Best Way To Save Money
Many people love a good sale. 20% Off, 50% Off, Red Tag Sale, Garage Sale, etc. A sale is a sale! Some of the reasons people love sales are they love the feeling that they are getting a gift, pulling a fast one on the seller, or they love to save money. Who really benefits from a sale – the buyer or the seller? That depends.
Sales can be a problem if you are buying just to save money, and you do not need the item you are buying. I can recall several times early in our marriage when Ann would come home from shopping and justify an unplanned (at least to my knowledge), unexpected purchase by saying, “It was on sale. I saved 20% ( or 30% or whatever percentage or amount seemed acceptable at the time).” I looked at the item to make a determination of whether or not I thought she or we needed it. If I decided that we did not need it, which was most of the time, I would respond to her comment by saying, “You could have saved 100% if you didn’t buy it at all.”
Sale does not mean buy. If you do not need an item or cannot afford an item that is on sale, then you are better off not buying it. You should ask yourself these two questions before deciding to make a purchase, especially if it is unplanned and/or unexpected.
- Is it a need or a want? Your answer to this question should help to make your decision easier. If it is truly a want, then maybe you should highly consider not making the purchase.
- Does it fit into my budget? If the money your are going to spend could be used to decrease your debt or to increase your savings, then maybe you should refrain from making the purchase. Possibly delay it until another time.
Garages, attics, spare bedrooms, basements, and closets are filled with items purchased on sale. In fact, many of the items still may have the tags on them. A lot of these items end up in your own garage sales because they were not used, worn, or needed and can generate some income, even if at a fraction of the cost you paid for them. Space can be saved and garage sales can be unnecessary by remembering that sale does not mean buy. All the best!
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