idea of how much your weekly shop should come to, so it helps that I very rarely deviate too far away from my usual items. Plus, I always go with a shopping list, to which I stick as closely as possible. If I went with everything I wanted, I'd buy the whole shop hehe.
I'm definitely price conscious. If something is too expensive I won't buy it regardless. I've even added the same items to multiple baskets online to try and work out where the cheapest deals can be had, and gone to certain shops to get what items are cheaper in each one. I always try to make my money go as far as possible.
I am very aware the price for I paying for an item and what my budget will allow me to pay. I don't want any surprises when I get to the checkout stand. I often price items on my list as I am making the list the only problem is if the prices of the items I am purchasing increase more than what I wrote the list I usually well within the finale total that I get when I checkout.
I always go shopping with a grocery list. I do my best to stick to the items on my list. This is generally my way of stopping myself from overspending or buying food on a whim. I do admit to more impulse buying when I go shopping when I'm hungry. Knowing this about myself I try to shop after lunch or breakfast on the weekends so I stay within my budget. Sometimes my grocery store hands out points for buying certain items or spending a certain amount so I'm often do a quick mental calculation of how much I'm spending as I put things in my cart. I just find that the price of food has risen over the past year so I'm spending more on groceries than I ever have.
I try very hard to stay on budget, but there are times when I do find bargains I can't pass up and I do buy them. Like many I buy on budget, yet when there is a good cut of beef for a good price I do buy it even not on sale! It's hard to budget these days though I do shop at Love's Bread Thrift Shop too.
I usually go shopping with my mental shopping list. I first organize all the things that are essential, then I fill in some extras. I am usually quite accurate with my calculations. There are times when I have some extra cash, and that's when I like to splash out a little and buy some luxury foods such as salmon, organic olives or a bottle of exquisite almond oil. But that doesn't happen all that often.
