And thanks to Crystal for the mention of my Gift Stockpiling entry. (Good thing I got around to scanning my Google Reader for once, eh?) The topic has spurred a lot of comments at MSM, so head on over and check them out!
I’m kicking off December with reflections on the value, or lack thereof, of collecting bargain-priced gifts. This topic was spurred by a recent clean-out of my “gift closet” to make room for baby linens, and a great Frugal Hacks post by Meredith about being too frugal in gift giving.
My gift closet was where I had been storing new items that I found great deals on, and picked up with the intention of giving away when the occasion arose. Justifying it to myself, I figured someone else should benefit from the bargains even if I couldn’t, and it would allow me to give more expensive presents than I would otherwise be able to. (Items also included gifts I had received and couldn’t use, stored for re-gifting). The bulk of my collection was kitchen items, toys, frames, and quite a few spa products and candles.
The problem is that not enough “gift closet” occasions seem to arise - I’m too picky about presents I give. I want them to be both useful and suited to the recipients. So for weddings and baby showers, I don’t raid the closet. Instead, I generally select an item from their registry that I like, and include an additional product that I personally find valuable. There just aren’t enough situations where the recipients and the gifts on hand are a good match.
And when I think about the gifts I like to receive, candles and body washes don’t make the list. Our candles are usually the Yankee variety, and we have particular scents and brands of bath products that we use. Other styles end up in the closet to be re-gifted. If those aren’t things I would use if I received them, why would I give them to others?
The net result is my inventory builds up, and I run out of room while forgetting exactly what I have stored. I don’t want all these things cluttering my house, and my husband certainly doesn’t.
Therefore, in what constitutes the demise of the gift closet, I have donated a number of items to Goodwill, and a bunch more toys that I picked up from Kmart clearance are going to support an inner-city ministry that lets moms buy presents at reduced cost. This way, the gifts aren’t collecting dust indefinitely and are hopefully helping someone who wants them. Remaining items have been consolidated into drawers of a “gift dresser.”
The past year of bargain hunting has taught me a lot of lessons, and going forward, I’ll do my best to limit my bargain gift purchases to items with pre-determined destinations - ie: a particular person’s birthday, within a one-year timeframe. Repeat to self: “Just because it’s ridiculously cheap doesn’t mean I should buy it!”
Overall, I’m concluding that gift giving is an area where I’m better off living in the moment and letting the bargain hunting go by the wayside. I strongly identify with Meredith’s comment:
“So what if I have to remind myself that it’s the recipient, not the bargain, that matters? Our tight personal budget makes generous giving possible.”
Given my naturally cheap tendencies, it’s too easy for generous intentions to get derailed over the cost of the gift, instead focusing on the joy of giving something worthwhile to someone I love. (Of course, I’ll still “soft” bargain hunt when I know what I’m looking for, by using coupons and shopping around for the best price.) Eschewing bargain hunting in favor of a targeted gift still doesn’t guarantee I’ll find the perfect present, but at least I’m focusing on serving the person instead of attempting to manipulate a present to fit the recipient.
Notes: *This doesn’t mean I’m abandoning a gift shopping budget!
*Also, I’m definitely not saying all presents need to be bought. In fact, I should look into more homemade gifts.
*I’ll still probably keep a couple of small generic gifts on hand for last-minute hostess presents, etc.
My productivity has taken a nosedive this week as I’m battling a cold/sore throat. Can’t complain considering this is the first time I’ve been sick during this pregnancy, but I’m finally getting some use out of my stash of Tylenol Go-Tab freebies from months ago.
So it follows that my foggy brain would be contemplating over-the-counter medicines and the lengths to which name brands go to sell them. I credit DH for making me aware of this: All the fancy OTC medicines are just different combinations and dosages of a few basic active ingredients. Unless they’re free, they don’t make as much financial or health sense as just buying the generic components separately. Then you can just combine doses as needed to combat particular symptoms.
