How to blow your shopping budget

Flickr photo credit: Shlomi Fish

On my journey to reduce my grocery budget to $60 a week for our family of 4, I’ve made many mistakes.  This is how I used to shop.  Here are the top 15 ways to blow your grocery budget:

1. Don’t make a list. The stores love it when you just walk around, wandering from aisle to aisle, grabbing items as you see them.  This is the surest way to have to make another trip tomorrow, when you remember what you actually came to the store for.
2. Don’t set limits. Buy as many items as you want at retail price.  It’s not like you have limited funds.
3. Bring your credit or debit card. That way you won’t actually have to prepare a budget that you’ll have to stick to.
4. Trust the stores clearance signs. You don’t need to look at the regular price to see how much of a discount you’re getting.
5. Don’t take time to think about whether you need the item. If it appears to be a good price just grab it.
6. Don’t consider where you could get out cheaper. Buying everything at the same store is enough.
7. Don’t do any research before hand. You can trust the store to present you with the best options.
8. Don’t eat before shopping. Hungry shoppers never buy expensive things they don’t need.
9. Bring the kids with you. They aren’t a distraction.
10. Rush through the store. You don’t need to consider unit prices, brand options, or shelf positioning.
11. Leave your coupons at home. It’s ok if you saved inserts and clipped coupons.
12. Grab the first option you see. No need to compare brands, store location, or alternative products.
13. Don’t actually plan what meals you would like to have from the foods you buy. This is the easiest way to spend money, come home, and feel like you still don’t have anything to eat.
14. If you see a good price, just buy one. Maybe the store will have it on sale again next week.
15. Go to the store every day or every other day. If you don’t decide what to eat until dinner time, you’ll likely have to go to the store to pick something up.

Like I said, this is how I used to shop.  Stay tuned for 15 better solutions to sticking to a grocery budget.

In what ways have you blown your shopping budget?