“Choices are the hinges of destiny.” — Edwin Markham

The other day, a fellow blogger wrote a post about a friend that needed to justify things he might consider to be impulse purchases. She writes, “My friend wanted to buy a jester’s hat at a thrift shop. First he asked himself how many times he thought he would wear it and then divided the purchase price by that number. If the end result was a dollar or less, he’d buy the item.”

That’s a great formula. I’ve stood in the checkout line many times with Jeanine when she has added People or InStyle magazine to the conveyer belt. At $3.99, it’ better to wait and read it for free at the hair salon. Grocery stores are full of “impulse” temptations.

Pat Kendall has a few tips to avoid impulse purchases at the grocery story. She writes, “The good news is that, by being aware of supermarket marketing ploys and developing a shopping strategy of your own, you can save time and money as well as avoid the urge to make impulse purchases. Here are her tips to help keep impulse spending under wraps at the supermarket.”

1. Write down what you need before you shop. Starting out with a shopping list not only reminds you of what you need, but it also will keep you from buying items you don’t need.

2. Eat before you shop. Don’t take hungry kids or spouses with you. Hungry shoppers are more likely to buy impulse items, especially ready-to-eat and snack items. If you do arrive on an empty stomach, stop by the in-store deli or head directly for the free samples that many supermarkets offer before making your selections.

3. Observe product placement. More expensive items are usually placed at eye level, within easy reach. Less expensive items are placed either high or low.

4. Double-check prices on product displays and aisle endcaps. Store displays, including those located at the end of the aisles, do not always feature sale items. Also, keep in mind that non-sale items often are displayed along with sale items.

5. Shop the specials only if you will use the product. And remember, although ‘buy one, get one free’ may sound like a good deal, the ‘one’ is often marketed at an increased price.

6. Avoid extra trips to the supermarket. There is no better way to curb impulse buying than to stay out of the supermarket. Try to keep your shopping trips down to once per week or less.

7. Compare unit price labels across brands and sizes within brands. While the larger size is often the least expensive per ounce or product unit, this is not always the case. And even if the economy size costs less per ounce, if you don’t need it or it spoils before you can use it, it may be more costly per serving.”

And my personal favorite…

8. Avoid items in the checkout lane or endcaps… those displays at the end of the isle. These items might seem to be on sale but often times aren’t. They are just placed there to make shoppers think that they are. Marketers and retailers tend to exploit these impulses, which are tied to the basic need for instant gratification.

Now everyone keep your hands inside the cart and enjoy the ride.