If you plan to make a purchase now is the time to do it. This is not for a patriotic reason to go out and spend to support the U.S. economy. This is more self serving: stores are hurting and if you had something you wanted to buy the deals are good now.

Do not go out and buy something just to buy something. That is the reason we are in this miss now but if you are planning to purchase something, look around – the next place you look may have the better deal or offer a coupon which will help you save money.

I had been thinking about purchasing another DVD player. The one that I saw at a big electronics store was $100. Since I wasn’t in any hurry to get it and had been thinking about the purchase for a while, I checked online and found the same model cheaper, plus no tax which allowed me to save $18 (if you factor in the tax).

The consumer index grew by .3 percent last month. Why? Because of things that people couldn’t do without: food and gasoline.

Stores are trying to lure you in to make a purchase. Which is probably the last thing a lot of people need to do, but if you do make a purchase make sure you can pay for it – even if you need to use a credit card.

Can you sustain your lifestyle if you spend once in a while on well thought out purchases that are within your budget? Yes. Can you sustain your lifestyle if you spend more than you make and are in debt up to your eyebrows? No. Not spending anything and waiting until retirement may make you bitter. Save enough to support your future and spend a little on an occasional treat. Make thrift popular again!

The more you spend the less you have, but if you save everything, then when it does come time to buy something other than the bare necessities then you will freeze up. Frugal and miser are not synonymous. Material things do not mean that you have a better life but if you want to enjoy yourself within your means it is possible. If that means that you buy less and thereby have less.

A miser buys nothing and is stingy even with personal consumables. It may take you a little while to think about what you would like to purchase. Does your money work for you? Having what everyone else has won’t make you happy but you won’t be happy with a lot of debt or unwanted purchases.