I remember a few years ago, self-service checkouts used to scare me. I was afraid I’d mess something up when I paid on them. But once I learned how to use them, it changed my life. And I literally grow up when my grandma and grandpa with two items in their cart would rather wait in an hour-long line than pay quickly and easily. Older people may struggle with these relatively new conveniences, but on the other hand, they obviously save money because of it. Not time, mind you, but money, according to surveys, for sure.

Nobody checks what we buy at self-service checkouts. Unless it’s alcohol or other age-restricted products. But no one sees whether a woman buys pads or tampons, or how many chocolates we take out of the store. And even that is often the reason why the contents of our basket are different than if we were unloading it in front of a cashier on a conveyor belt.

40% more expensive

British experts recently came up with the claim that shopping at self-service checkouts often means spending far more, often by as much as 40%. No wonder. Although I personally don’t worry too much about it and unload the same products on the checkout belt as at the self-service checkout, I know some of my friends don’t.

I was shopping with a friend recently, but when I tried to line up at the regular checkout counter, she stopped me, “Look at my purchase.” I smiled at the fact that she had two packages of feminine hygiene products and a bar of chocolate in her cart. In my opinion, no one at the checkout would have judged her, but I understand that she preferred to mark this purchase herself.

In this case, it makes sense, but then there are people who reach for the candy on the last shelf at the self-service checkout, or simply buy even what they don’t need because “no one can see it“. A human cashier may unwittingly inhibit impulsive behavior because the person meets the cashier face-to-face. With self-service checkouts, simply the absence of social contact costs the person more money.

Our purchase passes through our hands only at the self-service checkouts, it is not checked by any other person. Maybe that's why we often buy things we don't necessarily need. ━━ Our purchase passes through our hands only at the self-service checkouts, it is not checked by any other person. Maybe that's why we often buy things we don't necessarily need. ( Source: Jack Sparrow /  Unsplash+ )

Principles of shopping at self-service checkouts

Self-service checkouts allow us to shop faster, especially if we only have a few items in our basket. In addition, no one is watching and checking our purchases, so we have a greater sense of privacy. Yes, it saves us time and maybe makes us feel more comfortable. However, if one is not careful, one realizes only at home that once again one has spent more money than one originally wanted.

It’s good to go shopping with a solid list that doesn’t have approximate numbers of items on it, but exact ones. For each item, it is a good idea to think about whether you really need it. In addition, there are other shopping guidelines to follow when shopping at a self-service checkout. For example, one should never go to the store hungry or under a lot of stress. Then he generally spends more, psychologists warn.