Five frugality tips for shopping
1. Reduce the number of shopping trips
Dedicate one day in week for shopping. Don't buy anything on other days. The reason for this is to reduce your exposure to temptations. At the moment when you decide to buy something, you are at risk to buy something else that you don't need that much, and that could be even harmful for you (alcohol, junk food, ...). Therefore, reduce the number of shopping trips and you will reduce the number of temptations and save money.
2. Buy from the list
Before shopping make a list of things that you want to buy. Buy only things that are on the list. Make the list even if you want to buy only one thing. Buying one thing is a waste of time and sign of bad organization. At each buy you spend some fixed amount of time (going to the shop, waiting to cross the street, ...) probably at least 5-10 minutes for shops that are in neighborhood. Imagine that you go shopping 10 times a week that takes 35-70 minutes. Shopping three times a week will take 15-30 minutes. The difference is about 30 minutes. Find your hourly wage and calculate how much money you can save only on your time (probably about 5$ per week).
3. Make a don't buy list
If you have problems with buying things that you don't need. Make a list of forbidden things (alcohol, junk food, ... ). Before buying anything read a list of things that you absolutely will not buy. Make a promise to your self or even somebody else.
4. Track your expenses
Note each thing you buy and its price. That will help you to memorize prices, find the things on which you spend the most of your money. Using this book keeping, you can now search for shops with the best offers for you. For example, you might find that groceries you usually buy costs 2$ less at shop A. That might sound little. But shopping 3 times a week, will result in saving 312$ per year.
5. Reduce shopping list
Go through your shopping list and ask yourself for each item "Is this item really really necessary?". If the answer is no delete it from the list. After that you could delete the most expensive item from the list. With that you will delay spending money.
You can now calculate how much money you can save. 312$ on better deals + 300$ on free time + 350$ on things that you don't need and therefore don't buy. In sum that will be 962$ per year.
Dedicate one day in week for shopping. Don't buy anything on other days. The reason for this is to reduce your exposure to temptations. At the moment when you decide to buy something, you are at risk to buy something else that you don't need that much, and that could be even harmful for you (alcohol, junk food, ...). Therefore, reduce the number of shopping trips and you will reduce the number of temptations and save money.
2. Buy from the list
Before shopping make a list of things that you want to buy. Buy only things that are on the list. Make the list even if you want to buy only one thing. Buying one thing is a waste of time and sign of bad organization. At each buy you spend some fixed amount of time (going to the shop, waiting to cross the street, ...) probably at least 5-10 minutes for shops that are in neighborhood. Imagine that you go shopping 10 times a week that takes 35-70 minutes. Shopping three times a week will take 15-30 minutes. The difference is about 30 minutes. Find your hourly wage and calculate how much money you can save only on your time (probably about 5$ per week).
3. Make a don't buy list
If you have problems with buying things that you don't need. Make a list of forbidden things (alcohol, junk food, ... ). Before buying anything read a list of things that you absolutely will not buy. Make a promise to your self or even somebody else.
4. Track your expenses
Note each thing you buy and its price. That will help you to memorize prices, find the things on which you spend the most of your money. Using this book keeping, you can now search for shops with the best offers for you. For example, you might find that groceries you usually buy costs 2$ less at shop A. That might sound little. But shopping 3 times a week, will result in saving 312$ per year.
5. Reduce shopping list
Go through your shopping list and ask yourself for each item "Is this item really really necessary?". If the answer is no delete it from the list. After that you could delete the most expensive item from the list. With that you will delay spending money.
You can now calculate how much money you can save. 312$ on better deals + 300$ on free time + 350$ on things that you don't need and therefore don't buy. In sum that will be 962$ per year.
posted by Zoran Maksimovic at
6:00 AM
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