There is a lot of wasted paper in my recycling bin. All from candidates who want me to vote for them. I have made up my mind who I want to vote for but the flyers and pamphlets have been coming so often that I have joked to people that I was considering voting for the candidates who sent me the least amount of junk mail. That may seem harsh, but in the same way, think about stores that send a seemingly endless stream of notices of any sort to you about sales and other things. After a while it begins to turn you off.

Voting is an important part of the democratic process, but must paper and ink be wasted to try to persuade me to vote? Not only that but recorded calls urging me to vote are not making me any more likely to want to vote for a particular candidate. The same thing applies to certain foods – things that you already buy or need to buy really won’t make a big difference in your choices. You may need vinegar for a recipe or use it to clean but how often is plain white vinegar advertised?

Remember when you got money as a kid and would think about what you wanted to purchase for a while before spending? Especially if you knew that you were paying for the purchase? Revert to your old ways as a kid thinking about every purchase before you make it.

My mother accuses me of being very tight fisted with my money as a kid. I did save and thought carefully about purchases before I made them. I had no credit card to use and no safety net so I learned to make good choices. I didn’t always make good choices but the ones I did make after some side steps were definitely good ones.

Spending like a drunken sailor on the other hand is what many people do when the credit card comes out. The sailor part is optional but have you ever been out with friends who set up a bar tab and then spend more than they thought since they were charging everything and not paying for their drinks as they were served? Many people spend way more than they think when they are not paying with cash.  A “couple” of drinks that would cost under $25 with tip generally ends up being more like $50 or so because the tabholder will keep buying and maybe buy a round for friends and lose track of what was spent.

It may seem easy to keep a tab open when you are drinking at a bar, but paying cash also helps you keep track of what is in your wallet. When you have to keep opening your wallet and see the cash dwindling then you are more likely to drink and spend less.

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!