WARNING Grocery Shopping!

Do you ever wonder why a grocery store is laid out the way it is?

         As I was walking through my local grocery store the other day I noticed that grocery stores are SO big! I started to wonder why were there so many options of isle after isle of possessed foods and why is the store laid out the way it is? I then noticed that I rarely go up and down any of the isles because I usually shop around the edge of the store and wanted to share with you why I shop this way and why it's a helpful tip to create a healthy lifestyle.

The Facts

Most grocery stores are arranged with produce on the left or right side of the store, with frozen foods on the other side. Chilled products are at the back of the store and meats are usually near the produce. Everything is designed to force you to walk around the store to buy most of your staples because that forces you to look at more displays and to impulse shop more. Store managers know that the more time you spend in the store, the more money you usually will spend in the store.

The grocery store is laid out so that it forces you to browse items you are not there to buy. Common items such as milk and dairy are at the back of most stores forcing you to walk through several isles of junk to temp you to buy more then you came to buy. Studies show that 70 percent of purchases are unplanned and usually occur the longer a shopper lingers in the store. Stay focused as much as you can when going through the store and follow the following tips to avoid over spending, buying junk food, and impulse buying.


Tips I have gathered to help me grocery shop
Make a list of items you need STICK TO YOUR LIST
Creating a list can be a challenge if you don't know what you want to eat for the week and this is where "Meal Planning" comes in! If you are serious about creating a healthy lifestyle and saving some money I strongly suggest taking a day or two out of your busy schedule and plan out your meals so that you can create a shopping list!

Shop at the same grocery
The reason I suggest this is so you know where everything is in the store and the "pretty colors" and "nice music" don't distract you. I know what items I need on certain isles and this helps keep me from buying random junk and items you really don't need.

Shop alone
I know it may be a challenge at first to go to the store with out your children but I promise it will save you time, money and stress. I hear this term the other day "pester power," which is a marketing term that relates to the power of kids influencing purchase decisions.


Benefits of shopping the perimeter

Saves you money by cutting back on "impulse buying"

Helps to create a healthy lifestyle
Rids the risk of buying to much junk/processed foods

Next time you're in the grocery store think about it; keep an eye out for how certain items are placed and be careful not to buy extra junk that's not on your list!