It all began when I visited our local grocery store here in Pittsburgh, PA with my four year old daughter (whom I fondly refer to as my four year old monster – but that’s a topic for another day). All I intended to buy was a loaf of Italian bread and some fruit. The list extended partly because my wife kept calling me to tell me about stuff that she’d remembered and partly because I remembered some other things as well.

So what did I end up buying, you ask? Here’s what I emerged with when I stepped out:

1 Italian bread sliced
5 bananas
1 Gallon of Milk (Whole)
1/2 Gallon of Milk (2%)
1/2 Gallon of Apple Cider
1 pound of salad from the Salad Bar
1 package of “Herbs for Fish”
1 bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 package of carrots
1 pack of frozen peas
1 pack of Popcorn Chicken
1 pack of Portobello mushrooms (sliced)
1 pound of chicken

Additionally, I also had a personal pizza and a bottle of diet soda at their little kitchen outlet.

Needless to say, I exceeded my planned budget by about 250%. Of the entire list, what items did I really need? That’s easy, just the bread, bananas, peas and the milk.

Have you ever had buyer’s remorse when you returned from the supermarket or the grocery store? I have, on several occasions and I’m working out a strategy to deal with this sort of situation. I’ve got a lot of tips from various blogs on the Net as well. Here are the basic points to follow:

1. Keep a pad or a whiteboard on your freezer where you write down things you need/run out of – as you remember them. For example, when our toothpaste is about to run out, I write down “toothpaste” on it.
2. Set up a shopping schedule – so you don’t shop for groceries when you have “free time” – you shop when you hit your schedule time. For example, we try and shop every week and half (and never on weekends).
3. Shop on weekdays if possible. Shopping on weekdays equals lesser time to shop equals lesser money spent. It also means lesser crowds.
4. Ensure that you shop at the right place for the right items. For example, the local Wal-mart is great for branded, packaged goods such as Yogurt, Toothpaste and lightbulbs while the local grocery is best for veggies and greens.
5. Before you hit the store, grab a cup of coffee from home. That will avoid you hitting the in-store coffee shop. As you hit the store, remember that you are visiting to buy what you need – not what you “want to buy”. You are already armed with your shopping list and you stick to it.
6. As you go through the store, avoid talking to employees or tasting the free samples. Both of these equal more temptation to buy stuff you don’t need.
7. Take a basket, rather than a cart. The constantly increasing weight on your arm will warn you that you are splurging and stop you sooner.
8. At the checkout line, avoid the “easy to grab” stuff near the register – it’s designed to get you to buy stuff that maximizes store profits. If you want gum or soda pop, it should have been on your shopping list anyway.
9. When you pay, use a reward points or cash back card to maximize returns.
10. At the register, always remember to use your store-rewards card if they have one. For example, at our local grocery store, you get 1 cent off on gas each time you spend $5. Use these rewards to your advantage.

Do you have any other tips you would like to share? let me know.