Frugal Photo Friday: Avoid Big Box Stores
Welcome to Frugal Photo Friday! This month I am partnering with Crystal, from Money Saving Mom. Each Friday we are sharing pictures of simple ways that we save money. This week I’m sharing how avoiding big box stores saves money.
Big box stores are known for having everything you could ever want right in one place and having super low prices. Â Many frugal shopper swear by shopping at Walmart or Target, but I avoid them both as much as possible. Â Why???
It is nearly impossible for me to go into Target or Walmart and only come out with the items on my shopping list.  Last month I went to Target for one thing.  I was expecting to pay $20.  I ended up with a $60 bill a lot  more than just one thing in my cart.
This summer I made a rare trip to Walmart. Â I bought things that I had been on my shopping list for a long time: underwear, batteries, bathmat, toiletries, diapers, and more. Â My bill was $160. Â Yuck. Â Paying that much at once was painful, but I’m glad I did it that way. Â I could have made smaller, more frequent trips, but I know I would have been more tempted to stray from my list. Â Also by waiting so long to buy some needed items, it confirmed for me that these things were real needs and not just temporary wants.
I buy my groceries at a smaller grocery store, a discount grocery store, and/or a farm market. Â I don’t shop around for the best price each week or price compare sale fliers. Â I have a 4 year old and an 18 month old that I take with me to the store. Â I simply don’t have the energy or desire to mess with all that right now.
I stick with my regular, smaller stores and avoid the endless temptations at the big box stores.
Do you find yourself tempted to buy more when you shop at Target or Walmart? Â How do you fight the urge to spend?
Head over to Money Saving Mom to see what tips Crystal is sharing this week.
Now it is your turn to share the simple ways that you save. Share your link below or on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #FrugalPhotoFriday. All of the link-up details can be found here.
I’m a big Target shopper – and yes, you’re right – it’s so tempting to overspend! I always plan ahead, use coupons & try to stick to my budget. But I also allow myself a tiny bit of wiggle room too. If I go to Target on a whim (without a list or coupons, etc.) that usually spells trouble!
It would take a lot of self control for me to shop at Target on a regular basis. Thankfully, there isn’t one on my regular route or I would be there all. the. time. 🙂
I was just thinking this the other day when I was looking over last months expenses. My cost were down and there wasn’t a single trip to Target or Walmart. Even if I just go in for the freebies I usually end up buying clothes or other deals that I don’t really need.
YES!!! When I was big into couponing, I was super strict with myself. I would go in just for the freebie and keep blinders on until I was back out of the store. It is so hard to do though.
I only shop Target or Walmart about 4 times a year. I have found that the prices at Walmart are almost always higher than Winco Foods so I don’t shop for food hardly at all at Walmart. Target is a good place for me to get my kids clothes at good sale prices, since our local thrift store don’t seem to have too many kids clothes. But I don’t shop for much more at Target than those items. I used to shop once a week when my daughter was little but I found I purchased lots of items we just didn’t need. Now going to Target seems more like a chore than a fun outing.
I don’t coupon as much as I used to since we have a great discount grocery store near my home. I get most of our produce and food items there just filling in with sales/coupon items from other grocery stores. I’m usually really good at sticking to a list, only deviating from it to pick up a really good unadvertised deal. 🙂
Target does have some really adorable clothes. Why is it that I shop for kids clothing 1,000 times more than I do for my own clothing. I guess that is just one of the sacrifices of being a mom. 🙂