SPOT TRICKS THAT MAKE YOU SPEND!

Ever wondered how your weekly supermarket bill ended up so expensive? Here are some sneaky tactics to watch out for...

Most of us know the classic tricks shops use; pumping out the mouth-watering smell of baked bread to lure us in, and plonking impulse buys next to the tills – but there are loads of subtler ways companies are encouraging us to spend. Now, Moneyguru.com expert Debs Vickers shares some of them...

ENCOURAGING USE OF BIGGER TROLLIES

An experiment found that when our trolleys double in size, we buy 40 per cent more. Often, all the baskets are missing in supermarket entrances, but instead of falling for this, grab one from the till area, or ask a member staff if you can’t find one.

AISLE DIFFERENCES

Refrigerated items can cost more than the same foods stocked in the “world food” or “free from” aisles, despite the ingredients being the same. A litre of Alpro unsweetened almond milk costs £1.80 in the fridge, but £1.70 in the “free from” aisle, so do your research.

NIFTY POSITIONING

Essential items like milk and bread are always tucked away at the back of the store because they want you to trudge through the aisles, hopefully buying other things en route. Stick to your list – and march straight past those temptations.

UPPING PRICES AT SMALLER STORES

You’d think products cost the same in each branch of a supermarket, but you’d be wrong – shopping in small stores can make everything pricier. A recent investigation found that products can be marked up by more than 50 per cent in small shops compared to their full-size equivalents. A weekly shop from a large store is better value than nipping to your local, smaller store, especially as two-thirds of us visit the supermarket more than twice a day!

DECEPTIVE PACKAGING

Packaging can sometimes give the impression the contents are bigger than they are. It happens with sandwich wraps, where big holes are covered with the packaging; smoked salmon, where the portion is tiny but pressed against the clear window; and packets of biscuits, where there’s one layer when you could assume there are two. Always check the description.

MISLEADING VEG

Supermarkets are constantly coming up with ways to “reinvent” veg . Take “cauliflower steaks” – they cost twice as much as a regular cauliflower, but are just chopped. “Jacket-less” veg (prepeeled) is another con; two prepeeled onions cost more than four onions with their skins on, while pre-sliced mushrooms are nearly double the cost of loose ones. Chop your own!

REWARD CARD CONS

They can make you overspend because most “deals” need you to spend a certain amount to earn points. Use them right and you’ll save, but stick to what you need.