If you didn’t know already, people hide things thinking that no one will come looking for the items later. Look around for what you want and you might find it, mis-shelved. I found one of my favorite sweaters hanging on a rack in the mens’ section in Filene’s basement. Maybe someone decided they didn’t want it at the last minute or put it there so they could come back for it later. It happens. Many times when there are items that are in limited quantity or the last one on the shelf, salespeople might squirrel it away for themselves. Since people are at risk of losing their jobs if they do that, they resort to hiding items in the wrong place (where an interested party is less likely to look for the item) or walking around carrying it on the pretense of re-shelving the item.

Looking around in the wrong place for an item takes luck and a little skill when trying to find something. Generally mis-shelved items are not too far away from where they should be, either by chance (or your blind luck) you may find an item that a person has put aside for themselves.

People who hide things aren’t really too ingenious when they put things aside, because if they move things too far out of place, they will be noticed and snapped up by someone else.

If there are items that are on sale at a price that is too good to be true – some stores will have a special sale aisle. Check there first since the regular shelf may have a limited quantity. Featured items may be on display in a place where you would least expect to find item.

Yesterday, I received a notice from one of my banks letting me know that my once “highest interest rate around” which was why I decided to sign up with the bank in the first place was now offering 1.20% interest on my savings account. This is the second decrease in about 3 months.

The low interest rate should be of no surprise to anyone to see why people are shunning banks for saving. Since this is an online bank the only way to make a deposit I had to deposit money into an account and have it transferred since there is only one branch of this bank in Chicago.

Still 1.20% is better than nothing but not enough to make me transfer cash that I am saving for short term goals. When the interest rate was 3.55% about a year ago transferring cash that I received for my birthday or Christmas into the account until I decided what I wanted to buy made me feel as though my gift givers were giving me a little extra. Moving the money around for less than a dollar a month wouldn’t buy a coffee from 7-11.

The additional income which amounted to less than $12.00 for 2009 could be used for something else. Yet, moving the money around just to earn less than $12.00 or less than a dollar a month isn’t worth it. In a month, I find more in spare change (and will pick it up) and don’t have to report it as taxable income.

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.