Shop for what you need not what you want
Although the above phrase may sound a little vague and potentially unhelpful, everybody who has ever been shopping will know that ultimately the vast majority of your money is spent on items that you never intended to buy when you left home. This particular situation is common across the board from buying clothes to electrical equipment to the weekly supermarket shop. So how can you reduce how much you spend on shopping?
One of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce your shopping budget is to make a shopping list before you leave the home and ensure that you stick to it as much as possible. If you go shopping to the supermarket with a vague idea of what you need the chances are that the spending figure which had in mind will be nowhere near the amount you eventually spend. By simply putting together a list of what you need and ticking off each item as you put it into your trolley you will ultimately be focusing upon the essentials for the home and leaving out any potential luxuries, which can significantly increase your spending.
This particular technique may sound too good to be true but ultimately it allows you to keep focused on what you need and ignore the various tempting offers around many of the U.K.'s retail outlets. Remember, supermarkets have years of experience in selling you items you don't want and don't really need, so be careful!
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