There is a new study out of Cornell and SUNY that reports that the use of a credit or debit card is associated with the purchase of more unhealthy foods such as cakes and cookies. They also report that the use of a larger basket or shopping cart was associated with the purchase of more unhealthy foods and that shopping during the week was associated with the purchase of more unhealthy foods as compared to shopping during the weekend (an effect they speculate is due to less rushed and more focused shopping during the weekend - i.e., the grocery list effect).
So what do we take away from this? Factors that help you focus on what you are actually buying might help you make better choices. Using cash helps focus one on the actual costs of what he or she is buying. Using a smaller basket results in less space to fill (like using a smaller dinner plate) and might focus one more on getting what is needed without tossing a bunch of extra items in the cart. And, shopping with a list and buying only what is on the list might help you stick to your plan and avoid impulse buys. We like it any time that we can make simple changes or modifications that help set ourselves up for long-term success. Give these a shot. Let us know if they work for you. Cheers,Larry