How much is a plastic bag worth?

Yesterday at Target, I used my own bag. I told the cashier so she wouldn’t start bagging my items. Then she cheerily told me that for bringing my own bag I get 5¢ off of my purchase. It’s not a lot but does help reduce waste and encourages people to bring their own bags. In one bag of my own that I comfortably carried, I packed enough items that would have been packed in at least three bags.

Target and some retailers have heavier plastic bags which are good for reusing and if you have to buy your own garbage bags or can liners they may cost more than 5¢ unless you buy them at the dollar store.

Five cents is a small bonus for me to remember to bring my own bags and to also reduce the clutter in my home. I have several plastic bags that I reuse and have not shown any wear or tear.

Is a nickel really worth it? Target tries to encourage shoppers to buy the bags they are selling and you would have to use the bag at least 20 times to recoup your purchase price. Personally, I don’t like using a bag that I bought at a particular store because it confuses the cashiers and they will try to charge you for the bag again.

Bringing my own bag also allows me to carry fewer bags from the store and forces me to empty the bag faster once I get home. Since I don’t have a dog, and recycle most of my garbage, having extra free plastic bags for garbage isn’t important to me and is worth the nickel.

“Consumers remain quite apprehensive about the short-term outlook and their incomes,” said Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board Consumer Research Center. “With the holiday season quickly approaching, this is not very encouraging news.”

So the question is… How are you feeling about spending money for Christmas?

Last Christmas there were fewer new “hot” toys and gadgets and this has also trickled down to this year. People are still concerned about employment and also the tightened credit market.

The majority of retailers go into the black during the Christmas season. Since people  have less to spend and tighter credit restrictions, this consumer might end up being royalty again.

How will your spending habits differ this year?

If you haven’t been working or have had a salary cut then you are definitely in the low consumer confidence area. Even if you have a steady job and haven’t had a pay cut, this doesn’t mean that this is the time to spend recklessly. Start budgeting now and if you can, start making Christmas gifts.

Consumer confidence had increased, but that was short lived and due to cash for clunkers. As the holidays roll around, people may spend a little more than usual, but they may not spend as much as they did two or three years ago.

It is the sign of the times when Wine Spectator (October 15, 2009) has an article about the best boxed wines as part of its issue devoted to wines under $20 and $10. The economy has some wine drinkers turning their noses up at the wine market for bottles $20 and up, whereas the $20 and under market is surging. Some growers have had a difficult time selling their varietal grapes so the quality of lower priced wines may increase, at least for the next couple of years.

People may be cutting back on more expensive wines, but wines that sell for less than $10 for a standard bottle have gained new popularity and have increased in quality. Box wines vary in size from 1-3 liters making boxes wines very affordable. I have tried a couple of different boxed wines and these aren’t the old jug wines of long ago, recyclable packing, and an airtight inner container in the box makes the wine stay fresh for a while, even if you have just one glass a day for a couple of weeks.

Why does frugality have to be painful?

If you know you only have $3000 a month and your necessities equal $2150 then why spend more? Too many commercials about saving money and cutting back make people seem like they are sad. “Saving money getting you down?”

Actually saving money makes me very happy.

Does saving money so you will have it for the future make you unhappy?

Ok we know that cutting down on nonessentials is only one way of spending within your means. Just as making changes in spending habits – especially those small daily indulgences that you don’t consider will make a difference for your budget.

If you overspend in one area often, then maybe you might want to increase your budget in that area. Overspend in an area once – like for air conditioning or heat, or an emergency tire or faucet then that is one thing. Overspend for groceries or cell phone bill then you need to increase your budget in that area.

Paying for many things with cash is a way of budgeting. When you run out of cash, you have nothing else to spend… simple.

“Coupons were not in vogue during our period of gluttonous consumption,” said Kit Yarrow, a consumer psychologist in San Francisco and an author of “Gen BuY: How Tweens, Teens and Twenty-Somethings Are Revolutionizing Retail.” “But now that it’s once again cool to be cheap, they’re back.”

Using coupons has always been in vogue with many frugal people. Now people who are considered more affluent are using coupons as well.

Even online retailers are offering coupons for things other than discounts or just free shipping. I made a purchase and found a free coupon for an item, in addition to reduced shipping.

Several coupon sites such as RetailMeNot.com offer coupons sent to you via email. Additionally, there are coupons you can receive via your cell phone.

The super coupon clippers have them organized. Keeping them in your wallet for easy access also works well too. Serious couponers might scoff at those who carry them in their wallets or loose in a bag, but one or two coupons can still help you save big.

Shoppers can take charge when you use coupons. Good deals can be made better with the use of a coupon.