Fortune favors the prepared mind.Planning to stop at the grocery store to pick something up on your way home? Before you do, stop and assess your resistance level. Are you hungry, tired, rushed or feeling down after a busy day? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, and this is the only time you have to go to the store, put yourself on high alert! You will be more vulnerable to marketing ploys, product placement, sales signs and impulse buys.
Before walking into the store, be prepared! Agree with yourself that you will ONLY buy the things on your list. Go to a familiar store where you can head directly to those items and leave without walking up and down all the aisles. Don’t take a cart or basket. If you’re tempted to treat yourself or buy extra items, repeat to yourself: This is a quick stop for these items and I’m out of here. I’m fast and focused. This is a quick stop for these items and I’m out of here. I’m fast and focused. By preparing yourself you will be able to pass up the impulse buys that beckon.
Money Saving Tip
Some stores give a cash back receipt for the next time you shop in that store. Pay attention to the date. They usually expire fairly quickly. If it’s a store you will be going back to anyway, plan to take advantage of that cash back. If not, pass it onto another customer. They will save you money, you will not have spent money for something you didn’t need and you will have done a random act of kindness.
What made you smile today?
What made you proud of your money choices today?