To demonstrate the endless variations that populate pharmacy aisles, I polled my “freebie meds” collection for painkillers and what active ingredients they contain:
Tylenol PM - 500 mg Acetaminophen, 25 mg Diphenhydramine HCl
Tylenol GoTabs - 500 mg Acetaminophen
Bayer - 325 mg Aspirin
Goody’s Extra Strength Headache powder - 325 mg Acetaminophen, 500 mg Aspirin, 65 mg Caffeine
Advil PM - 200 mg “Solubized Ibuprofen,” 25 mg Diphenhydramine HCl
Advil Cold & Sinus - 200 mg Ibuprofen, 30 mg Pseudophedrine HCl
Aleve - 200 mg Naproxen, 20 mg Sodium
Bufferin - Buffered aspirin equal to 500 mg Aspirin
Excedrin Extra Strength - 250 mg Acetaminophen, 250 mg Aspirin, 65 mg Caffeine
Excedrin Migraine - 250 mg Acetaminophen, 250 mg Aspirin, 65 mg Caffeine
Excedrin Back & Body - 250 mg Acetaminophen, Buffered aspirin equal to 250 mg Aspirin
It basically boils down to acetaminophen, aspirin, naproxen, and ibuprofen, plus a kick of caffeine. (Diphenhydramine HCl is a sleep aid and pseudophedrine HCl is a decongestant.) And chances are, you don’t need to have all four. Talk to your doctor to determine which best meets your pain relief needs.
Our staple is ibuprofen, with me switching to acetaminophen while pregnant.
Remember a recent round of Robitussin commercials? “No matter what you’ve got… there’s Robitussin relief with your name on it.” The online Robitussin Recommender function includes no less than 12 different formula bottles for adults alone. The idea is for you to find your personalized formula that fits your exact symptoms. All options are some cocktail of 5 ingredients - cough suppressant, expectorant, decongestant, antihistamine, fever/pain relief.
My OTC strategy of choice is to keep separate generic versions of the basics on hand. We always have the following 4 “biggies”:
-Ibuprofen (pain relief)
-Pseudophedrine HCl (decongestant)
-Doxylamine succinate (sleep aid)
-Loratadine (antihistamine)
There are three benefits to the broken-down, generic approach:
1. Cheaper - Generics being less expensive is self-explanatory. Also, you should save money by relying on a basic medicine stock, instead of picking up a different formula every time you’re sick. (Check out this post at Money and Values for some more thoughts on when to go generic)
2. Reduces clutter - There isn’t nearly enough room in the average medicine cabinet for all the permutations that could be made from the basics for pain relief, decongestants, antihistamines, expectorants, etc.
3. Increases control - I’m a minimal medicater. I don’t like taking medicine unless I’m desperate. And all these combination medicines pose a problem, because they tend to include ingredients I don’t need for my particular symptoms with the ones that I do. Even worse, some of the packaged ingredients can be bad for me, like ibuprofen or aspirin during pregnancy. I’m much more comfortable making my own custom combinations on the rare days when I have a headache, cough, fever, stuffy nose and need to sleep all at once.
One possible disadvantage:
Combining drugs that shouldn’t be taken together - Always read boxes for “Do Not Use” warnings. When in doubt, check with your doctor. My rule of thumb is that if a particular combination is sold in stores, it’s probably safe for me to take on my own.
Here’s my informed consumer plug: Start reading the labels if you don’t already. Learn what the different ingredients are and what they do. Determine which meet your needs and buy those in generics when possible.
(Just-in-case disclaimer: I’m not a medical professional, please don’t take this post as medical advice. I’m just offering my consumer opinion.)
(I started this post as a draft a week or two ago, and as it turns out, the theme of this week’s “Works for Me Wednesday” at Rocks in My Dryer was discussing what brands we’re loyal to! In case you haven’t already, go over and read up on some other bloggers’ picky picks. This isn’t an official WFMW contribution (today being Friday and all), but here’s my two cents on brand loyalty…)
It’s an occupational hazard of bargain hunting - I find lots of brand name items at great discounts, and sooner or later, we find some brand we can’t live without. Obviously, this is the basic premise behind a lot of the promotions I utilize - Companies want consumers to try their (usually new) products in hopes that they get hooked and continue to buy them at full price. Usually, I’ll just bounce around to whatever line I can find the cheapest or even free.
