Scan Your Way To A Lower Grocery Bill

If you are looking for ways to save cash and reduce unnecessary spending, cutting costs at the grocery store is usually a good place to start. With most families spending more money than needed to stock their refrigerator and pantry each week, it is not unusual to go over budget while shopping for groceries and regularly used household products. While most consumers understand the basics when reducing grocery costs, such as using coupons, shopping with a list and replacing brand name items with the store brand, many consumers overlook the benefit of using hand-held scanners while shopping.

 
Unfamiliar with hand-held scanners? Perhaps you have seen them in your grocery store but haven't yet taken them for a spin. Here we will explain how self scanners work and the pros and cons of implementing a bit of technology into your standard trip to the grocery store.

 
What are self scanners and how do they work?

 
Most of us are familiar with the self check-out option available at many grocery and retail superstores. Most consumers also lean in one direction or the other regarding the use of these allegedly easy and convenient check-out aisles. Personally, I have never had luck scanning the items properly, bagging them on time and keeping the machine from repeatedly giving me directions I have already attempted to follow. Self check-out aisles were introduced in the late 1990's, however the self scanners we are referring to here have just been introduced in recent years. Unlike the self scanning aisle, many consumers now have the option of using a portable hand-held scanner which has a convenient holster attached directly to your grocery cart. In most stores, you activate hand-held scanners which are found at the store entrance with your store/customer card. Using your own canvas grocery bags, shoppers scan all items immediately and bag their groceries as they shop. This includes all items in the store from produce to the deli section. Once you have finished shopping, you simply use the designated aisles to check out- where your hand-held scanner is uploaded to a store register allowing you to pay and be on your way.

 
Pros and Cons of Hand-Held Scanners

 
Pros:

• Save money- Anyone who regularly shops for groceries is aware of how easy it is to lose track of how much the items in your cart add up to at the end of the trip. Hand-held scanners keep a running total of how much you have in your cart, making it easy to see with one glance exactly how much your grocery bill is at any point. This is extremely helpful for individuals on a tight budget or those looking to reduce their expenses.
• Save the environment- The easiest and most convenient way to "bag as you go" is by using reusable canvas bags. You can purchase bags that have plastic handles which hook onto the side of the shopping cart making it easy to arrange your products as you go. By ditching the plastic bags used in traditional check-out aisles, you reduce the waste that is added daily to our landfills.
• Save time- While it may take a few trips to streamline your process, self scanners can save you time in the long run. You generally avoid lines at final check-out and save time by having all of your groceries already bagged and ready to go. The same bag that you start out with is the bag that ends up in your kitchen at the end of the trip. No more time wasted loading your grocery cart, unloading your cart at checkout, then loading it once again to take it to your vehicle.

 
Cons:

• Glitches- As with all things technological, there is always the chance of glitches or errors that occur while using a hand-held scanner. You should get in the habit of actually looking at the device after scanning your product to ensure the right price is tallied. Problems with scanners could result in lost savings, time and additional aggravation.
• Job loss- Like many other areas of our society, when a machine is able to duplicate the work of a real live person, it is normally the person who loses the job. It is possible that jobs may be lost if self scanning grows in popularity.
• Requires attention to detail- This method of shopping is not for those who lack focus or the ability to keep track of their purchases. Clearly you have to remember to scan each item versus just throwing it in your cart and bagging as you go requires a bit of pre-planning to avoid bruised bananas and cracked eggs.
• Theft- Unfortunately there are individuals who will take advantage of this technology to get something for free. While it is true that most thieves will find a way to steal regardless of the situation, self scanners offer a great opportunity for those who lack a moral conscience.

 
This technology is not yet available at every store, however those who have the option of using self scanners should certainly give it a try to see how it can help them save time and reduce their grocery costs.