My neighbor's tip about eating before grocery shopping saved me $40 last week

I was complaining to my neighbor Carol about how my food budget kept blowing up. She said she always eats a full meal before stepping into the store. I laughed it off but tried it last Friday and only spent $60 instead of my usual $100. Has anyone else noticed how much impulse buying happens on an empty stomach?

3 comments

3 Comments

sammurray1mo ago

Wait, are you telling me that hangry decisions at the checkout aisle aren't a legitimate life expense? I swear, on an empty stomach, a bag of chips and a jar of salsa look like a balanced meal and I'm suddenly convinced I need three types of pasta. My personal record was spending $30 on fancy cheese and crackers because my stomach was growling so loud I couldn't hear my wallet crying. Carol deserves a medal, or at least a cookie baked from all the money you're saving now.

dylanbarnes1mo ago

Honestly I don't think a $30 cheese run is that big of a deal @sammurray. Like who hasn't impulse bought something weird at the store before. It's not like you're bankrupting yourself over crackers.

lilychen1mo ago

Take the opposite side here and say that $60 still sounds like a lot for one trip @dylanbarnes... maybe the whole eating thing is just a placebo effect and people end up buying just as much but different stuff. I've tried the full stomach trick before and somehow ended up with a cart full of weird snacks I never eat because I felt too full to think clearly about what I actually needed. The real hack is probably just making a list and sticking to it no matter how your stomach feels.