Save big shopping at night

SHOPPERS craving grocery bill savings should try going to the supermarket at night.

Kill Bills! author Joel Gibson said filling your trolley after dinner, or at other times when you are not hungry, lessened the likelihood of impulse buys.

Evening shoppers could also often take advantage of end-of-day specials and price reductions as stores tried to get rid of stock, especially baked goods, fresh produce and other perishables.

The money savings expert said with groceries being the second-biggest household bill for most Australians behind home loans or rent, customers should be cautious of the tactics supermarkets used to try to convince us to spend more.

“Every square centimetre of your local supermarket is carefully designed to maximise the amount of stuff you put in your basket and to maximise the margin they make from those products,” Mr Gibson said.

Mr Gibson said developing good habits to avoid paying a premium and avoid making too many unplanned purchases could save households about $1000 a year.

“Shop at two or even three supermarkets and pick the eyes out of their specials and their specialties,” he said.

Making a list and checking what you had in your pantry and fridge and actually needed was also crucial. “Impulse buys are the enemy of grocery savings,” Mr Gibson said.