Does shopping when hungry make you spend more?

Discussion in Food & Drink started by Denis Hard • Jun 1, 2014.

  1. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

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    I hadn't noticed it before but after reading that tip today, I think that you can buy more than you planned to even if it's an extra can of soda to murder your hunger pangs for the moment. That means to save cash buying foodstuff or drinks you didn't plan on buying, gorge yourself on your favorite food first.

    Have any of you ever gone shopping when you were feeling really freaking hungry? How did it go?
     
  2. 003

    003Well-Known Member

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    Yes, I think shopping hungry will make you spend more as when you are hungry, you tend to have less self-control because you have stronger appetite for almost anything which harder to resist. So when you are hungry you feel like you want to eat all, and that you can eat all, buying a lot, only realizing after that because you are hungry, you bought more than what you can actually eat which could not have happened if you were not hungry in the first place.
     
  3. mikelouis

    mikelouisActive Member

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    Well hunger can drive you buy some food that you might probably not eat all but it is not necessarily true. Before a person decides to eat in restaurant, they know about their budget and will be keen not to pass it. So I think it is not necessarily true that you might spend more when you are hungry.
     
  4. Sweetkymom

    SweetkymomActive Member

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    Yes, shopping when hungry can trigger the idea of more junk in the cart. They say this because you will pick out tons of stuff just to satisfy your hungry at that moment. You could easily throw in 10 packs of cookies and not think its alot because you are hungry. As a cashier, I see and hear all the junk ppl get because they shopped while hungry.
     
  5. Moriarty

    MoriartyNew Member

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    I definitely notice that I buy more when I go shopping when I'm hungry. This is not necessarily a bad thing as long as you're aware that you do it. On the other side of the coin I find that I really hate shopping if I've just eaten a meal because looking at all the food makes me kind of sick. It's a lot more fun when you're hungry and are looking at it like you're looking at a menu and plan to eat some of it when you get home. So I don't mind grabbing a few extra impulse purchases when I go shopping but if you're on a tight budget make a list and be sure not to buy anything more than what you have on the list. Making sure you're not hungry when you go to the store can definitely help with this.
     
  6. Kazix

    KazixMember

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    Yup, I think there even is a scientific research about this topic. Not to mention that I have caught myself doing this. When hungry I always end up buying some kind of snacks or junk food even though I didn't plan to. And stores are designed in a way that all the tasty stuff (chocolates and other sweets) are located within an arms reach from cashier. So you end up looking at them while waiting in line.

    I usually plan my grocery shopping after a good meal, so I don't end up wasting money on things I don't really need.
     
  7. Parker

    ParkerWell-Known Member

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    I definitely buy more food when I shop while hungry. Not only do I buy more groceries for the week; I buy something that I can eat without cooking. My favorite store is Trader Joe's. If I'm shopping while hungry I will buy prepared food to eat before I get home. Like a sandwich or salad. Then I will pick up a dessert.
     
  8. Intensity

    IntensityNew Member

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    I have never considered this concept of eating before you go shopping. It would make sense of course when you think about it. You're not shopping with hungry eyes as much as you are shopping with a realistic healthy desire. I shall keep this in mind from now on. :)
     
  9. Thejamal

    ThejamalActive Member

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    Yes! This actually just happened to me over the past week. I went to the grocery store before lunch and noticed my bill was around $30 higher than it normally is. I ended up buying lunch at the deli, some extra drinks I don't buy, some Ben and Jerry's ice cream, and a frozen pizza for later. All because they looked really "good" to eat at the time.

    I think it's natural that we'll buy more food we don't normally buy when we're hungry. We're buying foods that look good to us at that moment, rather than normal groceries we get for later on.
     
  10. Pat

    PatWell-Known Member

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    You should not shop in the grocery store hungry. I went to the store recently to get two or three things and purchased things that I still have not used only because I was hungry. I kept telling my self to only get what I needed but I was hungry and could only think about what would taste good.
     
  11. DrRipley

    DrRipleyExpert

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    I do spend a whole lot more whenever I shop for groceries on an empty stomach, because it makes me feel like I need or want a lot of the food displays more than I actually would if I were feeling a bit fuller. As for shopping for everything else, I really have never noticed, but since I'm mostly just grumpy whenever I'm feeling hungry, i'd guess that I probably don't spend that much more and probably even less when I am shopping on an empty stomach because I wouldn't feel like I am enjoying myself that much whereas if I were more comfortable then I'd probably be more inclined to spend.
     
