My husband and I headed to the outlet mall on Saturday for a little shopping. I had a 30% off coupon for the Gap and wanted to see if I could find some good deals on new clothes for the kids. We are probably one of a very small number of people who can shop for two hours and not buy a thing. As we were headed back to the car I jokingly said to my husband “This whole shopping trip is only going to cost you a buck” He asked why and I said “Because I’m thirsty and want a $1 Coke from McDonalads on the way out”. As we were approaching the drive through I told him to make sure to order a large because those are the ones for a buck. He said “Are you sure they are still only $1?” And I told him that I had just gotten one two days ago so I was sure they were still only $1. Turns out I was wrong. This “special price” had ended awhile ago at this particular location and it cost $2.16. Hubs was irritated and then I was irritated that he was. “What’s the big deal? It’s a DOLLAR!” It WAS double the price but in my mind, it wasn’t worth even bickering over. But when I think about it, this really is a bad habit to fall into. Ever been to the Dollar Store and wondered how you ended up spending $50? I’m sure lots of unnecessary items fall into your cart with the same mentality I had. “It’s only a buck”. Over the course of a year, or even a couple of months those dollars can really add up! So whether it’s a dollar or a couple of bucks, try to remember that these items add up rather than trying to justify the small purchase. This is your hard earned money- make smart choices!
One trick I like to try to use is calculating an items worth by how many hours I had to work to buy it. For example, let’s say I make $10 an hour and want to buy a DVD player for $100. Is 10 hours worth of work worth it to me to buy the DVD Player? Sometimes this strategy will make me reconsider the purchase.
What tips do you have for saving or spending your hard earned money?
I can totally relate to this. I have to constantly catch myself when it comes to things like this. The idea to think of how many hours it took to pay for a particular item is great…I need to do that more often.