You know those instances when you head to the grocery store to buy a specific number of things but instead end up spending a lot more than you expected on things that you had no plans of getting?

It happens to everybody. We go to the supermarket, believing that we will only be spending x amount of dollars and then, before you know, we are picking up all sorts of small items from the shelves. The things we need to buy are clear in our heads, but we end up stuffing our carts with all sorts of things that we did not intend to buy or sometimes do not even need. The next thing you know, we are at the check-out counter and we are absolutely aghast at how much we have to pay. At that time, of course, there’s nothing more we can do about it but pay the cashier. Then we think to ourselves, that’s the last time I’m going to spend more than what I planned at the grocery story. But the next time we’re back there, we do the same thing all over again. It’s like we have no control of ourselves.

Here’s a tip to all you consumers about how to save on your groceries. No, it’s not that you should buy this brand or that product over all the others. This piece of advice is much more practical. And it’s simple, too. The advice: always bring a list of things to buy.

Sure, you’ve heard it all before. In fact, you probably used to have a list when you went to the supermarket but you got so used to buying the same things over and over again that you felt you didn’t need the list any more.

Well, you still need that list. Trust me.

It’s just a matter of how you regard the list. Before, you had the list to remind you of all the things your family needed. You had the list because you didn’t want to forget anything important. This time around, try to think of the list in another way. Think of the list as a minimum requirement for any product before you can decide to purchase it. In other words, if an item is not on the list, you will not buy it. This will save you an incredible amount of money. And during that instance when you may think you need something but forgot to put it on the list, don’t buy that thing anyway. How important can it be if you forgot to put it on the list?

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Consumer Information, Employment, and Business

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