But we have officially switched from Angel Soft to Cottonelle toilet paper. I picked up a supply of cheap Cottonelle during some deal ages ago, and my husband has decided he doesn’t want to go back. Fortunately, Cottonelle still gets in some great sales, so I just stock up when I can. To even things up, I’ll admit I like the convenience of Swiffer wet cloths for general floor mopping. (Generic versions are OK, too).
I’m perfectly comfortable sticking with some brands when for which we have strong preferences, although I’ll always try to find them on sale. Sometimes the generic or bottom shelf version or even another comparable brand just doesn’t taste/work right for the needs we have. Personally, this is a frugal versus cheap line. By getting the minimum where possible, we finance the habit of indulging in certain consumption habits that give us greater utility.
I also look at it this way: By bargain hunting, I get to try lots of products for very little cost. If we find something we particularly like, great! No money wasted on all the latest and greatest to discover the few products that actually improve our lives.
Here’s a sample of some of our other “must-have” brands:
Tabasco - To my husband the Tabasco nut, Tabasco and hot sauce are two different things, not to be used interchangeably! Fortunately, I’ve accumulated a huge supply for very little cost, combining Kroger $1 sales with doubled coupons.
Diet Dr. Pepper
Healthy Choice Fudge Bars
Oral-B Satin floss - This is what our dentist gives samples of.
Nature’s Own 100% Whole Grain Sugar Free bread - Not cheap.
Quaker Granola Bars
Tostitos Baked Tortilla Chips - Unfortunately, they discontinued the regular kind and we’re stuck with scoops
Degree deodorant (me) & Old Spice (DH)
Bounty Select-A-Size paper towels - They’re sturdy, and I like being able to use just a small sheet.
The time has come to put forth a code of Self-Checkout usage. Learn it, love it, live it.
1. DO NOT use the self-checkout system if you can’t check yourself out. I can’t believe I even have to make this a rule, but the concept is apparently too much for some folks to grasp. (I have to interject here that I realize new technology takes some folks longer to learn than others, so I’m not talking about the couple of runs through that it might take to figure it out, preferably with only a few items at a slow time of day.)
2. If there’s a line, use your time in line productively. Have your shopper card out, your credit card at the ready, and coupons in hand. (This applies to regular checkout too).
3. If there is an item number limit, abide by it! Even if there’s no limit, avoid having more than 15 items.
4. Handbaskets are best suited to self-checkout. If you must bring a shopping cart, make sure you have it pushed to the side so that it is not impeding traffic of those trying to reach other kiosks or exit the store.
5. Preferably, have the order of screens and position of buttons memorized so you can blaze right through them. OK, so this isn’t really a rule, but it’s nice.
6. Swipe an item once where you guess the bar code will be, then hold it over the bag and wait for it to register. If it doesn’t, do a quick check to make sure you’re right about the code location, and scan again, slightly slower. After scanning, immediately place it in the bag so that the weight registers.
7. Don’t remove bags until the transaction is over, and never lean on the bagging area! It throws off the sensors.
8. Ideally, don’t bring non-bar-coded fruits and veggies in the self-check line. But if you must, try only bring ones that have their numerical code printed on a sticker so you can punch them right in. If that isn’t possible, make sure you know how to use the code list to look them up.
9. Don’t use coupons. I break this one all the the time, but only use a couple at a time and avoid it during busy times of day. Buying alcohol is another issue that causes a delay because of the need to check ID.
10. Cash is good. Credit/debit is much much better. Do.not.write.checks (That’s its own tirade.)
11. Get your bags, your receipt, and go. Get out of the way ASAP. If you want to double check your receipt, do it beyond the checkout lanes so that the next person can check out.
Did I miss any?
Like the pirates’ code, these are more a set of guidelines than hard-and-fast rules. But please be aware of them out of consideration for fellow shoppers! The self-check option is supposed to be a speedy alternative to free up cashiers for more complicated transactions. If everyone abided by the preceding principles, the experience would be smooth and relatively hassle-free, instead of the disaster I frequently encounter.
