I saw this article about “young hipsters” who receive food stamps or public assistance who use their monthly allotment to buy higher end foods.

Checking out a dumpster may not be your idea of grocery shopping but check out this site by Allison Burtch. Before you frown at this, it may not be everyone’s cup of tea but seeing how much a throws away should be infuriating. Stores are either buying too much and companies producing too much, if  stores can throw out useable items that aren’t past their prime.

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?