SHOPPING TIPS
Smart shopping tips for you, the consumer, to spend your dollars wisely and avoid the high cost of retail shopping and eating out.
Low-Cost Shopping and Healthy Eating
We, here at Preferred Consumer, have found that you don't necessarily have to give up the great taste of restaurant meals. Try preparing them yourself at home. In fact you may find it more rewarding and cost effective preparing a wonderful, healthy meal for family and friends in the comfort of your own home.
- Buy in quantity and freeze meats, bread, and butter.
- Avoid costly convenience foods that are pre-cooked, pre-sweetened, instant, or individually packaged.
- Encourage children to help with cooking. If they help make it, they'll probably eat it.
- Eat before shopping to avoid impulse buying. Make a shopping list and stick to it.
- Buy nutritious snacks for children such as apples, oranges, bananas, carrots, celery, raisins, peanut butter and popcorn. They are healthier and cheaper than most sweets.
- For a sweet tooth buy graham crackers, animal crackers or gingersnaps.
- Encourage children to drink more water by giving them their own water bottles.
- Use coupons only for items you normally purchase.
- Shop on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings for the shortest lines.
- Shop at discount food warehouse and buy in bulk. If your household is small, shop with a friend and share purchases.
General Shopping
Most retailers hold winter sales around the holidays. Prices are reduced to bring consumers back into the store after the holiday-spending period. Also, it pays to be knowledgeable about the item or service you're about to purchase.
Take the time to polish your comparison shopping skills:
- Read the information on the label.
- Understand the maintenance requirements.
- Pay attention to differences in quality.
- Make a purchasing decision only after you've researched the item.
Internet Shopping
The world has become your personal in-home shopping mall. You need to be cautious when buying online.
- Do not disclose your personal Internet password.
- Think twice before giving out your social security number over the Internet.
- Shop with companies you know and trust.
- Use a secure browser that complies with industry standards, like Secure Hypertext Protocol (S-HTTP) or Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).
