So how does it happen that you end up buying seven things that weren't on your shopping list? You don't even really want half of them. How come they seemed so irresistible at the time?
When you enter a supermarket, you shouldn't be fooled by the friendly assistants and the soothing music. It's a war zone. And the ultimate purpose is to part you with as much of your money as is possible. So if you're one of those people who go to the supermarket to get milk, toilet paper and bread and you come back with an electric frying pan, a pot plant and a pair of kitchen scissors, this article is for you.
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Don't go ad mad. Don't think you're immune to advertising. It's everywhere – from the TV, to the radio, to your postbox, to newspapers, magazines, bus stops. Get the picture? And there's a reason why big business is prepared to spend so much on it – it works. Even on you. The clever ad for yoghurt or floor polish or children's toothpaste sticks somewhere in your mind and when you see the product on the shelf, it's an almost automatic reaction to be curious – even if you're allergic to dairy products, have wall-to-wall carpets and no children of your own. That's the power of advertising. Accept that you're not immune and be alert.
Know your placing. Products are not placed willy-nilly on shelves by casual staff. The placing of products is carefully worked out by professionals, in order to maximise sales. Products at eye level tend to sell more, regardless of pricing or of people's brand loyalty. Products placed in bins at the ends of aisles also sell more – even if they're not on special, which they often are not. Basics, such as milk, bread, eggs and toilet paper are often placed in opposite corners of the supermarket, forcing you to walk through the whole store – and past many other temptations – in order to get what you want. That's how it happens that you run into the supermarket to get a few onions and a litre of milk, and emerge with five bags of shopping. Make a list and stick to it.
Promotions and specials. When people approach you directly in supermarkets in order to get you to sample a new product, it's fine to try it out. Only snag is that you often feel pressurised to buy whatever product is on promotion. This is fine as long as you really need or like the product. If you don't, you're being duped. Also beware of the special-offer phenomenon. It's fine to 'buy one, get one free' if it is something you would have bought anyway. But if you're buying dog food on a special, and you don't have a dog, you're in trouble.
Low fat doesn't mean no fat. This is a big one. Low fat simply means that the fat content is lower than that of products, which do not claim this. It could be as little as one or two percent. Don't be fooled by this sign into thinking what you are buying is going to help you lose those unwanted kilos. And for that matter, 'no fat', certainly does not mean that this product has no kilojoules. On the contrary. Keep your eyes open. Don't be fooled by clever packaging.
Check dates. Check expiry dates of foodstuffs, especially those packaged on the premises. If something has gone past its sell-by-date, it should have been removed from the shelves by the staff, but this does not always happen. Make sure something is fresh, as there is no joy in getting home and finding that the barbecue pork chops are just this side of the bubbling stage. It's not always possible to make the trip all the way back to the supermarket to lodge a complaint and get a refund.
Check contents. By law, packaging should reveal the contents of products. Especially if you are allergic to certain foodstuffs, you should check these carefully, as many foods have ingredients that you would never have thought they contained. Also make sure that you are not fooled by the size of the packaging – often there's very little of the actual product once you have removed all the cardboard and plastic. Check the weight of the individual products. In this way you won't be fooled by the overall size of the item.
Pack your own. Beware of buying prepackaged food – you could be paying almost double what it would cost you if you took a minute or two and put your own tomatoes or broccoli in a packet. It is also easier to check whether the produce is fresh or whether it's already gone south for the winter.
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