I always calculate in my head the total amount that I would be spending when I shop so that I won't go overboard with my budget. I might buy something that isn't planned and on impulse, but I'm always mindful of how much I spend.
I was pretty good about sticking to a budget without having to think about it too much while shopping, but then I slowly started deviating from my "usual" shopping list, and ultimately started spending way too much on groceries each month. I think part of the problem was I started watching Food Network a lot more, and reading a lot of food blogs, and started playing around with trying out new recipes, without much consideration how much I was spending overall each month on groceries. When I finally started to line item everything I was buying each month in a spreadsheet, I was surprised to find out how much I was actually overspending on the little things. In other words, I would opt for cheaper cuts of meat and look for specials on meat, because I figured that was the bulk of my spending, but all the little things I was overspending on would negate that and put me over budget. So now I try to pay attention to these more. Stuff like green onions, if they're $1 more at one store vs. another, or celery if it's $2 more at one store vs. another, etc... Even things like canned goods, frozen stuff, spices, sauces - that 50 cents or 75 cents here or there all adds up. If you figure catching this on 50-100 items you're buying per month, that's another $50-$100 on your grocery spending.
Yes, I look at every item price I purchase. Infact I make a list of all the things I intend to buy and a budget for the items so that I am not tempted to spend more than I intended to use.But this isn't the case all the times,i occasionally go all care free because I worked hard to get the money and its only right I spent the money on things I like.
I shop a lot and spend quite a lot of money, however I always look for prices. I would spend a whole lot more if I didn't! Specially for groceries, I shop around a lot and always go price hunting. People joke that I like going to supermarkets a lot, but I actually just prefer going to different ones to buy different things because I know what items cost more or less in each place! It's kind of the same for clothing and shoes, I always look for good sales when looking for them.
I usually have a rough estimate of what I am going to spend before I even set foot in the grocery store. When I rigidly stick to the dollar amount, I find that it is easier to say no to myself when I come across other items that are on sale that are not on my list. For example, if I walk in to the store with a plan of spending no more than $20 on baby diapers and wipes, I will stick to that number, which saves me money in the long run. I used to just go grocery shopping with a mental list and tried to get the least expensive options of what I needed. Now, I use the sale advertisements to plan on which store(s) will save me the most money, and try to stick to a budget and a list when I go. It does not always work out to be the most convenient method, but it seems to save me more money this way.
Well, I sort of know what its going to cost - at least the range. So, when I reach the counter, I have a fair idea. But, I am always looking for deals. Also, I am way more price conscious in terms of buying multiple/bulk items. For example, you know how they have things on sale - buy two get one free or buy one get one free or something? I always fall for those things. Also, we have a store within our office building. These guys always stock up a lot more before the holiday season, but obviously no one's there to buy stuff during the holidays and people usually go on vacasions sooner. So the store always ends up not selling a lot of holiday stuff. So, when we go back to work after the holidays, there is always a sale on bulk items because they still need to clear stock. So you can buy like wines, dates, decorative lights, silverware, etc. for like sixty percent of the actual price. I once picked up a trunk full of stuff from that store for my brother's wedding.
Yes, I would say that I am most definitely a conscious shopper when it comes to price. I am crappy with mental maths, so I just use my smartphone to ass up everything when I go shopping, and I usually have an idea of the deals that will be on offer, and what I am going to get. So I have an idea of how much the shopping is supposed to come to before going shopping.
Yeah that works too. Although after trying to track my expenses using a couple of apps, I just gave up on the whole idea. So, now I just look for deals and try to spend in the monthly range that I am comfortable with.
When we go grocery shopping, we tend to bring only the budget for it. We'd bring a few more bucks in case we go excess on the receipt but we try to calculate the items we have while doing the grocery. I don't know... It's just more practical this way. We tend to go overboard when we don't have the exact money and when we don't know what to buy. So I always bring a list and go through the grocery quickly. When we do have the extra money, we tend to take our time on the grocery. Although I still try to limit what we buy since I don't really like going overboard. Of course it's food but since we don't buy everyday vegetables and meats in the grocery, we still don't spend a lot on it. We do buy fruits in there though even if it's a tad higher priced than local markets. It's just cleaner and fresher from there.
Yeah, that's a neat idea as well - bringing just enough cash to the store. Its sort like what we do - just keep track of the range - about $150-200 a week for us.
Here is another thing I forgot to add in my previous post: create a shopping list. And by this list I mean a list of items you need on a daily basis. Prioritize these items first before buying stuff you do not need for the time being. Set aside a budget and special time for buying your wants and buy it when you aren't shopping for your needs. This method will help you control your expenses and the list will serve as your guide, reminding you not to exceed your budget.
Yes, sure! I always look for the cheapest option and never buy more that I was planning to. I do buy something tasty to treat myself sometimes, but I try not to spend too much on luxury foods. It's often dofficult to pass up bargains but I always stop myself from buying an item on sale if I don't really need it. Even if it's on sale - it's still money spent. However, I do make the most out of bargains for products that don't spoil like pasta or rice.
I always total whatever I buy. I usually go for what's important and check how much I got left. With those, I buy whatever comes to my mind. I use approximation a lot, so for me buying an $1.05 thing counts as $2. This way I make sure I'm always within the border. If my buyings are close to the limit, then I usually tighten the approximation, so I get a more exact value of what I've bought.
