« Change Jar | Home | Do Not Call list »
Buy what you need
By Daphne | October 4, 2007
I’m not a big milk drinker. Whenever I wanted milk I used to buy a quart or half gallon because the price was better. Sounds good but… I would only use about a pint of milk.
 I was wasting money by buying the larger size. Was that good use of my money? No. I felt a twinge of guilt when I would throw the milk out after it spoiled. It was a good price. Then I stopped buying the large size and started buying the size I needed. Though that size may cost more per fluid ounce, I don’t waste any so the “cheaper” fluid ounces aren’t being thrown out. A good steward takes advantage of sales but doesn’t waste. When I stopped buying the larger size milk I saw that I had what I really needed.
Buying only what you need or will use saves money. It may sound simple but if you keep this in mind before you go shopping then you will make fewer mistakes and save money.
How many times have you convinced yourself at a large shopping club or even regular grocery store that the largest size is the bet even though it is more than you (or your family will ever use)? Then if you are like me with the milk you may end up throwing it away. There are some things that you may buy in bulk and will use without fear of it going to waste… toilet paper and paper towels. After that, the list gets short very quickly.
Buying detergent in large containers is smart but they will tend to take up a lot of space in a short while. And if you have to take your container of detergent to the laundry room or laundromat you need to have a smaller container to transfer the detergent so that you aren’t lugging a gallon container (or larger with you along with your laundry).
Coffee, I drink coffee almost every day but sometimes if you keep it too long it doesn’t taste much like coffee anymore. A couple of years ago someone donated 20 pounds of coffee to our church. We used it a couple of times for breakfast but the breakfasts were months apart and the coffee had started to make its descent into nastiness. Another tip: Buying too much at one time can backfire on you. Even if the discount club offers a great deal, will you use the item before it loses its vitality.
Only you know what you can use within a reasonable amount of time and spending plan. If I drank milk every day I probably would reconsider and buy a larger container. I only use milk once or twice and then don’t get the urge to have some again for a while. I drink coffee almost daily and will go through a pound in short order but I don’t have a lot lying around because even it is packaged fresh it will still lose its savor if I have too much on hand.
 Ask yourself before you buy… “Do I really need that large package just because it’s a better price?”
Topics: October 2007 |