The Perfect Shopper

‘When I go shopping I am in control. I know what I want, stick to a budget and that is all that I purchase.’

There are very few of us who can honestly say that this statement applies to them. In fact retailers spend a lot of money researching what influences our shopping habits and we are open to any number of strategies that target our distinct personality types.

That plastic reward card in your purse or wallet will have you tagged as a certain category of shopper. Supermarkets love the ‘Last Minute Dashers’ who rush through the shop on their way home from work, grabbing whatever looks the most tempting.

Less popular are the ‘Cherry Pickers’ who stalk the aisles hunting out the loss leaders and other bargains. The marketing gurus’ aim is to turn them into ‘Big Dippers’ who then blow their savings by splurging on luxury items as a reward for their bargain hunting.

As we are all different it is difficult to come up with a set of guidelines to help people shop smarter that applies to everyone.

So let us take the ideal scenario. You are an affluent, computer savvy, parent whose children eat whatever you put in front of them. You have a range of shopping options within easy reach, your own transport and a fully equipped modern kitchen with more than ample storage. Oh, and of course, you are a skilled cook with plenty of spare time.

So, at which point did you drop out of the picture?

Anyway, let us start with the impossibly perfect and then try and make it apply to the rest of us.

Step One: Make an inventory

Check out what you already have in stock. Have a look at what is likely to go out of date and plan to use these items first.

Step Two: Research

Supermarkets make us feel good by giving us special offers that encourage us to buy more in the first place, and then spend what we have saved.

You can find these offers on the internet at sites like Supermarket.co.uk . So why not plan ahead and check out these offers in advance. Then you are not faced with having to take decisions in the store where clever marketing is designed to cloud your judgement.

Step Three: Plan your meals

You now know what you have to use up and what bargains will be there to tempt you in store. Ideally, you should now plan a rolling menu for the week based on a batch cooked dish to which fresh ingredients can be added to making varied and exciting new meals over a number of days.

Step Four: Make a Shopping List

This is the best way to make sure that you buy everything you require and do not end up with items that will end up being wasted. It also avoids last minute return trips for missed items.

Step Five: Eat before you go shopping

A well balanced snack that will make you feel full for at least an hour is ideal. Avoid confectionary or processed carbohydrates that might lead to a blood sugar crash in the middle of your shop and leave you vulnerable to a snack attack. It’s a simple trick but highly effective.

Step Six: Avoid going shopping with the kids (which I do understand can be virtually impossible.) The reason is that advertisers see your children as third parties to help access your cash. We are all bombarded by adverts and young children are the most heavily influenced by them. Pester power can have a heavy influence on what we buy but does not guarantee that your kids will actually eat it when you get it home.

Step Seven: Stick to the List!

If you do not have too much to buy use a basket rather than a trolley. You are then less likely to overload yourself with extra items. Walking or taking public transport as opposed to using the car has a similar effect.

Do not be tempted by last minute bargains. If products with a short shelf life have been drastically reduced think carefully if you can actually either use them or process and store them. Having said that, short life produce can result in bargains and if you can use them it stops the Supermarkets from binning them instead.

Step Eight: Pay by cash

If you only carry enough cash for what you want to buy then you cannot overspend.

Congratulations, successful shopping mission accomplished.