The supermarket 'basket trick' that could be making you spend more in shops

A UK consumer expert has shared a possible way to save on your next food shop, after revealing a supermarket 'basket trick' that could be making you overspend on shopping. Watch out for other supermarket tricks that encourage you to spend more.

As the cost-of-living crisis continues to affect millions of people across the UK, folks are looking for all sorts of ways to curb their spending. 

From avoiding pricey heating mistakes to finding cheaper ways to boil the kettle, it seems that the Internet nowadays is choc-a-block with tips on making ends meet during this difficult time. Some of the most popular tools for budgeting include using these clever food hacks, making homemade cleaning products, and even reclaiming lost Tesco Clubcard vouchers. 

A UK retail expert has now shared an important money-saving hack that could reduce your grocery bill - and it doesn't even involve much effort. 

"People used to find that if they put too much in a basket that you hold they got too heavy and that was a sign they should stop shopping, as they couldn't carry it. That's why you often see the baskets on wheels these days," consumer psychologist Dr. Cathrine Jansson-Boyd from Anglia Ruskin University told the Mirror.co.uk. 

What consumers may not understand, however, is that these baskets on wheels are often much larger than the standard ones you'd carry in your hands. 

"They can almost hold the same amount as a small trolley, but because it's a basket, you have the perception that you're buying less," Dr. Jansson-Boyd explained. 

"So when you're trying to save money, using one of these baskets is not necessarily a good thing to do, because you do tend to fill them up."

Supermarket bosses also tend to place these handheld baskets at more inconvenient spots in the store, requiring customers to travel further to retrieve them upon arrival. The trolleys and the baskets on wheels, however, are often situated at the entrance, making them a more appealing option for time-poor shoppers.

"If you want the smaller one you have to walk all the way round to get it, so it's usually just easier to grab the bigger one when you walk through as it's near the door," Dr. Jansson-Boyd added.