Would you rather have a company raise the price and decrease the size of the product they are selling or just increase the price?

Prices have increased not only because of the price of materials to make the products but to increase the profits. In some cases this has amounted to nothing more than greed. As the prices have increased the size of the products have decreased. Finding ice cream that is sold in a half gallon container or a five-pound bag of sugar is akin to winning the grocery lottery.

Today, I saw a half liter bottle of balsamic vinegar selling for 2.29. The liter bottle used to sell for $3.99. Buying two would mean for the same amount there is a price increase of 15%.

No one really wants price increases but reducing the volume of products also contributes to waste if you need a certain amount for a recipe or family’s needs. If you have to buy a larger container or a multiple smaller ones to get the amount you need, then there is the chance that some might be wasted.

Toilet paper rolls have been shrinking as the price remains the same. Some things that we cannot live without such as food and personal hygiene items are being sold in packages that are more “profit friendly” for companies yet take more out of the consumer’s bottom line.

My preference would be to have the product size remain the same and increase the price moderately. When you have grown accustomed to a certain size and know how long it will take you to use an item, only to have the size reduced by 20% it seems like a crime. When the price stays the same, but there is less in the package, this is still a price increase, subtle yet still an increase. For some items you just can’t make do – while eating less may work for your waistline – using fewer personal hygiene products may not be good for your social life.

New Year’s Eve can be a fun time to celebrate the new year but remember to take it easy and do not drink and drive. Even if you decided that you do not want to drink and are going to take a cab, public transportation or walk. This does not mean that you should imbibe so much that you have lost your inhibitions or clear train of thought.

If you chose to go to a party that includes alcohol, drinking to excess just to get your money’s worth, will leave you with a terrible hangover tomorrow.  Just because you paid $75 or more for all you can drink doesn’t mean you should take the offer. All things in moderation. I haven’t made up my mind about going to a party in a hotel or going to a bar. Either way, I want to take a cab which will make it easier to get to my destination.

Be safe when celebrating this holiday.

The new year will bring new things with it new fees, closings and changes that you might have expected. For years I have remembered the library’s late fees were 10 cents a day. Now as of January 1, 2009 the fees will double.  For books and will also increase for other media as well. O want to hold on to my pennies as much as possible so I think that I will definitely make more of an attempt not to avoid the fee. On a couple of occasions the book I was not quite finished with was requested by another person so I wasn’t able to renew it online. Instead I kept it for another day or so until I finished it. Previously this would have only cost me less than a quarter, now this will be 40 cents.

Even so, if I have to pay less than 50 cents for “renting” a book that I can’t renew this is still much cheaper than buying the book from a bookstore.

This isn’t a New Year’s resolution and the amount I pay in fees to the library each year totals less than $1. If I kept the same habits, this would be $2 in 2009. That’s a cup of coffee.

I dislike fees but the library may not be the only place increasing their late fees, so I plan to look over my various accounts to see if there are going to be any fee changes in the upcoming year.

Post Christmas sales are going on now and this is the best time to grab up some deals for next year’s Christmas cards, ribbons, bows and seasonal items.

Even if you decide that you are only going to send a few cards, you can get Christmas cards at half price at most places. Even the dollar store has half price Christmas items.

To really get some significant savings out of wrapping paper, search for some that can be used for gifts throughout the year or for seasonal birthdays. Gold paper looks nice at any time of the year. Know for certain that you will make cookies or need some Christmas-y containers? Then search for some at the end of the season.

So far in the sales after Christmas I have my cards for next year, some reusable picks and decorations to spruce up my Christmas wreath. All of these were at 70% off the regular price.

Gifts can be purchased ahead of time such as ornaments or craft items that will be used to make gifts for next year. Shopping now helped me save a lot of money and get some really great things for less than regular price.

I can’t remember when I last bought Christmas cards the year I sent them out. Although buying them at 70% off this year was like buying two boxes for the price of one. 

Christmas towels and home decorations are also included in most of the sales, you if you don’t have a Christmas tablecloth or winter decorations you could find something to help decorate your home. Not all Christmas decorations say Merry Christmas, some just show winter scenes so if you decide that you want to have some winter themed placemats or towels to use in your home, then buy those. What about solid colored table cloths, Some people do like to use red, white or ivory cloths on their tables at other times of the year. Why pay full price when you can get them on sale?

Post Christmas sales can help you keep cash in your pocket.

When you are shopping and buying gifts for others there are some “sets that are packaged together that are often a better deal than just buying the items separately. Yesterday rather than buying three separate lip balms for 5.75 for a large pot, I bought the tin of three for $16 and they are packaged together nicely. I was buying these for myself and immediately saw the deal that this was. I saved $1.75 and got a tin for free. Who can’t use a small tin to store things in? 

