I'm curious whether you're good about sticking to your grocery list when shopping. If I make a list ahead of time, I've very good about it! I will maybe grab 1-2 extra items, but otherwise I stick to the list. It's when I don't make a list that I find myself not getting what I need and possibly spending too much.
Yes, very good! I always make grocery lists, and I will only go to the aisles I know I'll find what I'm looking for. For me grocery lists are a must, I don't know how to go to a supermarket without them! I'm not one of those people that enjoy going to a supermarket and shopping for hours, going from aisle to aisle and checking up news and prices! I like to go, get what I want and leave as soon as possible. So I usually follow my lists to a T, unless I spot something I really want while searching for something on my list and decide to get it.
Yes, I am. We are on a very strict budget. I do leave a $5 margin in case I see something on sale that I can stock up on. I'm also very big on stocking up and planning meals according to what I have stockpiled.
I always bring a list to the grocery. It not only keeps my spending strictly within the budget, the list also ensures I don't forget anything. A second trip to the grocery is more costly if I forget an ingredient. When everything on the list has been bought and the budget still allows for some nice bargain items, I do enjoy something outside the planned shopping itinerary, but only on rare occasions. I use a note app on my smartphone most of the time. Doing so saves paper and ink, too.
That depends on how tight my budget is. If I'm so tight on money that I make a precise list, then I'll be more focused and just go get the items written down. Otherwise, I give myself leeway. I write "veggies" and "meat" and just go with whatever is discounted, or in season.
Generally, I'm pretty good at sticking to my list. It helps that I try to tunnel into what I'm trying to buy because I get enticed by sales rather easily. I even have to write down what kind of brands of products I want because no matter what product it is, there is always 10 variations on it and I will spend 10-20 minutes awkwardly standing there, reading all the different labels. This is worse tenfold if I need to restock on shampoo or lotion or generally on any skin product! That's why I have to scout things beforehand if I don't want to stay at a store for forever.
I always try to buy only what is on my grocery list. However occasionally I may decide on a whim to buy something that isn't on my list. That change though would be balanced off because I strike off one item from the list. So either way I end up spending almost the same amount of money I planned to spend in the first place.
These past few weeks I experienced a financial downturn. I shop at Aldi and Save-A-Lot. Currently, I shop with coupons at Kroger. I have a list and I stick to it like glue.
I'm really short on cash right now so I make a list and never deviate. It's really hard at times, especially when I smell freshly baked goods in the supermarket! I visit a few different stores to get the best prices, so my list not only says what I am going to buy but also where to buy it from. I know this probably seems like a hassle but it's worth doing.
