11 Grocery Shopping Tips Experts Use to Save Money

3. Understand store psychology and avoid end caps

Stores design aisles to encourage extra buys. Clay Cary and other retail analysts explain that basic staples are often placed deep in the store so you pass tempting displays. End caps—those stacked displays at aisle ends—look like discounts but sometimes hold higher-margin items or promotional-sized packs. Before you add anything from an end cap, check the unit price and compare it to similar items on the shelf. A little math goes a long way: divide price by quantity to find the true cost per ounce or per unit. Another psychological trick is seasonal signage, and bakery smells—both are nudges to pick impulse items. Knowing these tactics turns them from traps into cues you can ignore. If you want a quick rule: avoid impulse displays unless the unit price is clearly better than the shelf option. That mindset helps preserve your budget and keeps shopping steady over time.