Outsmart these retailer tricks to save!

Surprised when you spend more than you intended when shopping? It's not your fault! Hidden marketing tricks are causing you to go over budget. Luckily, knowing what these spending traps are can help you avoid them

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Snack shopping?

Next time you plan to shop for ice cream, chips or another tasty treat at the supermarket, decide which one you'll get before you reach the snack aisle. More and more food manufacturers are putting extra-large images of their snacks on the front of their packages. That's important to be aware of since a recent study in the journal Psychology & Marketing shows that when you see jumbo-sized images of an indulgent food, you're significantly more likely to buy it regardless of price!

"Visuals can make all the difference when deciding which brand to buy or which company to buy from," says Carol Osborne, director of the Zimmerman Advertising Program at the University of South Florida. "When you see images of food on packages that look more appetizing than they are in reality (say, because they're a bigger portion and have better presentation and richer colors), you'll likely grab it."

Shopping online?