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Bargain
Shopping & Mystery Shopping |
The grocery store is full of delicious items that may all seem tempting to
buy however use these tips to keep your costs down and not purchase more
than you need.
Before Heading to the Grocery Store
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Check to see what you already have so you don't buy more than you need.
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Plan your spending to avoid impulse buys like candy bars at the checkout
or unnecessary snacks.
- Grow your own fruits, nuts, and veggies or make it yourself to save!
- Prepare a menu list of items for the week based on the week's breakfast,
lunch and dinners, around what you already have, and what's on sale.
- If your local area has food co-ops, sign up! A food co-op can greatly
reduce your weekly food bill by as much as 50%
- Shop for products before you run out of them. If you run out of an item
the price might increase the next time you go to purchase it so buy it
when the price is down.
- Due to volume discounts, larger stores are generally cheaper than smaller
ones so shop there for non-perishable items.
- Avoid trips to the convenience store because prices are raised up.
- Keep an ongoing grocery list during the week and take it when you go
shopping and stick to it!
- If you go to the supermarket early in the morning you might have a better
chance of getting marked down items like fresh produce.
- Shop alone so you get done fast and wont buy any additional items.
- Don't shop for groceries on an empty stomach because you'll want to buy
everything you are craving.
- Clean out your refrigerator, so you can easily put your groceries away.
- The best sales are on the front and back of your supermarket flyer so be
sure to check it out.
While Shopping
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Stick to your shopping list.
- Ask for help rather than wasting time looking for items or better deals.
- Meat is a good source of protein but it's costly. Cheese, poultry, eggs,
peanut butter, dried peas, beans, lentils, and some fish are some great
alternatives for less.
- Buy whole chickens instead of just the breasts. Buying breasts separate is
very expensive.
- Buy locally grown foods; they are fresher, and more nutritious.
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Shop the sales! Go to different grocery stores to get the best deals.
- Most bargains are found on the higher and lower shelves. Look for store
brand products not name brand.
- Look for unadvertised specials.
- Shop for items that you use regularly. Once you run out, you will have to
pay whatever the supermarket charges and the price might have changed.
- Stock up! If a product you use is on sale, buy as many as you can and
store them to last you until the next sale.
- Wait until the item goes on sale. If you study your products and stores,
you can have enough to last until the item is discounted again.
- Take advantage of your freezer and stock it with frozen or dairy items,
such as cheese, butter and milk that are on sale.
- Buy in bulk when the unit price is less. Packaged items do not always mean
lower prices.
- Just because an item is marked that it's on sale doesn't mean you are
getting it for a lower than normal price so be sure to know your prices.
- Use store savings cards.
- Try generic or store brands. You can usually return it if you aren't
happy.
- Buy in season veggies and fruit.
- Always check the expiration date on dairy products.
- Convenience foods are more expensive. Prepare a meal the day before to
save time instead of spending more on prepared foods.
- Check the day old bread bin, and the reduced merchandise cart.
- Ask for a rain check if an advertised special is out of stock. Look for
more coupons for that product until it comes back in, you might save
double!
- Breads and rolls freeze very well so stock up at bread outlets.
After Shopping
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Return any product that is spoiled.
- Send out for rebates to get items free, or close to free!
- Study the sales cycles of the stores you shop at, so you will know when to
expect certain items to go on sale.
- No store has the lowest price on all items; it will vary so be sure to
investigate.
- Watch as the clerk rings up your purchases and be sure to check your
receipt. Lastly, make sure you have all your bags before leaving and empty
your cart completely, don't forget underneath the cart if you used it for
larger items.
About the Author Kelly Kennedy writes for http://www.savingdimes.com
a
great online source for information about saving money and living the
frugal life
^TOP^
Bargains. Everyone loves to grab a bargain and thus discount shopping is
fast becoming a popular way for people to buy both what they need and
want.
Discount shopping is becoming such a popular thing that discount shops can
now be found all over the world. They might be in the form of bargain
shops, $1 shops or discount outlets, but the reality is that people love
this cheap way of shopping.
But the question is why are people now flocking to buy products from
discount shops? The answer is simple. They are saving huge amounts of
money by doing their shopping in this way. Discount shopping is a thing of
the present… and of the future.
And how do the discount shops keep their prices low? Shops often make
discount shopping possible for their customers by stocking products from
countries other than their own where it is cheaper to make the product in
question. This does not necessarily mean that the store has compromised
the quality of their merchandise to achieve their lower discount shopping
prices.
Quite often the products you will find standing on the shelves of discount
shops will be easily recognisable as exactly the same products you would
find in another shop, right down to the brand name. The only difference is
the language or script that most of the packaging is written in.
Discount shopping is definitely becoming a favorite way of purchasing
products for people young and old world wide. Discount shopping is a great
way to save money next time you want to buy something, and with such a
wide range of products available in discount shops – everything from
health and beauty products to car care to washing up liquid – it really
is a great way to shop.
Article by writer Kate Wiley of the popular discount shopping sites
www.discount-1st.com www.discounts-2.com
About the Author
Kate and Phil Wiley run the popular discount shopping sites http://www.discount-1st
and http://www.discounts-2.com
^TOP^
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Mystery Shopping for Fun and Profit 
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How would you like to get paid to go shopping? That's
right! Get paid to shop for clothes, eat in restaurants,
watch movies, play golf, travel, and so on. You can have your cake and eat
it too! Enjoy the best of both worlds. Make money and have fun at the same
time as a mystery shopper.
What is a Mystery Shopper?
Sometimes known as a secret shopper, a mystery shopper looks like any
other customer but is working undercover to perform market research or
other tests on business establishments. For example, a mystery shopper may
check on the quality of service and products at a particular fast food
outlet. Were the staff friendly, courteous and helpful? Were the washrooms
clean? Was the food hot and tasty? Did the staff attempt to upsell? Was
the order filled accurately and quickly?
Why the Need for Mystery Shoppers?
Companies are concerned about the quality of your shopping experience. If
there is a problem, they would like to know about it so that they can take
corrective action and keep you as a customer. For this reason, businesses
hire mystery shoppers to check on their locations and report the results.
As well, comparison shopping can reveal pricing and service differences of
the competition. Mystery shoppers sometimes uncover safety or security
concerns and other helpful information.
How To Make Money as a Mystery Shopper
You can make money as a freelance mystery shopper. Contact market research
companies and other businesses to obtain clients. As an independent
contractor, you will invoice clients your fees for services rendered. As
well, you will
be reimbursed for any direct expenses incurred (such as the cost of store
purchases).
It is also possible to run your own market research company and
subcontract out the work. You would need to get business clients who are
willing to pay for these secret shopping assignments. Then, find suitable
people who are willing to perform those assignments for you.
Variety is the Spice of Mystery Shopping
Your assignments as a mystery shopper can be varied and interesting. One
time you may eat in a fast food restaurant. Another time you may be asked
to see how long it takes to get service from a company by telephone.
Perhaps you may be asked to shop at a website to check out its user
friendliness. Still another assignment may require you to rate the
helpfulness
of store staff.
So, if you would like to have fun while making money, consider becoming a
mystery shopper.
About the Author J. Stephen Pope, President of Pope
Consulting Inc., has been helping clients to earn maximum business profits
for over twenty-five years. To learn more about mystery shopping, visit http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/mystery-shopper.htmlFor
profitable Work at Home Small Business Ideas, visit http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/
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