If you’re anything like the average American, your grocery shopping strategy probably consists of opening the fridge, noticing it’s empty, and then stocking up with whatever you need, even if none of the items on your list are on sale. As you probably guessed, this shopping method will not be kind to your bank account.

　　普通美国人是怎样买食杂品的?通常来说，就是你打开冰箱，发现里面空了，然后你就去买所有你需要的东西，哪怕一件也不打折。是的，这种购物方法太对不起你可怜的存款余额了。

　　While you may have heard of extreme couponing, there are less exhausting ways to save money at the supermarket.

　　久战大型商超者，必然见过很多“优惠券狂魔”。然而你不必花那么多心力积攒优惠券，一样也可以在超市省下不少钱。

　　Here are the mistakes you’re making when you shop for groceries, and how to fix them:

　　以下都是我们在买食杂品时常犯的错误，此外还有一些如何避免它们的建议：

　　Coming in without a list

　　进超市不列单子

　　Meal prep is key here. If you plan your meals for the week ahead of time, you’ll walk in with a plan and be less likely to stray from your list by compulsively grabbing pricey snacks or random ingredients that will sit in the back of your pantry unused.

　　关键是要给自己下一周定个食谱。这样你走进超市时，心里已经有了计划，也就不会一时兴起买一些昂贵的零食，或是随便拿些买回家根本不会做的食材。

　　Going to the store hungry

　　饿着肚子逛超市

　　This is probably a no-brainer, but always eat a meal before going to the supermarket. Nothing good comes out of a shopping trip when you’re starving. Lifehacker suggests chewing mint gum while you shop so you’re less likely to fall victim to the store’s scent marketing tactics (yes, that actually exists).

　　这个道理是显然而见的——逛超市前一定要吃饭。如果你饿着肚子逛超市，你的消费肯定是不理性的。Lifehacker网站建议，你在超市购物时可以嚼一块薄荷口香糖，这样你就不会掉进商家“气味战术”的陷阱里。(他们真的有这一招哦!)

　　Being too lazy to use coupons

　　懒得用优惠券

　　We’re not suggesting you make coupon-clipping a competitive sport like those extreme couponers, but there are several insider tips you can learn from them. The Krazy Coupon Lady advises buying your groceries at multiple stores to find the best discount, and to remember that certain chains take competitor coupons. She also suggests downloading money-saving apps like Ibotta and Checkout51.

　　我们不是建议你像那些走极端的“优惠券狂魔”一样，把大把的时间用来剪优惠券，但这东西上面的确是有窍门的。“疯狂优惠券大妈”(The Krazy Coupon Lady)网站建议道，你可以多去几家商超，看哪家折扣力度最大，而且你要记住，有些超市还接受竞争对手的优惠券。该网站还建议，你可以下载Ibotta和Checkout51之类的省钱APP。

　　Shopping on the weekend or in the morning

　　周末或早晨去超市

　　Believe it or not, there are better days and times to shop. Most people do their grocery shopping on a weekend so they can prep ahead of time, but mid-week is when products with short shelf lives like meat and dairy go on sale. Plus, there are more discounts as the day wears on and stores need to get rid of perishables. Your best bet is to shop on a Wednesday night, says Lifehacker.

　　你相信吗，购物能不能省钱，也是分时段的。多数人都是周末买食杂品的，然而周内才是像肉类和乳类这种上架周期较短的商品打折的时候。另外，一般来说，越接近晚上，越是超市需要处理掉易变质食品的时候。所以Lifehacker网站指出，去超市采购最省钱的时间是周三的晚上。

　　Ignoring sale cycles

　　不了解销售周期

　　ales at supermarkets aren’t random; they run in 12-week cycles. Stop being shocked at the price of meat when you walk in the door by learning the ebb and flow of sale cycles. You can see an example of a month-to-month sale calendar from Krazy Coupon Lady here. Another tip is always buy produce that’s in season: it’s cheaper and usually fresher.

　　超市并不是心血来潮了才打折，而是有周期的，这个周期一般是12个星期。如果你窥得销售周期之道，趁打折季进店大采购，肉价会便宜得吓你一跳。你在Krazy Coupon Lady网站就能看到一个“销售周期日历”的例子。另一个小窍门是尽量买应季食品，因为它不仅更便宜，也更新鲜。

　　Not buying in bulk

　　买得太零碎

　　There’s a reason why Costco is so popular. Buying in bulk is (generally) cheaper. The best items to buy in bulk are non-perishables like paper goods (toilet paper, napkins, paper plates, etc.), and cases of water, according to Spoon University.

　　好市多能火起来是有原因的。因为你只要买得多，价格(一般)就能便宜些。据Spoon University网站称，适合普通家庭大量囤货的一般是不容易变质的商品，比如纸类商品(厕纸、纸币、纸碟等等)，另外就是纯净水了。

　　Buying everything in bulk

　　什么都买很多

　　But just because you can buy almost anything in bulk, doesn’t mean you should. After all, you’ll probably waste a lot of food and your house will start to look like an episode of “Hoarders.” If you always check unit prices, you’ll find that certain foods like cereal or frozen foods are cheaper in smaller rather than larger quantities, Quick and Dirty Tips advises.

　　很多东西能一次性囤很多，并不代表你非要这么做。毕竟你可能有很多食品会白白浪费掉，你家里看起来也会像个囤积癖患者的房子。另外Quick and Dirty Tips网站建议道，如果你经常查看商品价格的话，你会发现有些食品的价格(比如麦片和冷冻食品)反而是量小时比量多时更便宜。

　　Buying all brand names

　　什么都买品牌货

　　Certain products can’t be replaced by generic store brand like Oreos, Coca-Cola and name brand ice cream. But who cares if you’re buying Kleenex or “Generic Tissue?” Household cleaning products are perfectly fine to buy off-brand as well.

　　有些品牌的食品用作坊货是替代不了的，比如奥利奥、可口可乐或者品牌冰淇淋等等。但如果你买的是卫生纸，谁在乎你买的是可丽舒还是普通牌子?特别是家庭清洁用品，用杂牌的也完全不打紧。

　　Not knowing how much your food should be worth off-hand

　　不知道你的食物应该值多少钱

　　Quick! What’s a fair price for a gallon of milk in your neck of the woods? If you don’t know off the top of your head, you may be paying more than you should. Lifehacker suggests keeping a price book so you don’t fall for fake sales where overpriced products are going for what looks like a great deal, when they’re actually discounted to a normal price.

　　快看，那边的牛奶卖得好便宜呀!当然，如果你不知道羊毛出在羊身上的道理，你还真以为你占了大便宜。Lifehacker网站建议道，你最好身边常备一份物价表，这样你才不会被“虚假促销”的把戏给哄了——也就是商家先将价格标得虚高，然后再打折，你以为占了便宜，其实只不过是按正常价格买的。

　　Looking at shelves that are eye-level or above

　　只看眼前或上边的货架

　　Here’s a little-known tip: cheaper items are usually stocked on the bottom shelves, whereas your expensive items will be stocked at eye-level. Why? Unless you’re in the know, the average consumer will unknowingly spend more just by shopping by line-of-sight.

　　最后还有个小窍门：便宜商品一般都堆在最下面那层货架上，而比较贵的商品才摆在与你的视线等高的货架上。为啥呢?因为大多数消费者会不自觉地把注意力放在视线轻易可及的范围里，这样商家就可以多赚些钱了。