As I was making a purchase in Kohl’s last week, I had a coupon and was thrilled with my discounts. A lady came up to the cashier and asked how much the senior citizen’s discount was. The cashier said 15%.

The lady became indignant and said IS THAT ALL?

The cashier turned back to me and he said some people are never satisfied.

Getting deals for items or buying things that are sale is great especially when you can take advantage of discounts but have we become too accustomed to the discount and sales?

It would be nice to have lower prices for items and not have to worry about coupons to get “reasonable” prices but that isn’t happening so using a coupon to buy an item that you need frees up money to buy things that you want.

Online isn’t always the best price.

I was looking to buy some tights before all the good colors were gone for the season and decided to check Amazon.com. After reading a few reviews I saw that the retailer didn’t go by the MSRP. Many times the manufacturer’s suggested retail price is higher or the same as what you actually pay, not less than unless the item is imported. The tights that I wanted to buy were higher than I the regular price at a brick and mortar store including tax. Plus, I had a coupon for the brick and mortar store so this time guess who won out?

I often check prices especially when time is not a pressing factor. In this case, time and the lower price would have been a factor.

Can you get a good workout for free? Or  at least cheaper than a gym membership?

There are many people who walk, run, jog or bike if they live near a safe park. Since the economic downturn, many people have given up the gym memberships and decided to take matters into their own hands. When returning form a long walk I have had neighbors say to me, “I should cancel my gym membership since I hardly ever go.” Spending money on something that you hardly ever use is rarely a frugal move. Though if people aren’t motivated to exercise at a gym, they may not be motivated to work out outside especially when they are subject to outside temperatures.

“People are choosing not to spend $3,000 to 4,000 on a treadmill,” said Colleen Logan of ICON Health & Fitness, the largest manufacturer of home fitness equipment. “But we’re seeing steady sales of treadmills for under $1,000.”

The home fitness market is roughly three times as big as the institutional market, according to SGMA [Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association].
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Logan says that while sales to health clubs and specialty stores may have plummeted, the home fitness market is down, but not devastated, as consumer habits change with the times.

“People are saying, ‘Do I really need that gym fee?’” she explained.

Paying for a gym membership is only half the battle if you aren’t going to use it, then you may as well not pay for it. Though if you have to wait a long time for the machine you want, you might think hey I can buy a machine and use it when I want. People are still exercising, but exercising differently. Even if you take public transportation instead of driving you are getting some exercise into your daily routine. When I worked in a midrise office building several years ago, there were a couple of men who would climb the stairs during their lunch breaks for exercise all without having to leave the office building.

Home equipment has increased in quality over the past five years or so and people care able to get a good workout for less than the price of an annual gym membership though exercising alone may not be what motivates people. If you have no motivation to exercise in solitude then a gym membership may be non negotiable. Other people may enjoy being outside in the fresh air even where there is a chill in the air. The question remains: how much are exercise, health and physical well being worth to you?

If you use stamps sparingly but still need some, your best bet would be to purchase the Forever Stamps if you don’t use them often. I generally send notes to people and just can’t bring myself to buy the plain looking stamps. Plus, a book of 10 or 20 stamps vanish quickly when I am sending out notes. 

The interesting stamps and the Forever Stamps cost the same amount, since I am not keeping the Forever Stamps forever, buying the attractive ones suits me. For sporadic users of stamps or other items that are used infrequently, purchase what you will use and what you like.

Since regular stamps cost the same amount the choice of design is up to you. What about other items such as paper towels or ice cream?  When there is a difference in price but you have a preference – what should you choose? When the price is considerably more expensive, the choice becomes more difficult. For one or two items this doesn’t make much of a difference but when you purchase several items that cost “just a little more,” the prices add up and can increase your bill by $10% or more.

It all boils down to what do you really want and will you use it? I have used Forever Stamps, but since stamps don’t last very long when you buy 10 or 20 the choice isn’t that big of a deal, since the price is the same. If I had to pay an additional 2¢ on each decorative stamp, then the less costly ones might become more attractive.

Watch the little upgrades in things that you buy; a generic item may suit you and save you lots of cash!

I received this in my personal email account today and thought – this sounds great. If we pay attention to our label and make minor changes in our purchasing habits then we will make a greater economic impact than just buying things that are cheaper. Here is the email in its entirety.

“One light bulb at a time…  this is a good read…Check your labels

Check this out.  I can verify this because I was in Lowe’s the other day for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose attachments.  They were all made in China .  The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there.  They were made in USA .  Start looking.

In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else – even their job.  So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track.  Let’s get behind her!

My grandson likes Hershey’s candy.  I noticed, though, that it is marked made in Mexico now.  I do not buy it any more.  My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico now.   I have switched to Crest.  You have to read the labels on everything.

This past weekend I was at Kroger.  I needed 60W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets.  I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off brand labeled, “Everyday Value.”  I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats – they were the same except for the price.  The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in – get ready for this – the USA in a company in Cleveland , Ohio .

So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here.

So on to another aisle – Bounce Dryer Sheets….yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada.  The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA!  I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!

My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA – the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!

If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time!  Stop buying from overseas companies!
(We should have awakened a decade ago……)

Let’s get with the program….  help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the U.S.A.”

Not every purchase has to be from American companies but if you are really trying to make an effort you can buy more things that are made in America. Even buying 10 or 25% more items from U.S. companies would make a difference. Other countries buy their own goods, whey can’t we?