When I get the urge to shop and don't want to spend a lot of money, I go to the dollar store. It's a great way to squelch the urge and I can get a few inexpensive items that I usually need.
By Kim from Franklin Park, IL
Although, I'm not a packrat, there are times when my pantry, closets and cabinets can get rather full. This is when I go on a home shopping spree.
I have a clean 32 gal trashcan with wheels that I use to transport purchases from the vehicle into the house and nothing falls out in large holes like the wire shopping carts.
A restaurant supply store is different than a warehouse-type store like Costco. The one I shop at is called Cash and Carry. These allow anyone to purchase without a card. The difference with restaurant supply is that they cater to restaurant owners.
A great way to save money is to research what you are buying first even if it is something simple like a coffee pot. You would be so surprised to see how many deals you can find online.
We live in a small town with limited shopping. The nearest bulk shopping is 115 miles away. My friends and I take turns making the round trip and go in on purchases of paper towels and other disposables.
The best way to stop spending money is to stay out of the stores or the yard sales or thrift shops. Sometimes we think we are saving money by shopping sales and taking advantage of specials or coupons, but that is true only if you really need something.
We live in the age of 'Hype'. And we have for so long, the plain unadulterated truth would probably sound strange to us. Even the adjectives we use cannot be taken literally.
I always use a list when I shop but sometimes the amount of sales tax would trip me up. I found that if I tally a line for each dollar the item costs. and tally up to the next amount.
Maybe not a new idea but I think it 's a money saver. Make 2 shopping lists. First is considered a monthly list, in which items like; paper towels, TP, soap and other household items purchased, and a second weekly list for food items only.
When I need to buy dish liquid or any cleaner for that matter, I don't just grab any bottle. I will look at all the bottles on the shelf and pick the one that is the fullest.
Don't be fooled by packaging. I ran out of Eucalyptus Essential Oil, so when I went to Walgreens, I did not see the brand I previous purchased. Instead, I noticed this new brand called Guru Nanda. It was the same price and from what I recalled, a much larger bottle. Wow, I thought, what a deal, but come to find out, it was just the packaging!
We have a spare fridge in the basement where we keep sodas and the freezer is full. We keep bags from grocery shopping near the spare fridge so we can "shop" for what we need when we are down there.
Only buy products that have good warranties in the first place, and say "No" when a checker offers you an impulse warranty on electronics. If you are afraid that the product will not last past the manufacturers warranty, it's probably not worth buying.
