By now we know that the grocery store, like most other stores, is a mine of traps aimed at trying to get you to spend more. And while you may be on the alert when it comes to some of their tricks, there are some tricks that you may still be falling for. Take a look at some secrets you may not yet know when it comes to your grocery store trips:

1. More Than Half of Shoppers Decide Not to Buy Stuff in the Checkout Line:

   Supermarkets are aware of this, and this is why checkout lanes have begun to get narrower with less space to off-load unwanted items. So take inventory of your purchases before you get into the checkout lane so that you can unload what you need to upon reflection.

2. Listen to Upbeat Music While You Shop:
   

   Many stores plant earworms by way of slow music, slower than the average heartbeat. That lulls you into spending more time at the store, which then leads to spending about 29% more, Lindstrom says.

3. Don’t Buy a Cake on the Day You Need It:

   The cakes that you see in the bakery on display have most likely been sitting there for a while, so they won’t last as long as a cake that’s been ordered in advance for the day you need it.

4. Ask and “Ye Shall Receive”
   

   “The butcher will tenderize meat for you, the baker will slice a loaf of bread, and the florist will usually give you free greenery to go with your loose flowers,” says Teri Gault, grocery savings expert and CEO of thegrocerygame.com. “At some stores owned by Kroger, the seafood department worker will even coat your fish in flour or Cajun seasoning and fry it up for free.”

5. There’s a Reason That Bread is in a Brown Paper Bag:

   Stores know that the sooner your bread goes stale, the sooner you’ll be back to get more. So when you get home, immediately wrap loaves in airtight plastic bags to keep them fresher for longer.

6. Ask About Getting an Early Discount is Something is About to Expire:

   If you see an item that’s about to expire the next day in the bakery or meat department, ask about getting an early discount. It’s probably going to get marked down the next day anyway, so it’s worth asking. Sometimes they’ll mark it down for you right then and there.

7. Just Because Something is in the Circular Doesn’t Mean That It’s On Sale:

   A lot of products in circulars are just advertised so that you’ll buy them – they’re not necessarily on sale. Do your research when it comes to price comparison and don’t fall for the circular’s tricks.

8. USDA Quality Grade Means More Than the Cut’s Name:
   

   Angus? So what “that’s no guarantee it’ll be a good steak, says Kari Underly, former grocery store meat cutter and author of The Art of Beef Cutting: A Meat Professional’s Guide to Butchering and Merchandising. “Prime is the best, then choice (usually the highest grade available in grocery stores), followed by select, and finally standard.”

Find more tips over at Reader’s Digest’s 50 Supermarket Tricks You Still Fall For.

Thanks to Consumerist for the heads up!