pwfm Men and Money

Save Money at the Supermarket

You know we love to help you save money on this show. So, we have tips to help you save money at the supermarket. We found these on MSN, and they come from Dave Zinczenko and Matt Goulding, authors of the Eat This, Not That! books:

• Use the self-checkout line. According to one study, using the self-checkout line lowers impulse buys by 16 percent among men, and by 32 percent among women. It makes sense: In the self-checkout line, you aren’t tempted by all the candy, soda and snacks displayed in the regular check-out lanes.
• Avoid “quick trips” to the store. A study published by the Marketing Science Institute found that shoppers who made “quick trips” to the store purchased an average of 54 percent more merchandise than they planned. The fix: Never go grocery shopping without a list. Studies show that people who stick to a list spend a lot less.
• Pay attention to the weight of certain items. Let’s say one brand of crackers costs $4, and another brand costs $4.50. Don’t just assume the cheaper box is a better deal. Instead, look at the NET WEIGHT of each product. The more expensive box may contain more actual FOOD. So, ounce for ounce, it’s actually cheaper than the $4 box.
• Splurge on healthy, nutritious, low-calorie foods. Compared to people of average weight, overweight individuals spend almost 30 percent more at the pharmacy each year – and obese people spend about 50 percent more. Overweight and obese people also have a higher risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and cancer – which means they could face some expensive medical bills in the future. What’s the point here? If you have to pay a little more NOW to buy healthy foods, you’ll save money LATER by avoiding some potentially expensive medical bills.