As humans we are creatures of habit.  We settle into predictable routines repeated day in and day out. 

A person may read the same newspaper each morning, stop by the same coffee shop, socialize with the same handful of co-workers, and visit their favorite food truck for lunch every day. At home the same news channel are watched,  the same types of meals eaten, and the same type of music listened to.

Routine creates comfort and surrounds us with what’s familiar.  Yet our normal routines, our regular patterns of behavior can cost us dearly.  This is no more apparent than when it comes to shopping. Here routine behavior can be costly.   

Over years, even decades, our routine patterns of shopping behavior have been ingrained so that they become second nature. 

We’ve been shopping the same way for so long that it becomes almost impossible to change our ways.  In the process, our entrenched shopping routines – shopping ruts,  frequently blind us to cheaper alternatives. 

Yet every so often something comes along that forces us to change our routine behavior.  For some its a reduction in financial resources. For others its a health scare that necessitates more healthy eating. 

Yet, when we do venture out of our comfort zones and try new things a funny thing happens – we inevitably find new ways to save money!  

For me the jolt to my normal shopping routine came in the form of an nationwide economic meltdown just as I was making a crucial career change.  As a result I was forced to tighten my financial belt and make serious changes in how I spent money. 

Here are just a few of the ways in which my routine, my shopper’s rut cost me hard earned money. 

For nearly eight years I’ve known about Aldi supermarkets. Yet week after week, year after year I’d bypass Aldi stores and shop at my favorite local supermarket. 

Yet it took an economic downturn to force me out of my comfort zone and check one of these supermarkets out.  To my surprise, what I found was a clean store with great low prices.

Aldi’s claims that the typical consumer will save  20%  to 37%  off of regular supermarket prices.  I routinely save $20 a week simply by shopping at Aldi’s. 

But what if I’d stepped out of my comfort zone eight years ago when I first heard of Aldi’s? I could have saved $20 a week for nearly 12 years, making me $8320 richer today!

Bakery outlets are another change in my routine for which I am now grateful. I was first introduced to the concept of bakery outlets by my grandfather when I was a small kid.  

Yet once I was an adult my weekly shopping routine never entailed shopping at one. It was only in the past year that I was forced out of my shopping rut and experienced the enormous benefits of shopping at a bakery outlet. 

Not only can you get bread and other baked goods at a 50% to 75% discount over supermarkets but the products are frequently just as fresh as those found in your supermarket.  

I can easily save $25 a month by making a monthly visit to my local bakery outlet. My normal shopping routine was costing me $25 a month, or nearly $3000 over the last decade!

It was these changes as well as several dozen others that got me thinking of how my routine way of grocery shopping blinded me to cheaper and often better alternatives. 

So how do we break those shopping patterns that have been so deeply entrenched through weekly repetition?

You could wait for external factors to force a change in your shopping behavior or you could take the plunge yourself and just decide one day to do something different.

As the Nike commercial fondly advertises:  “Just Do It” 

Either way you’re bound to save money. 

Here are some examples of simple ways to break your normal shopping routine: 

• Try a local bakery outlet. Find an Entenmann or Wonder/Hostess bakery outlet near you.
• See if your supermarket has a store brand guarantee that allows you to return store brand products if you don’t like them. Then try a few of these products risk free. 
• Check out a local Aldi’s supermarket. Find a location near you. 
• Purchase a Sunday newspaper and clip a few coupons for things your family normally purchases. 
• Instead of just picking up the name brand item that you’ve been buying for years, try the item that’s on sale. If you are true to Tropicana Orange Juice but its not on sale, try the brand (say Minute Maid) that is on sale. 
   

Anything that gets you thinking or acting different when it comes to your same old shopping routine is a step in the right direction. 

Have you changed your shopping behavior to save money? If so what did you do? How’d you do it? We’d love to hear. Leave a comment below.

A Review of the Bakery Outlet

It always amazes me how people pay vastly different prices for the very same product or service. One person on a transcontinental flight may pay $925, while the person right next to her is charged only $350.

One family walks into a showroom and shells out $18,700 for a new car, while another family pays only $17,500.

The same thing happens with groceries. As consumers we pay vastly different prices for essentially the same food.

Smart shoppers, for instance, easily pay up to a 75% less for their bread and bakery products. Their simple secret – Bakery Outlets.