  12. whnuien

    whnuienActive Member

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    Haha I have experienced this and yes, I agree. I didn't just buy more foods from a store but I also ended up in a restaurant after that and ordered more than I needed :D

    So avoid going for a shopping when you are hungry because everything will be tasty when you see them. But of course for those who don't have extra to spend then the case will be different.
     
  13. ohiotom76

    ohiotom76Well-Known Member

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    I don't necessarily spend more, when I shop hungry, but I tend to buy stupid stuff that I will not be hungry for later in the week. When I go on a full stomach, I will buy my usual staples that I eat most often. These are the "safe" things that I will most often be in the mood for when I get home from work, or can fall back on if I have no idea what to make for dinner when I get home. When I shop on an empty stomach, that's when I start buying all kinds of exotic stuff from the international foods aisles, and wanting to try out all sorts of crazy recipes.
     
  14. Lostvalleyguy

    LostvalleyguyActive Member

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    I bought ice cream? That was a question I asked myself a few months back when I got home. I had been out for a long bike ride and had popped into the grocery store to grab a few essentials I needed on the way home. I was hungry and a bit tired and my brain wasn't truly engaged in the activity of shopping. I bought ice cream. This is something I never buy as carting it home on a bike is a pain. I vaguely remember walking down the aisle and seeing it on sale.

    Yes, I would have to say shopping when hungry lowers the defenses and makes it more likely we will make purchases that we wouldn't otherwise make. I don't mind to occasional bit extra in my cart, but I do try to avoid getting carried away.
     
  15. Kitty Reeves

    Kitty ReevesActive Member

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    I personally think that it does, which is why I never shop for food when I'm hungry. I once spent twenty bucks more (doesn't sound like much, but I'm only feeding myself) during a food shopping trip because I was famished and in a rush. I just thought, "ooh, that looks tasty! And ooh so does that!" and chucked things willy nilly into my shopping basket. If I've already eaten or I'm not hungry when food shopping, I generally spend way less and am more frugal. Because I'll be buying what I actually need, not what I think looks tasty to me at the time.
     
  16. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

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    I never leave the house very hungry, only mildly hungry when I know that I'm about to eat outside. But leaving the house very famished is a big no-no, because like what you said, you will only end up buying things that you don't really need and it will just be a waste of money doing so. It is better to always go shopping with a list of the things that you have to buy so that you are aware of what you need and don't need to buy.
     
  17. MLNewkirk

    MLNewkirkNew Member

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    Yes! I try to never go shopping while hungry because I end buying a whole lot of junk food like candy, chips, frozen pizza, ice cream, etc. When I go to Stater Brothers, for example, I almost always end up buying a 12 piece fried chicken meal, for myself! It's the smell, it makes like heaven to me, haha!!!
     
  18. Lushlala

    LushlalaWell-Known Member

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    Oh gosh, NOT a good idea! I have done this many a time, and I can assure you; you will spend far beyond what you'd planned. I'm the same too, I then start buying all the rubbish food, I go to the deli and get all the hot food there, I get stuff I wouldn't normally get too much of like crisps and chocolate. That's why I really try to avoid doing it.
     
  19. Polgie

    PolgieNew Member

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    I guess if you're aware that it does and/or have a grocery list and/or budget, then it doesn't neccessarily have to happen. But, yes, it's much more tempting to buy random stuff when you're hungry. I've got a bag of chips in my drawer that I bought months ago when I was grocery shopping when hungry. :(

    I'm a really bad planner though, so when I'm going to the supermarket it's probably because I've run out of food and I need to make dinner and I'm at the supermarket, hungry, with a list of ingredients I just pulled off the internet and I know it's going to be at least an hour before I get to eat.... so it probably happens more than it should.
     
  20. Aladar

    AladarWell-Known Member

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    Yeah, definitely. I tend to buy stuff that I may not even eat once I get home. It's the worst when I'm hung over, I buy so much stuff that I would normally never bought, just because I suddenly have a craving for them.