In order to get the best out of my money I shop in a particular way. I plan my needs and also my budget. I also do not buy all my stuff from the same departmental store across the street. I have developed a habit of shopping all around the city of Ludhiana and hence shopping is also a stress buster for me.
Also keep in mind the budget in hand. Your list should be well organised and needs to prepared in over a period of several days. Take 5 minutes every day in the week you intend to go to the shop. You may forget something on a particular day but remember it the next day. Buying large stocks at once helps in cutting costs but you should never buy more than you need.
Know your budget and then divide it into different sections like edibles, toiletries, hosiery, tools etc in your list. A list like this also helps in another way. You can visit the relevant shops in an order convenient to you and save a lot of time by having all items to buy from there written in an order. It saves a lot of fuel and helps you to avoid confusion.
Finally, try not to buy everything which is on sale. The shrewd salespersons will try to sell you everything by giving you lucrative offers. You should not buy anything you do not need at the time. Ask yourself the question before buying anything. Do I really need this? You can cut down a lot of expenditure these days and save for that favourite dress of yours.