This post is inspired by one such disastrous episode at Kroger a few days ago. The store wasn’t busy, but my checkout was seriously impeded by another customer breaking rules 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11 and especially 1! She had between 30 and 40 items in her cart, half of which were produce. Normally, I wouldn’t have cared since there were open kiosks, but for some reason this woman was unable or unwilling to complete the tasks herself. She stood back (blocking the aisle), while the designated self-check cashier handled her entire transaction, choosing all the options, keying every lousy vegetable, bagging the items, putting items in her cart, and waiting for her to write the check. Meanwhile, I had chosen to break rule #8 and had 3 coupons that needed to be scanned. I was left waiting for assistance for upwards of 10 minutes while this saga played out.
I do practice what I preach in self-checkout, especially when shopping with my husband. The two of us make a formidable self-check team. More than once, we’ve received comments from someone behind us in line about the speed with which we complete transactions. My husband handles the goods while I ready the appropriate cards (credit, shoppers, driver’s license, etc.). Then he positions the shopping basket while I get the transaction underway. I scan, he prepares bags. I swipe the credit card and grab the receipt, he picks up the merchandise. It’s a veritable ballet of efficiency. A little over the top to be sure, but someone has to compensate for the 90% of shoppers that just don’t get it.
This is turning out to be a cheap week! After spending 48 cents for school supplies at Staples, I placed an order with LaRedoute for 11 tank tops for $.11 shipped yesterday. Yep, a dime and a penny. It certainly sounds like a pricing error, but the word on Slickdeals is that this “1-cent tanks” offer was a legit promotion, combined with a free shipping code. Ours is not to reason why…
My order is currently listed as being processed to ship, so it looks like LaRedoute is planning to fill it. I wouldn’t whine if they chose to cancel it though (if the listed price were an error). I know a lot of internet shoppers feel strongly that companies should live up to their listed price, and I think they should, but mistakes happen. And it can have devastating consequences when an internet retailer makes a price mistake that is mercilessly swooped upon and generally abused by deal-hawks from sites like Slickdeals. As long as they ‘fess up and don’t charge my credit card, the companies doesn’t hear from me and I move on to the next deal. The two unacceptable solutions are canceling the order and still charging me, or filling my order but charging a higher price than I agreed to pay.
And here’s a Slickdeals usage tip: If you have an extra minute while checking the site, scan the first page of the Hot Deals forum in addition to the front page. That’s where I found this deal, shortly before it was promoted. I stumbled across it early enough to find a wide selection in my size. Soon, a thread that was only 3 pages suddenly jumped to 15 pages long. When a deal makes the front page, there’s a mad scramble by the general internet community to get in on it. By finding bargains before they hit the front page, you have a much better chance of finding the items in stock and the website’s servers not overloaded.
Why didn’t I post about this yesterday? Normally, this type of deal I would post right away, but I only happened to find it as we were walking out the door for dinner with friends. Sorry!
(ETA: There are still some styles available in various sizes, check out the Wiki on Slickdeals and do some digging!)
Is Goodwill’s purpose to provide low-priced clothing options, and am I depriving others with less monetary blessing than myself by shopping there?
(This is a topic inspired by a spirited discussion on Meredith’s blog, sparked by some strong ideas expressed in an article and ensuing comments about Frugality at Challies.com)
Normally, I steer this blog away from potentially controversial subjects. It’s just not what I like to write about. But this is a question I have asked myself and feel has a strong answer, so I want to post some of my thoughts as to why I believe the answer is an emphatic
No.
I just educated my husband about this, and I imagine a lot of other people don’t realize it either: Goodwill’s primary goal is not to provide affordable clothing. Goodwill has a great website that lays it out clearly under “What We Do.”
Goodwill Industries is all about people working.
