Shea Simmons
We’ve all done it: you go to the grocery store hungry and end up with a cart full of stuff you don’t need. If you can’t grab a bite before hitting the store, there might be another way to avoid this tempting trap.
Skipping the aisles with tempting foods, like candy, cookies, and chips, can help you resist temptation and save money.
Generally, people are likely to spend the most money while browsing the interior aisles, as they’re usually home to processed snacks and unhealthy foods. Sure, many of them are delicious, but they’re also typically more expensive and all too easy to toss in your cart on a whim.
The better navigational solution? Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, and try to keep your meals focused on ingredients that aren’t among those aisles.
In most major stores, produce, meats, dairy, and wheat are positioned on the outer perimeters of the store. Using this trick will allow you to potentially focus on purchasing healthier food as well as help you avoid the costlier items in the store.
If you’ve got a particular store you go to regularly, it might also be a good idea to plan your route when shopping. This way, if you don’t need to, you can prevent yourself from going down those tempting aisles completely.
Once you’ve got your grocery list made, you might want to rearrange it based on location—it could save you a few bucks.