There are always bargains. When you want to try something for yourself, try it when it is on sale. Now is the best time to try things that are on sale when retailers are using drastic discounts to get people to buy gifts. Sometimes you can also use a coupon for those sale prices as well.

Great prices should not mean overconsumption. I had been looking at these lip balms on the past several occasions I went to the store. I searched online at Amazon and the price I paid was a great deal so I decided to buy myself a couple of small things, lip balm and sea salt caramels. Together my treats for myself cost less than $40 but I always like to buy myself Christmas presents.

Yesterday’s shopping expedition went very well and I am almost finished. When I was walking around though I did notice that I was making better choices for gifts. Just because there was something marked 65% off, and in a hideous color (for the recipient) though it was a great deal it wasn’t a good value. I have not always been so mature. Buying something a neutral color for someone is great buying a “fashion” color that was only fashionable for 2 months is not a great deal.

Coupons and discounts can be tempting but unless the item has real value it is not a good deal. I know if someone gave me something that was “on sale” but in pink no matter how much it cost, this would not be a good deal for me. It would be a waste of the person’s money. I think of the same thing when I am shopping.

There are many deals to be had, and even if you are rushing, think about what you are buying and whenever possible get a gift receipt so the recipient can return the gift and really get good use out of your money.

The Consumer Price Index, a key inflation reading, fell 1.7% last month, according to the Labor Department. That was much weaker than October’s 1% drop and exceeded the 1.3% decline forecast by a consensus of economists surveyed by Briefing.com.

Prices are decreasing. Not just gasoline. The decrease in prices is good in some ways if it stimulates the economy But there are so many people who are holding on to their money that it is difficult for people to really make dramatic shift. Especially if you have no job, or are unsure whether or not you will have a job in the near future. Low prices are good but if you have no extra money to afford what is being sold then you don’t buy. Also, if you don’t want to incur debt then you definitely want to hold on to what you have.

For necessities, decreasing prices will definitely help with the bottom line. Saving money or paying down credit cards or other bills has become a more important priority.

Too much of a decrease in prices could decrease the manufacturer’s and store’s profits and could make it necessary for companies to lay off workers. Too many stores, too much consumption via credit and now things are normalizing in a difficult way.

Cash is great but if you already have a store card, using it may reap you more benefits and savings.  I went to Macy’s yesterday to buy some things that were already on sale and just by using my store card I was able to save an addition 15-20% off of regular, clearance and sale prices. Even if you were intending to pay cash, using a credit card and setting the money aside to pay the bill when it comes can reap great benefits.

Christmas is next week. If you haven’t decided what you want to give other people there is still time. Although it is rather difficult to try to make all the gifts you may need for this Christmas, be realistic about what you can and cannot make. 

More and more people I talk to this year are giving money to people on their lists. Many are afraid of giving store gift cards because so many stores are going out of business. Giving cash isn’t a taboo as much anymore and this gift giving season it can really help you keep things in line with your spending. If you say you want to spend $25 for a person is that with or without tax? If you give $25 to a person then that’s it, you have given your gift and don’t need to worry about additional taxes, shipping and handling which could add another 15-20% to your budget.

Giving cash is a great way to simplify your gift giving. I am giving cash to some people and have no qualms about doing so. I may make the gift a little more interesting by giving the person all singles in a basket or other interesting container that I already have but I am going to stay within my budget!

When spending for Christmas, make sure that you include the price of gift wrap, decorations and other small things that will definitely add up and break your budget.

If you have gift wrap from last year, use it. Before you buy any more, assess what you already have. Using gift bags instead this year? Take stock of how many you really need before making any new purchases.

Do you need to buy a box? Before the recession stores weren’t giving away boxes as much, so that means you may have to make a trip to the dollar or craft store to buy some boxes if you aren’t using other containers for your wrapping. If you are shopping at a store that does give away boxes ask for them. Especially if you have several gifts that are going to the same person in one box, you will definitely need a box at some time.

Don’t forget to compare prices. 

A basket or reusable bag may cost more but if your recipient can use it hundreds of times or use it as a household container this is a better deal than just buying a bag or using wrap that will be tossed out. Either way, you need to plan for this expense or you will have to wrap gifts in newspaper, or give them naked (sans wrapping).

It’s easy to get caught up the in the cute seasonal wrapping that is offered at the higher priced card/stationer shops. Go to the dollar store or craft store when it is on sale and buy wrapping paper. (Make sure that when gifts are being unwrapped, you put them in a bag for recycling.)