A wise shopper always looks for good buys well knowing that prices are artificially inflated, as evidenced by the reductions in the sales and the manufacturer’s offers of buy one get one free. It is good practice at any time to shop economically rather than fritter hard earned money away, and it can be very satisfying to snag a bargain.
Always be on the lookout for offers on the goods which you purchase routinely and don’t hesitate to stock up when items which are always used such as washing powder, shampoos and kitchen rolls are on offer. If you stock up taking advantage of offers in this way you can well make the items last until the next time they are on offer.
Buy fresh seasonal local produce as it is always a better price than imported goods. It tastes better too when it is fresh rather than packaged and transported half way across the world. It’s usually worth buying a surplus and freezing or preserving fruits when they are in season, or turning them into home made jams.
Often a larger size of something works out as less expensive than a smaller size and you can take advantage of this by bulk cooking and freezing. This also allows you to have homemade frozen dinners on hand, and bulk cooking cuts down on energy costs too.
Purchases of clothes and shoes can often be delayed until the sales and bought for a fraction of their original price. One handy saving you can make is by purchasing children’s clothes economically by buying the next size up for one year ahead, when the sales are on. That way you’ve always got something ready if they undergo a sudden growth spurt and the clothes will never be wasted as we can always guarantee that children’s clothing need replacing regularly.
Books can be acquired at bargain prices in second hand book stores or at amazingly good prices on line, representing a real saving on the cost of books from the store.
Sometimes driving further afield for groceries can be well worth the cost of gas. I regularly drive the 40 kilometres to my nearest large town to avoid paying excessively high prices in a tourist area and I fill the car up with gas whilst I’m there to save a whopping 20 cents a litre. The savings made are well worth the trip and give me the satisfaction of knowing I didn’t fall for the local prices which are at least double or triple on most items.
If you have a cash back credit card put all of your purchases on it to take advantage of the larger cash back this will bring. As long as the balance is cleared each month it costs you nothing to use and pays you to use it.
If economical shopping is something which is new to you then it is worth carrying the habit on when the economy improves. The more savings you can make on essentials then the more you have left over to spend as you wish.