I have to admit, when I first heard about the resurgence of people shopping at bakery outlets I was quite skeptical. My impression of bakery outlets had always been one that viewed them as small dingy places selling stale or outdated food that had been rejected by local supermarkets.

My perception couldn’t have been further from the truth. Not only are these places extremely clean but they simply are not allowed to sell outdated merchandise. In fact, I discovered that the items in the bakery outlet were frequently fresher than those at my local supermarket.

Many bakery outlets receive products directly from the company bakery. In the Chicago area, for instance, Wonder/Hostess bakery outlets receive shipments directly from the bakery three to five times a week!

I’ve passed by many bakery outlets but never considered stopping until I heard about the great savings people were enjoying. The particular bakery outlet I visited was an Entenmann’s bakery outlet located on the north side of Chicago. As with many bakery outlets this one was located in a small non-descript building in the middle of a strip mall.

Particularly reassuring was the large sign on the wall that greeted you as you walked in. In huge letters it simply stated that if you were not happy with your purchase for any reason you could return it for a full refund. I found the staff to be extremely friendly and helpful as well.

You’ll typically pay 50% to 75% less for bread and bakery goods at a bakery outlet compared to a conventional supermarket. As you first enter an outlet it becomes quite evident that they sell much more than just bread.

You’ll find a wide assortment of items including whole wheat bread, hot dog rolls, hamburger buns, bagels, English muffins, pita pockets, pizza crusts, and cereals. You’ll also find my favorites – donuts, muffins, cakes, pies, and a variety of other sweets.

The savings quickly add up. A loaf of bread that could easily cost you $3 in the supermarket will set you back only $1.50 at the outlet. A $3.29 pack of English muffins will cost you only $1.65. And if these products are near their sell-by dates the savings will be even more dramatic.

Items that are within a few days of their sell-by dates are placed on a special shelf and marked 75% off of their normal supermarket price. As I found out, this is the point at which many savvy shoppers stock up.

I talked to one very friendly elderly lady with a grocery cart overflowing with items. She told me with a huge smile on her face that she buys outlet items for her whole family – including her adult children.

She then informed me proudly that the secret is placing the bread and other goodies in the freezer as soon as she gets home. That way whenever she needs fresh bread or baked goods she simply goes to her freezer for a long-lasting supply of cheap food.

And this lady was not alone. Most of the shoppers at the outlet were busy filling their shopping carts full of bakery items. I followed suit and stocked up particularly on my favorites – English muffins, bagels, and donuts. As instructed I took the items home and placed the extras in the freezer.

Nearly two months later I was still going to my freezer to pull out items that I had purchased at the super low prices. I was especially surprised that the donuts had held up so well. I couldn’t tell the difference between my thawed donuts and those I would normally have purchase at the supermarket.

In addition to the huge savings, bakery outlets frequently provide senior citizens with additional discounts. Many outlets also offer a punch card program in which you’ll receive a free item after buying ten items.

Three major bakery outlets dominate the US market and its relatively easy to find an outlet near you.

Wonder/Hostess Bakery Outlets - To locate a Wonder / Hostess Bakery Outlet near you visit the outlet locator at the Wonder / Hostess website.

Entenmann’s Bakery Outlets – To find an Entenmann’s Bakery outlet visit the Entenmanns outlet locator on their website.

Sara Lee Bakery Outlets – Sara Lee doesn’t appear to have a bakery outlet locator on their website. The best way to find a Sara Lee bakery outlet near you is to use the google search engine. Type in “Sara Lee Bakery Outlet ” and the name of the city you live in. You’ll then be shown listings near you.

Once skeptical of bakery outlets, it now actually pains me to pay full price for my English muffins, cakes, cookies, and other snacks at the supermarkets on the rare occasions I can’t make it to my local bakery outlet.

There’s no longer any need for you to pay high prices for bread and bakery products. Bakery outlets provide you with a way to purchase delicious bakery items at rock bottom prices – nearly 50% to 75% of supermarket prices.

In this tough economy its good to know there’s some place where you can still find a good deal.

Have you shopped at a bakery outlet recently? Let’s us know what you thought. Leave a comment below.

Update: This article was selected for inclusion in the recent Carnival of Pecuniary Delights at the MoneyNing personal finance blog.