Stretching every dollar counts, and we all love a bargain. But that makes it too easy to fall for retailer’s tricks. Falling into common shopping traps can easily derail our budget and lead to wasting money, leaving us less financially prepared.

1. Look Beyond Eye Level

Retailers cleverly place premium, pricier items at eye level, betting that we’ll grab them without a second thought. And we frequently do. Because we’re usually in a hurry, it’s easy and draws our eyes.

But here’s a tip: the real deals are often hiding in less obvious spots. Next time you’re in the aisle, take a moment to look up and down. You might just find the same item or a suitable alternative at a much friendlier price point.

2. Enticing End Caps

Those enticing displays at the end of aisles, known as end caps, are not always the bargains they seem to be. In fact, they’re often a tactic to sell high-margin products. True value often resides on the regular shelves, where competition is stiffer. Before grabbing something off the end of an aisle, see if there’s a cheaper option on the regular shelves and ask yourself if you actually need it, as end caps are often also home to impulse buys.

3. Read Sales Signs Carefully

Bright, flashy sale signs are designed to catch our eye and open our wallets. However, not every “sale” is a true saving opportunity. Pause and evaluate—what are you really saving? Sometimes, the product isn’t even something you need, or the discount isn’t as substantial as it appears.

4. Bulk Buys: Bigger Isn’t Always Better

The allure of bulk buying is strong, especially when planning for long-term storage. However, bigger packages don’t automatically mean better value. Quick math can reveal surprising truths about unit costs. It’s about finding the balance between quantity, price, and utility. Remember, a well-stocked pantry is diverse and thoughtfully curated, not just filled with oversized purchases.

Take into account whether you can use the whole bulk pack before it expires and look at the per unit cost to see if you’ll actually save by buying bulk vs. smaller packs.

5. Beware The Dollar Section

Dollar sections are a minefield for impulse buys. Items priced at just a dollar seem harmless, but these small purchases add up quickly, and you end up spending much more than you’d planned on items you probably don’t need.

6. Hidden Fees When Online Shopping

The convenience of online shopping comes with its pitfalls, notably hidden shipping charges that can inflate the cost of your purchase. Always review the total price before confirming your order. Our goal is efficiency and economy in acquiring resources, not falling victim to unexpected expenses that could be better allocated toward essential supplies.

7. Tempting Cashback Promotions

Offers like “Spend $100, get a $20 gift card” can tempt us into spending beyond our initial budget. While appealing, these promotions only benefit us if they align with our planned expenditures. Overspending to earn a bonus is very easy to fall victim to. It’s a psychology thing.

8. Limited-Time Offers Encourage Impulsivity

Urgency is a common sales tactic, with phrases like “limited time offer” pushing us towards quick decisions. However, impulse buys can lead to regret and wasted resources. Before you leap on that limited-time offer, consider whether it really is a limited-time offer and if you actually need the thing you’re thinking about buying. Mostly, you don’t really need it. Or, if you’re shopping online and you go open that same “offer expires in 10 minutes” link in a fresh browser, you’ll see that the click has reset, so the offer isn’t truly time-limited anyway. This scammy tactic really aggravates me.

9. Be Careful of Store Credit Cards

The temptation to use store credit for purchases, especially with offers of deferred interest, can backfire if not managed carefully. If you opt for store financing, ensure you have a plan to avoid interest charges. It’s way too easy to promise yourself you’ll pay off the balance before the year of 0 interest is up, but it’s also way too easy to not make enough payments and end up with a big interest balance.

10. Multi-Store Shopping: Efficiency Over Deals

Though it might seem like hopping from store to store to snag the best deals on specific items is wise, this approach often costs more in time and transportation than it saves. Consolidating your shopping to a select few locations that offer the best overall value can save money, time, and energy.

Katy Willis is a writer, lifelong homesteader, and master herbalist, master gardener, and canine nutritionist. Katy is a preparedness expert and modern homesteader practicing everyday preparedness, sustainability, and a holistic lifestyle.

She knows how important it is to be prepared for whatever life throws at you, because you just never know what’s coming. And preparedness helps you give your family the best chance to thrive in any situation.

Katy is passionate about living naturally, growing food, keeping livestock, foraging, and making and using herbal remedies. Katy is an experienced herbalist and a member of the CMA (Complementary Medical Association).

Her preparedness skills go beyond just being “ready”, she’s ready to survive the initial disaster, and thrive afterward, too. She grows 100% organic food on roughly 15 acres and raises goats, chickens, and ducks. She also lovingly tends her orchard, where she grows many different fruit trees. And, because she likes to know exactly what she’s feeding her family, she’s a seasoned from-scratch cook and gluten-free baker.

Katy teaches foraging and environmental education classes, too, including self-sufficient living, modern homesteading, seed saving, and organic vegetable gardening.

Katy helps others learn forgotten skills, including basic survival skills and self-reliance.

She’s been published on sites such as MSN, Angi, Home Advisor, Family Handyman, Wealth of Geeks, Readers Digest, and more.