SMART SAVER: Bulk up your festive season through smart shopping

The festive season is upon us, but alas, with the excitement of the impending holiday comes expensive shopping trips.

However, the holidays does offer Newcastillians the opportunity to develop ‘smart shopping’ habits, which can reduce you holiday catering costs by up to 10 per cent, and also work for you throughout the year.

Nolene Parboo, Senior Manager: Savings and Investments at Standard Bank, said getting the best value for groceries and household needs involved learning to buy in bulk.

“The festive season is a good time to develop smart, bulk buying habits. Prices are competitive and there are plenty of ‘specials’ on offer. Buying smart means doing a bit of homework; scanning retailers’ marketing leaflets is a great place to start. Without leaving your home, you can get an idea of who is offering what, where the lowest prices are and how long the offers will last. Taking leaflets with you also enables you to quickly compare prices and benefits,” said Ms Parboo.

Getting into the bulk buying mode requires one to take a stricter approach to shopping. Ms Parboo suggested that people try adhere to the following:

1. Take a calculator to the stores

This will help you quickly calculate unit prices and will provide a direct cost against items quoted singly.

2. Check prices carefully

During sale times, retailers often sell some items at cost or below cost. A clever shopper will buy just the promotional items and leave.

“Once you have seen the benefits of shopping in bulk during the festive season, the obvious thing to do is to develop the habit further and apply it throughout the year,” Ms Parboo said.

“This way, you continually maximise your savings and also free some of your household budget for other things.”

The benefits of bulk buying during the year are:

1. Using sales to buy goods several months in advance

An example of this would be school stationery. During January, retailers have back to school promotions.

Buying pens, pencils, folders, exercise books and other stationery items in bulk means getting them cheaper, and not having to rush out to a shop when your child suddenly needs an exercise book or pen at short notice.

2. Stocking up on items that are new to the market

The great thing about bulk buying, space permitting, people can buy non-perishable items when first introduced to the market. This will ensure a substantial saving in the long run.

3. Avoiding annual price increases

There is nothing better than purchasing an item at a good price, before being offered the same item at a higher price during the year.

“One of the greatest ways to extend your buying power and save more is by involving your family; set up a buying club with family or friends who live nearby, and share the costs of purchasing in bulk,”Mrs Parboo advised.

To get even more benefit from your bulk shopping, the following tips can be considered:

Occasionally skip shopping trips to finish the items in your cupboards.

Make grocery lists and stick to them – don’t be tempted to buy things you don’t need this festive season.

Be prepared by having essential things stored for example long life milk.

“Though bulk shopping does require some forward planning, the financial rewards are definitely worth it – particularly when your budget is already being stressed by other holiday commitments,” Mrs Parboo concluded.