Although an economic recovery seems to be on the horizon, many of us are still looking for new ways to cut costs in our daily lives. From eating out less to “going wireless” by dropping your land line, the possibilities for saving little by little are everywhere. But, you don’t have to make a big sacrifice to save big bucks. In fact, we know of one tiny habit that you can incorporate into your shopping routine that doesn’t cost a thing: a checklist.
As we write in our book, THE POWER OF SMALL: Why Little Things Make All the Difference, checklists are a simple yet effective way to manage your work flow and pump up your productivity, but they’re also a powerful tool in helping you manage your personal finances. Why? Because, as Money Magazine recently reported, over two thirds of the purchases we make at the supermarket are actually impulse buys. So, the best way to stay on track is to arm yourself with detailed shopping instructions in the form of an organized grocery list. And then stick to it. Not only will it help you remember everything you need for that week’s meals, it will remind you of all the things you really don’t.
So, before you head out to the store this week, take 15 minutes to grab a pen and paper and get writing. Need a little help getting started? Try our favorite trick: close your eyes and visualize the layout of your super market and write the list according to your typical shopping pattern. Do you start in the produce section? Then your list should begin with all the fruits and vegetables you’ll need for the week. Do you head to the meat counter next? List out chicken, fish or any other ingredients you might need. Continue this method until you’ve imagined yourself all the way to the checkout counter and then review your list twice to complete a final inventory. Then, to save even more, sort through your coupon collection and make a star next to each item on your list that you have a coupon for that week.
Once you finish your list, grab your coupons, and make your way to the store, cross each item off as you go along. Then watch for that magic number to appear on the register; you’ll be amazed at the amount you saved with very little effort.
Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval are the bestselling authors of THE POWER OF SMALL: Why Little Things Make All the Difference and THE POWER OF NICE: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness and the CEO and President, respectively, of The Kaplan Thaler Group. You can also read more from them on The POS Blog and follow them on Twitter.
Related Posts:
If you’d like to write a guest post for Canadian Finance Blog, we’d be happy to see what you’ve got!
Ah, this certainly rings true. I am reminded of my most recent trip to the grocery store where I saw a lady slow down and stop in front of the ice cream freezer, letting her eyes and mind meander for a spell. And I was thinking, “Why even tempt yourself?”
Thanks for the post Linda. My wife and I have been crunching the numbers and we often surprise ourselves with just how expensive our grocery shopping can be. A list seems like a lot of work (yet another thing to do) but if you’re serious about saving money then following your tip has to be done eh!
Interesting strategy, will try this out. Those cents can really add up and make a huge impact on the budget.
Haha… It’s hard. I can’t help myself when it comes to good food.