Shopping when you have just finished moving into a new location, either locally, in another city, or another country is very similar to grocery shopping when you’re hungry. It can lead to disaster because you either spend to much, buy on impulse and or forget what it was you wanted or needed to purchase in the first place. This can happen as a result of being unfamiliar with the grocery stores in the area and loss of patience looking for items that you simply decide to grab whatever is on the shelf regardless of the price.   This does not only apply to buying groceries, it also applies to purchasing new furniture or household items for your new home and it can easily be avoided.   Don’t let poor planning cost you extra money when moving, take the time to plan your move properly and you will save a great deal of money on the little things. Here are some tips.

Tips on Shopping Once You’ve Moved

1. If possible, take the time to visit the local area before moving day to save money on gas having to search for stores and malls.
2. Visit the local stores and get a feel for where everything is located on the shelves.
3. Even better, make a shopping day out of it for your current home and it won’t seem like wasted time.
4. Create a realistic budget for how much money you will need for shopping once you arrive at the new location.
5. Check online flyers for deals and discounts that are happening in the local stores before you arrive.
6. Take inventory of the things you have so you won’t duplicate items. Remember you may have to empty the contents of your freezer or cupboards but you do not have to through everything out, there are perishable items you can save and you can also purchase freezing bags or coolers if your move is not that far.
7. Don’t shop on the day of the move as you will be too tired and not have enough patience to do it properly, make sure you are rested enough to do so.
8. Order pizza or other take out foods for dinner the day of the move and include that in your budget so it does not come as an additional expense on moving day.

There are always unexpected purchases during the move that you were not counting on, the trick is to limit the surprises by planning ahead.   If you do not plan your shopping budget and other things go wrong, you now have a problem that is compounded.