Is that coupon taunting you? Yesterday without any trouble I tossed some coupons in the recycling bin because I knew I would never use them. Yet, there are still a couple of coupons that I am holding on to because they haven’t expired yet and I still might use them. The coupons that I am recycling I don’t know anyone who would use the product and don’t know where the product is even sold so the next time I went to the store I could put the coupons on the shelves near the time. That was too much work since I don’t know where to buy the product.

Coupons, like cash or credit cards can burn a hold into you pocket if you are not accustomed to them. Who really wants to pass up a great deal? If the item is free but you won’t use it, then why would you want to use a coupon promising you two of the same item for free with purchase?

There is fruit on sale at a local grocer. I went to stock up on apples, mangoes and other fresh goodies. The first thing I saw when I went into the store was that there was a very attractive display of apples and oranges in peck bags. That was much more than I needed so I opted to buy what I wanted. I did look at the pick apples in the bags which were the only display and noticed that many of the apples beneath the first couple were unattractive – soft, bruised and bordering on overripe.

I found some nice apples and mangoes, but this made me think that people who were in a hurry might just pick up a bag where the fruit looked decent on the top and keep going. Then later they would find that their fruit wasn’t in the best condition when they got home which is a money waster.

Fruit doesn’t have to be perfect or even underripe in order for you to eat it. Eating an apple with a blemish on it won’t kill you but buying the best fruit in the quantities that you need does help you keep tabs on the grocery dollars.

Fruit isn’t the only item that can get you with attractive packaging. There are multipacks of items that are sold in stores to make you think that you really need an extra item or two in a particular fragrance you don’t like. Case in point – gift baskets. Generally unless you put a gift basket together with items that you know a person will like or that you like yourself, make a quick calculation of how much the items cost and then make the purchase. If the items that are prepacked really do not offer a “deal” then pass it up.

Beware the attractive packaging!

Consumers spent an average of $811 on holiday gifts, significantly more than the $699 they initially planned to spend, according to a Consumer Reports survey expected to be released today. About 4 in 5 consumers bought gifts, and in a good sign for discretionary spending, many shoppers bought for themselves, the poll found.

While this sounds good for retailers, spending more than you intended to spend makes it difficult to stick to a budget for Christmas spending. The article continues to say that many people also used their credit cards for purchases. Spending $112 more on gifts than you anticipated can mean the difference between having money for the electric bill or a few tanks of gas. Still the results of the survey are for an average… This does not mean that everyone went over their budget or even those who went over their budget only spent $811. There still may be people who spent well over their budget but had no financial problems. If a person can afford to spend $811 or $5811 on Christmas gifts without causing problems for their budget it’s not an issue, which is where surveys such as these give the wrong impression. A person’s cost of living makes a difference in how and what they can really afford to spend. A free spender who became newly frugal or at least cut back on spending but with a higher income might see spending less than a thousand dollars a bit low for holiday gifts, especially if they have many gifts to buy.

Using a coupon doesn’t make you cheap. Not tipping when you use a coupon does. I am still reaping the benefits of free birthday meals from different places. Just because I used a coupon I still tip on the total amount. Just because I saved money, doesn’t mean that my server did less work.

Last night I had a free stir fry at a chain stir fry restaurant. The waitress was kind and was helpful when I was making my selection of a beverage. I told her I had a coupon and then at the end, she had to have a manager make the adjustment. My bill went from close to $25 to about $7.50. Now a cheapskate would have left a tip on just the drink and left. NO… I left her a tip on the whole thing. She was really happy.

The general rule even when using a coupon is to tip on the amount of the bill before the discount. This also goes if you were given a free drink or appetizer because you had an extra long wait. Still tip.

Tipping is something to consider when going out to eat. You don’t tip at a fast food restaurant but if you want to have a more memorable experience then you would want to remember to keep the tip in mind.

Also, tell your server that you have a coupon when you are ordering so that it will be easier to calculate the bill.

Happy Dining!

There is something cathartic about cleaning out your refrigerator and seeing how much money you have wasted on things you thought you were going to eat and yet could never finish.

Yesterday I did a thorough cleaning of my refrigerator in preparation for a party – to make room for things I am making.

I found food that I wasted money on or that should have been thrown away a while ago. When there is less than one serving of anything in a bottle or jar it is time to rise it out and put it with the recyclables.

Generally when most people go shopping they don‘t think about how much they will waste or have left over. They are fulfilling a need. If the larger item is on sale and costs less than the smaller package then sometimes you might try to save money (yes while wasting food) in order to save.

Then there are times when you have tried an item and thought that you might like to and you didn’t – don’t hold on to these extra items, toss them right away. The full refrigerator will make you think that you have lots of food, until you discover that there are containers of things that won’t make a balanced meal.

The refrigerator isn’t the only place in the home where we harbor extra junk. You know the t-shirt that you say you will wear or has some slight sentimental attachments – the one with the holes in it? Get rid of it! These extra items also take up space in your closet making it difficult to find an outfit or store other needed items.

After you’ve cleaned and thrown out the unnecessary items, you will discover more space for items that you already have and there will be no need to buy what you didn’t know you had or buy in excess.