Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
Saving time when grocery shopping can be as easy as heading to SavingsAngel.com to find the deals and print a personalized shopping list.
But how do you save time when you need to buy clothes, appliances or other non-grocery items? Here are five top tips to help busy people get in and out of the stores in no time.
1. Shop online first
The number way to get out of the stores quickly is to never go in them in the first place.
Online shopping can be a real time-saver, but beware of spending hours stuck in an endless browsing/price comparison loop. Instead, check out my previous article price comparison websites to discover where to go to quickly find the best deal.
But sometimes, you won't want to buy online. You may want to try on clothes or kick the tires or see a color in person.
However, even in those cases, you can save tons of time by doing a little pre-shopping online first. You can pare down your choices to just a few options worth looking at while you are in-store.
2. Have a list
It doesn't matter if you did some pre-shopping online or not, you need to have a list every time you go into a store. Retailers make big bucks off impulse buys, and they know exactly how to lure you into purchasing something you don't need and maybe didn't even particularly want in the first place.
You can fight back by only going into the store with a plan. Bypass every rack and display that doesn't fit on your list. I know your mind will be screaming “˜you're missing a deal!' But trust me, it's not a deal to spend money on something you don't need!
A final point on your list: don't write school pants or something just as vague. Before you step foot in the store, nail down exactly what and how many of each item you need ““ such as 2 pairs of size 10 jeans.
3. Shop on weekdays
I don't have to tell you the stores can be a nightmare on the weekends. And don't even think of going to the mall on Saturday if you are trying to shop in a hurry!
Not only do you have the regular shoppers there, you also have to contend with hordes of teens with nothing better to do and families who are trying to get out of the house for an hour or two.
If at all possible, shop during the week. If you work during the day, try the evenings. Tuesdays and Wednesdays will be your best bet for a quick shopping trip. Otherwise, for the lightest crowds, try to get there right when the store opens.
4. Consolidate shopping trips
If you need to do some heavy duty shopping ““ such as around Christmas time ““ try to get it all done at once. It might make for a long day, but it will save you lots of time compared to running back and forth to various stores.
Create a list of where you need to go and use that to make a route of shops. Or if you can't hit them all in one day, at least group them together so you don't need to visit the same shopping district more than once per season.
You may even want to take a day off work to get it all done at once if you have a lot on your plate.
5. Hire a personal shopper or shopping service
Finally, if you are really pressed for time, consider using a personal shopper or a shopping service.
This isn't the cheapest way to shop, but it is definitely a time-saver – and might actually cost you less than you think. Personal shoppers range from actual people you hire to select items and buy them on your behalf to services that will get your order ready for pick-up.
There are also iPhone apps such as PS Dept and Swirl that can help save you time. While PS Dept will actually connect you with shoppers who will hook you up with luxury brands, Swirl works by identifying items that are trending as well as store sales.
