Comments on: Cheerful Frugality Buys One (Too Many)

By: Maria @ Financial-Tip

Maria @ Financial-Tip — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:35:08 +0000

Great point, it made me stop and think about whether I fall prey to the same trap. I think I have. For example, say something at the grocery store is “3 for $6″ … I automatically buy three, when all I really needed was 1 at $2. (Of course, if it is a very good sale, and a product you use regularly, it makes sense to stock up.)
I did laugh at my sister in law who went to get cream cheese and came back with 10 packs because the sign said “10 for $10.”

By: my Boaz's Ruth

my Boaz's Ruth — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:38:48 +0000

Erg. Yah

I went to the Dollar Store yesterday to get a birthday card for a friends’ son that we are giving money to this year (he’s got Leadership training camp this summer to save up for) and wanted something to put it in and didn’t want to pay the prices for cards.

Except cards were 2 for $1, not just $1 each so I had to buy at least 2. And I can’t buy a card for just *1* mother for Mother’s Day and not the other…

And then I went and looked at books. A Maurice Sendak book! And a book about religion in the military! And a collection of Orson Scott Card stories! And…

I walked out of there with over $8 in stuff. Maybe a grocery store card would havee been cheaper after all?

By: Lesley

Lesley — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:58:12 +0000

In our society we tend to horde and think more is better. I learned a great lesson this year in the difference between what I “want” and what I “need”. Our side by side refridgerator died over the winter and since we are a cash only family, I had to wait to get a new one. Well, what does a family of 6 do without a refridgerator? Fortuantly we live in northern NH and it is cold up here in the winter. I set a cooler outside and was able to keep things in that. Then we were blessed by someone giving us a small dorm room fridge. It is very small, but we have used it for months and been perfectly fine!! :0) Now that we have the cash to buy a new one, I know it does not have to be a massive one. Instead of getting the huge 1,600.00 one I settled on the $400.00 one and will be just as happy. It will hold the food that we use and I do not need to have an over abundance. ;0)

By: Jenn @ Frugal Upstate

Jenn @ Frugal Upstate — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:35:25 +0000

Ahh yes, I once said on my blog that I had spent $40 a the dollar store and someone commented “how could you do that?”. In my defense that was when they had the organic spaghetti sauce, so I stocked up (and it was about 20 months ago and I’m finally down to 2 cans).

I have to really watch myself on that sort of stuff too. I know that even with that “overspending” I still spend so much less than most of my friends on random “stuff”.

But I do find that the less I see, the less I want. I never go to the Mall anymore, because I tend to see things I “want”-but I don’t miss them if I don’t go. Because of gas prices, and the fact that most major stores are at least 30 min away for me, I am trying to cut my shopping down to once every 2 weeks or so for errands, shopping etc. The less I’m there, the less I can overbuy.

And I have started really looking at my purchases and putting things back before I go to the checkout when in the dollar store.

By: TC

TC — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:53:33 +0000

I am TRYING to think of my reserves (60 rolls of toilet paper, bulk garbage bags and tons of canned items, for example) as I do my monetary savings: it’s there if you really need it. But I sure do feel the urge to “spend” my stuff. I could use the last little sliver of the soap, but look, here’s a pristine stack of whole bars!

I’m pretty new to this whole thing. I think I have spent more money in the past 2 months “saving” than I did spending as usual in the previous 4 months.

I have to say though, that I feel richer than I have ever before in my life. I feel more in control. Is this an illusion a’la some sort of saving anorexia? We’ll see.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:16:56 +0000

I can go a little nutty at the Dollar Tree but what really gets me is going to the Goodwill. Because you know– if you want something you’d better buy it before someone else can. I’ll go to the Goodwill just to get out of the house sometimes and I always spend at least six dollars on a whim trip. I just spent 57 dollars filling up our gas tank so those get out of the house trips better be for a good reason from now on.

By: Cat

Cat — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:09:14 +0000

Ah, yes. You hit the nail on the head for me. I used to stock up on deals via double coupons and rebate items. I eventually became bothered by how much time I invested in “pursuing the deal.” (I guess I didn’t have the benefit of blogs that exist today to summarize weekly deals). I also was bothered by the waste I generated in using the products, as many are so over-packaged!

Equally important was my realization that I tended to devalue what I purchased because of the sheer quantity of stock I kept on hand. This even goes for the 20 lb bags of flour I bought (for the savings) and portioned into ziplock bags. I was more careless of its use of it because I had so much.

Now I just spend more for the highest quality I can justify, and try to use it wisely. It “hurts” to buy a lot of my organic groceries, or natural products, but I try not to waste one ounce!

By: Alyssa @Keeping the Kingdom First

Alyssa @Keeping the Kingdom First — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:56:07 +0000

Target is a big one for me. Somehow all my self-control and will power goes out the window when I walk into a Target. I gave it up completely, and find that I am spending much less elsewhere.

By: Cricket

Cricket — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:00:39 +0000

@Jane: I understand your calling the 99 Cent Store “The $20 Store” – When my daughter was little she called it the “YES” store – because if she wanted something (hey, it’s just a dollar) I always said “YES” – when everywhere ELSE it was no. No. No. Smart child.

By: Cricket

Cricket — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:58:51 +0000

The fastest way to trigger my “overspending” is to take me to ARC (in the Denver-Metro area), on a Saturday (half-price day!)

You can’t beat the VALUE for the dollars I spend, but dollars are dollars, and I spend TOO much every time!