One of the easiest ways to save money is to watch out for the sneaky supermarket tricks stores use to get you to spend more than you need to. For example:The "Handwritten Sign" Trick - Supermarkets have come to realize that shoppers frequently assume that anything with a handwritten sign on it must be on sale. Stores use this to their advantage by placing handwritten signs on things that are not on sale. Often these are items that the store is actually trying to get rid of. Just be careful and always double check the handwritten sign price with the shelf price.
The "Warehouse/Overstock Look" Trick - This is becoming more common. Grocery stores will pile boxes of a particular product still in their shipping containers in the middle of the aisle or at the front of the store to give the appearance that there was no more room in storage to hold this particular product. We often assume that the product is on sale (especially when it has a handwritten sign on it) when it is not!
The "Save When You Buy In Bulk - Not" Trick - Supermarkets have learned that consumers expect the bulk sized version of a product to be priced more cheaply than the smaller sized version. It’s exactly for this reason that they frequently price the bulk size version more expensively than the smaller alternative.
The "Every Variety of This Product is On Sale But One" Trick - A store will place a particular item on sale - lets say microwave popcorn. Every variety of that popcorn will have a red sales sticker on it - every variety except for one. Seeing all the red sales stickers you just assume that all the popcorn is on sale and you leave the store thinking you got a deal when you actually didn’t.
Supermarkets are devising ever more clever ways to separate you from your money. You're best bet is to pay careful attention to the price of everything you place in your grocery cart. – www.paylessforfood.com
