Mountains of fresh fruit greet us at the entrance, then stacks of delicious sweets stand in our way, and at the very back we are tempted by a huge selection of appetizing-looking meat. Supermarkets today use every trick in the book to seduce consumers. Often with success: we buy much more than we can consume. Use these tricks to avoid the consumer trap and save money in the supermarket.
Never without a shopping list
If you have already written down exactly what your household really needs at home and stick strictly to it, you will save a lot of money in the supermarket. After all, occasional purchases and bargains add up and are often not even needed. Around 1,000 euros worth of food ends up in the bin in every German household every year.
Buy seasonal produce
If you want to save money in the supermarket, you should always keep an eye on which fruit and vegetables are in season and adjust your shopping and cooking habits accordingly. This is because seasonal food from the region is usually cheaper than imported goods. If you fancy something exotic, go for frozen products. They contain more nutrients than fresh produce and are cheaper.
Save money in the supermarket with reduced products
Almost every supermarket has an extra shelf with goods that are close to their best-before date. These products are often available for half price. A good deal - as they can usually be enjoyed for much longer.
Check offers
Scouring the special offer brochures at the weekend may seem annoying, but it saves a lot of money. Products that you buy regularly anyway are best stocked up on when they are on offer.
Look at the bottom of the shelf
Of course, the first thing we see is the goods at eye level. But be careful: this is where the more expensive brands are. It's easier to save money in the supermarket with goods that are slightly out of sight: Make the effort to take a close look at the bottom shelf. It's cheaper there.
Pay with cash
It's better not to pay with a debit card - it's easy to lose sight of these sums. Instead, withdraw a small amount of cash from your account - just enough so that you always have to check whether you have enough money for everything while shopping. This is the perfect way to control your costs.
Baked goods from the day before
Many bakers offer rolls, bread and sweets from the day before at half price or even less. Be sure to take advantage of these offers. Cakes keep for at least two to three days and bread rolls can be baked again in the toaster.
Pay attention to prices per kilo
Many pack sizes give the illusion that we are getting a lot of content for little money. Unfortunately, the bags often contain one thing in particular: air. If you don't want to fall for this, compare the price per gram or kilo of the goods. It's always on the shelf.
Don't shop hungry
A popular mistake: if you go to the supermarket after work with a growling stomach, you usually buy far too much . This is because hunger makes almost any food seem delicious and makes us spend more than we would like in no time at all.
Better without a child
Saving money in the supermarket - almost impossible with children: when the little ones come with us to the supermarket, they easily persuade us to buy more. What's more, it's easy for chocolate, sweets and other unhealthy and overpriced items to end up in the trolley while waiting at the checkout.
Just before closing time
You can really save money in the supermarket just before closing time: many markets reduce fresh goods such as fruit and vegetables towards the evening, as they don't keep until the next day. If you shop during this time, you can be lucky and save a lot of money.