For generations, the frugal shopper’s handbook had one golden rule: shop around. To get the lowest price, you were supposed to buy your eggs at one store, your meat at another, and your paper goods at a third. In 2026, this “cherry-picking” strategy is still popular, with the average American visiting nearly six different retailers a month to hunt for deals. But as gas prices fluctuate and time becomes our scarcest resource, we have to ask: is the “shop-around” method actually saving you money, or are you driving your profits away?
