Smart Savings Tip #3 – Store Tactics

Smart Savings Tip # 3 – Store Tactics

When you buy sliced cheese in the deli, they often ask you if you would like them to put that plastic film in-between each slice of cheese to make it easier to separate. The answer is “No!” You are paying for the extra weight of that plastic. It may not be much, but you could probably get an extra slice of cheese for the cost of those pieces of plastic film!

Have you ever been in the grocery store and seen them ‘water’ the produce? In my favorite store, there is a thunder sound made by unseen speakers to alert that there is going to be a downpour of ‘rain’ on the produce. That extra water weight makes the produce that you buy weigh more. I recommend shaking off your produce before you put it in your bag. I also recommend skipping the plastic bag, if you can, to avoid using unnecessary plastic bags. I don’t use a bag for my bananas or oranges.

In my previous blog post, I talked about buy one get one sales. Sometimes BOGO is not always the best deal. It’s important (especially for meat) to check the price per pound to make sure that it’s actually cheaper than its regular price. There are many stores that increase the price per pound before a BOGO sale. This also goes for other items.

Another store tactic that you should be aware of is product placement. Some stores tend to place the more expensive items at eye-level or on an end-cap. Be sure to “choose wisely” when buying your item. Look around for the best price. Other placement tactics include putting the delicious-smelling baked goods on the way to the heavy traffic areas, such as the produce section and the dairy section. HOLD YOUR GROUND and for the love of all things holy, do not shop hungry!

I never would have noticed this last store tactic on my own. We can thank my co-worker for alerting me to the fact that some grocery stores use fluorescent lighting to make items look better. This mostly happens in the meat and produce sections.

Now that you are armed with knowledge, these store tactics won’t work on you. Remember to keep to your list (throwback to my first blog post) and store placement temptations won’t work on you!

May the sales be ever in your favor!