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Great Deal or Great Pain?
By Daphne | July 31, 2008
Is it worth it to go to several stores just to get a bargain?
If you are walking, or have an unlimited transit pass you will only spend time but how much is your time worth if you decide that you need to traipse all over town just to get a better deal. If you buy a last minute bottle of wine to take to a friend’s party at the closest store farther than the cheapest store you may miss out on some of the fun or have to go out of your way to save only a couple of dollars. It is not worth it. If you were buying a case of wine for a larger event then the savings would be worth it.
When you have decided to go out with friends and are splurging within your budget, do not begrudge yourself a glass of wine or mixed drink if that is what you want or can afford, because of the cost. In doing so, you are acting cheap, rather than being frugal. Everyone knows that beverages are marked up. Don’t cheat yourself.
Planning ahead will save you money most of the time but there are other last minute expenditures that you can’t get around.
Going out of your way to save a dime is foolish, especially with the price of gas. Planning shopping trips in order to save at least $5 which is more than the cost of a gallon of premium gas would be worth it. Still, be reasonable when trying to get a bargain. I’ve been to stores where a sale item is out of stock, and no rainchecks offered because the store was receiving a shipment later that week. I don’t want to have to make return trips to a store that is a distance. For items that are available at a really unbelieveable price, go early during the sale period so that you can get the sale items.
Before you go out trying to get a really great deal on something, think about how much it will cost you in terms of time, effort, or gas and determine if the amount you spend is really worth the amount you save. In some cases it isn’t worth it.
Topics: July 2008 |