Easy, fool-proof tips that will make your shopping experience safer and more efficient.
In Australia’s viral “Dumb Ways to Die” public service announcement for railway safety back in 2012, artist Tangerine Kitty detailed—as the campaign title indicates—dumb ways to die, including eating a two-week-old unrefrigerated pie, inviting a psycho killer inside the house, standing on the edge of a train station platform when no one should, or taking off the helmet as an astronaut in outer space.
Today, as the country and the rest of the world continue to battle coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), it’s become a consensus that one dumb way to endanger life and contract SARS-CoV-2 is through frequent but unnecessary trips outside the house.
While Filipinos are constantly told to go outside only for shopping of essential goods, even that seemingly simple task has become more challenging than usual.
Fret not. There are easy-to-follow and effective ways to outsmart Covid-19 while shopping.
Prepare a list
With or without a pandemic, or whether online or in-store, making purchases with a list to follow speeds up shopping time. This is especially important when getting groceries or other life essentials as it reduces possible exposure to the virus. It also makes sure that not one necessity will be forgotten.
Set a budget
Just like a shopping list, specifying a budget for needs and even wants is helpful. Not only does it keep a person from spending too much, it also determines which expenses to prioritize and which can be pushed to a later time (or pay day). It’s probably for the best to pay via payment apps, if possible, because while there’s still no solid evidence that cash or coins transmit Covid-19-causing virus, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Practice protective measures
To be constantly told to wear a mask, practice physical distancing, and sanitize often probably sounds as annoying as a broken record, but these are all important practices to lessen the chances of being infected. All of these measures combined are way cheaper than treatment costs for Covid-19.
Sanitize items
Another way to outsmart Covid-19 is through sanitizing purchases. While the likelihood of the virus to live on surfaces and infect people is still subject to further research, it wouldn’t hurt to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly, wipe down canned goods or plastic-packaged food with gentle sanitizing wipes, throw that new shirt or jeans into the washing machine, or sanitize that skincare product package before use.
Go online
If there’s something the pandemic has made more convenient, it’s shopping online. Most, if not all stores, now offer options to order and pay online. That goes for food, clothing, house decorating needs, plants, among others. Take advantage of this option and skip that trip outside the home.