Whoever says there is not an art to shopping obviously is not the one that makes purchases in the household, at least ones that are price conscious anyways. In order to get the best bang for your buck it takes a little research, prep, not to mention time, in order to get the best deals out there. If you find yourself cutting down on unnecessary purchases but still find not many extra dollars at the end of the month left over, there may need to be a few tweaks to your routine.

Make a List Before You Go

No matter if you’re at the grocery store, home improvement warehouse, or even the mall, it can be easy to be distracted with the number of products at your disposal when you’re out shopping, causing you to end up with a cart full of more than just the essentials. By making a list before you go you can ensure that you not only stay on track to the task at hand, but to also not forget any items as well. Organizing by store, and even down to the section can help to have to go up and down every aisle.

Never Shop on an Empty Stomach

While it holds especially true when you’re grocery shopping, going out on an empty stomach has bad news written over your wallet, not to mention your waistline. At the grocery store, everything looks good when you’re hungry so you’ll notice your cart to be extra full at the end, and by the time you get home and eat, you’ll wonder why you bought all of these items. Plus, when you’re hungry, healthy items are not the first to top the craving list, so you can expect extra unhealthy options to make their way in.

Don’t Forget the Coupons

The days of laying out the sale papers to clip coupons may be over as newspaper subscriptions seem to be coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean saving money is over. With more options to reach retailers due to social media, you can be a promo code away from saving at the checkout. The retailer’s website can also figure coupons or even load to your digital rewards card. This route though, you just may have to print off the list so you remember what you have coupons for, to maximize savings at the register.

Use the Endless Number of Websites to Your Advantage

In a matter of seconds, you can jump from website to website, so in the world where online shopping is king, there should be no reason to make an impulse buy on the first site you visit, even if there is an option to ‘buy now’ to entice you. Between saving on tax, shipping, or a discount code, if you can not rush into a purchase, you have a better chance of saving money in the end. The problem with online shopping though is you need to be disciplined on spending, otherwise the ease could cause your credit card statement to skyrocket.