“I Just Went In For One Thing!”

How many times have we heard this statement;

“I just went in for one thing!”

Perhaps sometimes we have heard the statement come out of our own mouths. Let’s be honest here! Many times we find ourselves “waltzing” into the store with the determination to pick up just that pack of soap, or just that bag of coffee, or just that pack of printing paper.

The problem with “just that” is it’s never just that. It quickly transitions to “some of this and some of that”.

We try…and unfortunately fail while completely destroying our budget we intended.

So before we explore some of the suggestions to help a person stick to their grounds in certain department stores (not mentioning names here), we will look at a few reasons why you are at a disadvantage.

 

Department Stores:

1. There are million and possibly billions of dollars spent every fiscal year on research of department store layouts, marketing response, and predictive analytics. Bottom line, there is a lot of horsepower behind finding out what makes your buy.
2. Our society is built on consumerism and the economy. Hey, I am for capitalism no doubt. I love business! The fact is that most of us are playing in the game of capitalism and don’t know the rules.
3. Spending brings a sense of instant gratification. It feels good to buy ourselves just a few things, right? The problem is as people we simply over indulge before we analyze the consequences.

Do not beat yourself up if you catch yourself slipping sometimes, hey we have all done it before!

 

Let’s look at ways we can stop saying, “I just went in for one thing!”

1. Always, always, always make a list prior to going to the store and ONLY buy what is on the list. Only in extreme cases (something is sold out), substitute and never add to the list.
2. Carry physical cash into the store when you go shopping. Whatever you estimate, only carry that amount in cash. Leave your plastic in the car or at home. If you underestimate the amount you needed, pull something out of the cart. You save money!
3. Be preemptive and order online. Now I know this takes a bit of planning however, you can make some intelligent assumptions on how much shaving cream, toothpaste, laundry detergent, and even toilet paper (lol) you would use. For example, I order 3 months of razor blades online from amazon. I save over 50% on the cost while leaving me out of the store and out of “danger”.

To sum things up here, be mindful of what money is leaving your wallet while you are shopping. Remember stores are in business to get you to BUY. It is your responsibility to control what you are spending and just pick up that one thing you went into the store for. Hopefully the above 3 tips can help you. If they do, drop a comment. Feel free to share this with someone that needs it.

 

BONUS

Want to save on shopping for groceries?

DO NOT GO DOWN THE AISLES IF ABLE.

Shop along the perimeter of the grocery store. Not only is it healthier, it is more economical as well.

 

Typically a store is laid out like this: Entrance, then you see the fruits and veggies, next is the deli and bakery. Then along the back wall is the seafood and other proteins, followed up with juice section, my favorite :). Lastly along the last wall is the dairy section milk, eggs, etc. Then you are back to the front to double check your list and checkout with Cash you brought with you.

 

Simple right! Talk to you soon.