Supermarket traps: mind control to increase spending
If you haven’t heard about this, you’ve been unconsciously getting duped and affected by the food manufactures. Stores are the “middle man” in the equation and need to markup items to be more profitable. Grocery traps are based on millions of dollars of consumer research and it’s not aimed at making you happier, rather making you spend more. With each year the stores and food manufacturers are getting better at improving their sales. In this article we’ll dive into some of the traps that are laid for you and how to avoid these mistakes that can be costing you thousands of dollars a year and worse sabotaging your health goals.
The easy stuff about grocery traps
First, let’s take a look at the simple grocery traps…
- End cap traps: End caps are the isle ends, simply for convenience. Stores known these areas get the most visual inspection so they place “sales” at the end caps. These items often aren’t the bargain you think they are, remember stores need to make a profit.
- Number hype: Signs, typically end caps often say “3 for $5,” or “buy 2 get 3,” but you’ll usually get the same price if you buy only one, so do the math!
- Look low and high, not eye level: The most expensive stuff is purposely placed at eye level. You would fare better to check the bottom and tops of the isles.
- Stay away smells: Stores purposely use smells to take advantage of your sense to exploit your wallet.
Come ready to fight for your life
Follow these hacks to game the grocery store to protect your wallet and family health.
- Shopping with a list: This is the most important and powerful way. Preparing a list will help keep on task and buying healthy options vs those you get tricked into. This saves money!
- Read the label: The label is there for a reason: to identify ingredients, so you can maximize nutrients and have something to compare products.
- Do the math: Use your smartphone (or calculator). Sales for “2 for $5” could be less expensive if you get just one. This is also see in double packed items, so compare sizes when evaluating the price of competing brands. Often, you’ll frequently find that smaller packages are cheaper per unit! It pays to look at those pesky small details.
- Fresh vegetables: Fresh veggies are usually less expensive than canned versions and contain more nutrients.
- Scout the store: Be a covert-ops agent and stay along the outermost edge of the supermarket. This uses the stores design against their profit driven motives. You’ll find the healthier, non-processed foods in this Shangri-La. The healthier you are, the less time you’ll spend in the middle.
Brain-washing causes you to buy more and more
The devil is in the details at the store. Keep your eyes peeled and you’ll see these at the store. Buyer beware.
- The shopping carts are bigger because it conditions you to think you need more, therefore spend more.
- Hard lean times cause primal survival instincts to perk up. This prompts you to buy items that seem to be “limited,” or “seasonal” in some way. By “limiting” an item, it causes our brains to go over board and horde items, remember the Twinkie factory closing? If you don’t it was supposedly the last original company factory before going bankrupt, needless to say lots were bought up out of desperation of loosing them forever.
- The very floor in the store can influence your purchases. Some areas are designed to bump, slightly rattle, or make distinct noises to the cart. This can speed up or slow down shopping habits. The hardness, color, and material all play parts in getting the shopper to perform the goals the store owners set.
- The price sign is often removed, especially on larger end caps. Seeing money and realizing you’ll be spending it decreases the chance of you making a purchase. The “$” sign is equated in our brain with “spending.” By getting rid of this sign, the barrier is removed, and sales go up.
One case-study on this showed by combining these steps; flooring, removing “$” sign, and placing a “limited time” offer, sales improved by seven times. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled when you’re in the store next so you can be aware of the manipulation at play and avoid frivolous spending.
The processed foods trap
Most folks are under the false impression that prepared or processed foods are not as expensive as whole foods. The reality is that prepared foods have to be prepared, which means someone had to get paid to prepare it. The same goes for processed, but these also contain less nutrients. When more paid people are involved to make a profit, the consumer is charged more. Often prepared foods have markup of double. By skipping out on processed foods you are unintentionally avoiding
Genetically Modified (GMs or GMOs) foods are not required by law to be labeled. Ironically Europe doesn’t accept American GM crops / foods. Over 95% of soy and corn are GM in the US. These crops and their derivatives such as corn oil, high fructose corn syrup, and soybean oil to name a few. These are the most common processed food ingredients and they aren’t any healthier for you.
Eating processed foods exposes you to the GM corn and soy. These crops are the most heavily sprayed in the history of agriculture. The more a crop is sprayed, the more it is exposed to herbicides and pesticides, making you sicker.
This raises the question, should I spend a little more now on healthier choices or pay the bills at the hospital and accept the possibly dangerous risks. Better yet take care of yourself, give the office a call and see how we can help you promote health from within. You cannot pick up a pound of “health” at the store, your body makes it. If there is interference blocking your brain body connect, you cannot be healthy.
Reversing grocery traps
When you have mastered the guide above, here is the next step. You want high quality and if possible organic food.
High-quality food – Regardless of your locale of shopping follow these to get the best food at that place.
- Not genetically modified
- No added antibiotics, growth hormones, or any drugs
- No artificial anything, including preservatives
- It is fresh
- Grown without pesticides and chemical fertilizers (organic is the best)
Organics – It can be confusing as there are different labels, you want to get the USDA organic label, check out this link for a bonus (allowed and prohibited substances).
Grocery stores, food manufactures, and cattle farmers are all businesses. Business follow the money, if not they have a tendency of closing shortly after. Grocery stores are focusing on lifestyle oriented stores boasting more organic products. Walmart has keen ears for products that consumers want. This is what it all boils down to, your purchasing decisions change policy. Vote with your sale and don’t buy the crap.