We are one of the world’s largest nonprofit providers of education, training, and career services for people with disadvantages, such as welfare dependency, homelessness, and lack of education or work experience, as well as those with physical, mental and emotional disabilities. Last year, local Goodwills collectively provided employment and training services to more than 846,000 individuals…
Goodwill provides employment opportunities through its stores and job training, as well as other services. How does it provide these services? Through funds resulting from sales of donated items in its stores.
Exhibit #2: “How We Operate” on Goodwill’s site:
When you donate and shop at Goodwill, you help us fulfill our mission.
“You” being anyone reading this on the internet.
Exhibit #3: From the FAQ’s on Goodwill’s site:
If I shop at a Goodwill store, will I be depriving disadvantaged people of stuff they need?
No. Goodwill serves disadvantaged people by educating, training and placing them into jobs. By becoming gainfully employed, these individuals gain resources to buy the things they need. Many disadvantaged people who are in training or are employed by Goodwill Industries are offered vouchers or discounts at Goodwill retail stores.
I’ve never discussed this issue with a Goodwill employee, but I imagine those in charge of overseeing Goodwill operations fight this “only for the needy” perception every day.
From personal experience:
-The local Goodwill encourages my business by mailing me a “$5 off $25 purchase” coupon for my birthday.
-It also recently opened a “boutique” named Second Debut in Carytown, where it focuses on selling higher end, brand names at commensurately higher prices.
In my opinion, prices at my local Goodwill (in suburbia) aren’t even *that* cheap - $3-$5 for regularly priced tops, etc. I don’t think those are altruistic prices aimed at clothing the disadvantaged; I think that’s what the middle-class market will bear for second-hand clothes in varying condition.
Folks, Goodwill is trying to make money off of the items it sells. In fact, it depends on as many people as possible shopping to stay in operation and be successful in its employment assistance mission. If I stop shopping thrift, along with everyone else who can “afford” to shop elsewhere, Goodwill will be in trouble.
It’s the same story with most other thrift stores around here - Each store has a cause it supports (Vietnam veterans, a hospital, a ministry, etc.) through income generated from selling donated items. They want any customers who will buy the merchandise.
If a store doesn’t want my patronage because it is dedicated to serving only the disadvantaged, I have to hope they would make that purpose clear and I would never intentionally disrespect that or take advantage of it.
A little off topic - Knowing that there’s usually a mission outside the store, as a Christian I do believe it’s important to investigate the operations and objectives of your local thrift stores. By shopping there, you are supporting whatever effort each chooses to further. There is one resale store in Richmond that I deliberately do not patronize because proceeds are donated to a cause which I believe is wrong, and I can’t in good conscience buy items which directly and publicly support it. On the other hand, Goodwill isn’t a Christian ministry, but I don’t have any objections to the goal of helping people become employed; I think that’s great.
So it’s pretty clear Goodwill wants me to shop there, what about the other objection that I’m buying an article of clothing that might be bought by someone more needy if I left it? (along the lines of the “gleaning” principle raised at Challies.com)
First of all, I think it’s wonderful that thrift stores exist as a resource for those who simply don’t have the money for other options. It’s a very positive secondary benefit of Goodwill’s business plan.
If I observed that there truly was a shortage of clothing available in thrift stores, I would prayerfully consider whether I should allocate more of my budget towards purchasing clothes from higher-priced establishments.
However, where I live there is no lack of thrift stores and no shortage of stock in any of them. For anyone who wants or needs to buy affordable clothes, Richmond offers lots of options. I truly do not believe I am “taking the clothes off someone’s back” by buying a thrift store garment. The item I buy makes room for another garment on the rack. I also donate used clothes to the same thrift stores where I shop. (I have to say it’s a weird feeling to see a piece of clothing on a rack that used to be yours.)
And it seems very unlikely to me that thrift store shoppers will outpace donations to thrift stores in the near future. In fact, I wish more people would shop thrift who didn’t “need” to. From what I read, the economic reality is that we’re a nation that can’t spend our money fast enough. The malls are full of shoppers itching to buy fancy, stylish new clothes. New clothes that probably end up being donated to Goodwill in a year or two. Many of these people can somehow stretch and “afford” to make these choices, but might be better served economizing a little bit, shopping smarter, and making the occasional second-hand purchase.
