Exposed to a variety of goods in the market and bombarded by an overdose of advertisements, the poor consumer can easily get confused. How, then, can a consumer make a sound and intelligent decision on what and how to buy? Consumers must be equipped with shopping skills and should exercise vigilance, whether buying in a supermarket or in other types of stores, if he or she wants to save precious money, time and energy. It helps to know the following tips:

• To save time in locating products, familiarize yourself with the arrangements of stocks in the stores where you frequently do your shopping.
• To avoid missing special, genuine sales, shop systematically up one aisle and down the other.
• Keep a sharp eye for special price reductions of products which can be reserved for future use.
• Be alert for low-budget, economical but nutritious recipes and other consumer product information. Go for quality, not quantity.
• Vary your meals. Look to perk up the appetite of the family.
• Read labels carefully and take note of nutrition information such as contents, measure, etc.
• Look for expiry dates to insure freshness.
• Do not be ashamed to ask the assistance of store supervisor for information or location of some items.
• Compare prices per unit or serving.
• Help control. Store operating costs which will indirectly affect prices.　 Handle merchandise carefully.
• Go for value, not brand.
• Time saved is time well-spent. At the check-out counter, unload items with prices showing.

A friendly reminder from-