In most cases, prices only move in one direction: steeply upwards. If, after shopping, you wonder why a few products cost so much money, you’ve probably picked the wrong items. Find out here how you can save money when shopping by simply leaving certain items on the shelves.
Small changes make for more money in your wallet
As we all know, humans are creatures of habit. In addition to our daily routine, regular hobbies and favorite dishes that regularly end up on our plates, we also appreciate the familiar when it comes to weekly shopping. And so the same products always end up in the shopping basket without us giving them much thought.
However, small changes can help you save money when shopping. To ensure that you have money left over at the end of the month in the long term, you should cross 7 things off your shopping list in future:
Magazines and books
Nowadays there are more ways to save money than there were a few years ago. Magazines and books, for example, can be bought digitally. This has the advantage that there are no printing costs and they are often a few euros cheaper. This saves frequent readers a lot of money in the long term.
If you can’t do without the book in your hand, simply register at a library near you or buy your books second-hand online.
Shaving foam
You can also cross shaving foam off your shopping list, as you don’t actually need any for shaving. Soap or conditioner are sufficient, do the same thing as shaving foam and are often even better for the skin.
However, if you don’t want to do without shaving foam, you should use products for men, as these are generally cheaper than those for women.
Branded pharmaceuticals
You can save a lot of money, especially when buying medicines. Pharmacy staff often sell the products that bring them the highest profit margin. It is not uncommon for them to receive extra payments if they sell certain products from a manufacturer frequently. That’s why pharmacies are like supermarkets: you often pay more for the packaging and the brand name, but the contents are the same.
Compare prices and buy your medicines online.
Meat
It doesn’t always have to be meat. For health, ethical and economic reasons, you should reduce your meat consumption and introduce one meat-free day a week, for example. There are good substitutes that make it easier for you to give up meat. Or you can rely on foods such as beans, eggs or other pulses to cover your protein requirements.
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Nail modeling
A visit to the nail salon once or twice a month is quite expensive. At around 50 euros a month, that’s 600 euros in a year that you could spend on other, more important things or save. See if you can possibly do without it or even do the modeling yourself at home.
There may also be someone in your circle of friends who has nail modeling as a hobby.
Cleaning agent
Harsh cleaning agents are often not even necessary to clean your home and you can safely cross them off your shopping list. Many household problems can also be solved with products such as baking soda, citric acid or vinegar. The advantages of these products are that they are not only better for the environment and cheaper, but you often already have them on your kitchen shelf.
But it’s not just cleaning products where you can save money. Products such as deodorants and detergents are also easy to make yourself. And thanks to home-grown herbs on the windowsill, you always have your own herbal teas in stock.
Bulk packs
Bulk packs do not always save money when shopping. Although they give the impression that you get more for your money, this is often a fallacy. A market test carried out by the consumer advice center in Hamburg found that products in large packs are not relatively cheaper than those in smaller packs. They are also often deceptive packs that appear larger although the contents remain the same.
Look out for special offers on products such as toilet paper, which often come in large packs. You can save a lot of money this way, especially on items that you only need to buy once or twice a month.
If you cross these 7 things off your shopping list, you can save money in your everyday life. At the same time, you will also become more careful about other things you spend money on. After all, there may be a cheaper alternative or you may think more carefully about whether you really need a certain product.
Sources: merkur, nadjahorlacher, smarticular