Of course, new OR used, try to buy judiciously according to your needs. But by all means, shop at thrift stores!
Sometime later this week, I’ll try to post reasons TO shop at Goodwill.
(Please feel free to add thoughts and comments, but I’d like to avoid a full-scale debate)
To make a long story long: My doctor wrote me a generic prescription, and I took it to Kroger to get filled as usual. There I found out that this particular drug isn’t covered by my insurance. Instead of my normal $10 co-pay, the pharmacist told me the medicine would cost me $32. Confronted with a substantially higher-than-anticipated cost and not needing the medicine right away, I said I’d wait to get it some other time. I didn’t have any expectation of being able to find the drug for more than a few dollars cheaper anywhere else, but since $32 was regular price, I also wasn’t losing anything by delaying.
Later at home I remembered I’d just received in the mail a free membership card to a discount drug program, associated with my Citi Professional card. I checked and sure enough, the program website quoted a $14 price tag for the same drug from Kroger. On my next grocery shopping trip, I gave my discount card to the pharmacy and the prescription was filled for $14.
Presto! An almost effortless $18 saved.
Morals of this story:
1. Procrastination sometimes pays, at least when delaying a purchase allows you to better consider and research the options. Sometimes you have to jump on bargains or they’re gone; but if the situation isn’t urgent, as in this case, avoid being rushed into a purchase. Make sure you’re buying something you actually need and paying a competitive price for it.
2. For prescription drugs, particularly generics, look for alternative discounts to your usual insurance program. I don’t get many prescriptions, and just assumed the insurance rate was a good deal. I may have been wasting money for a while.
For instance, I discovered that another recent ($10) prescription would have cost
-$4 from Wal-Mart ($4 generic drug list), or
-$7.50 from Kroger with the Citi-affiliated discount program, or
-$4.50 from the hospital a mile from our house with the Citi-affiliated discount program. Overall, the prices quoted on the discount website were a couple bucks cheaper if filled at the hospital instead of drug/grocery stores. Is this standard? Do hospitals charge less for drugs?
This is a new bargain arena for me, so please share if you have any good money-saving tips for prescriptions!
The experiment starts tomorrow - Over on the MSN Money message boards, Liz Pulliam Weston has been enlisting volunteers in an project: buy nothing for the month of February. At least nothing besides necessities. (She’s making the guidelines broad and is more interested in the impact on participants’ mentalities than their strict adherence to the rules.)
I didn’t sign up, but I’d like to think I could do it if I really wanted to… Borrow some movies/books from the library, use up random food hiding in my pantry, search for free events around town… It would be fun finding creative alternatives to paying for things, and also enlightening because I’m sure there are purchases I don’t realize I would miss until I couldn’t make them. The hardest part for me would be giving up bargain hunting - I don’t consume a lot but I sure love finding cheap stuff.
Could you do it?
President’s Day, spring break, summer vacation… many folks will soon be turning their attention to this year’s travel plans. Now seems like a good time to begin offering some ideas/tips/strategies for traveling for less.
Instead of jumping in to plan the minutiae, I think it’s important to start planning by examining your underlying philosophy of a vacation - what do you really want it to be and how can you achieve that with less expense?
Don’t allow yourself to be herded into the flashy seafood restaurant next to the resort, don’t sign up with the first tour company you see (probably the one with the billboards and color ads everywhere), don’t stay in cities that get flooded by cruise ship traffic, etc. You want to be where and do what the general touring public isn’t and doesn’t. Search out the places, “attractions,” and dining that are worthwhile but not first on everyone’s list. This third suggestion will work only if you know what you value in a vacation (#1) and
are willing to be creative and open to smaller scale ideas (#2).
Lately, I’ve realized the three things that bring me the most joy in traveling are sharing the trip with fun friends, getting a feel for the true atmosphere of a place, and finding opportunities for unusual/artistic photographs. Knowing that has enabled me to plan simple trips that I enjoy much more and stop wasting money on fancier vacations that just become expensive headaches.
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