# Saving lots of money.........spending money we don't got.



## sags (May 15, 2010)

I watched an interview with a psychologist on television.

She did research into the difference between spenders and savers, and went to their homes to take inventories.

What she discovered was that people who shopped for bargains, which one would assume are the frugal ones, ended up with more stuff in their homes they didn't need and wouldn't use. They also spent more money overall than people who paid full price.

She said some people feel compelled to buy things just because they are on sale, and justify the expense to themselves because they "saved" money. They don't want to "miss out" on a bargain. 

The person who can't be bothered with sales, only buys what they need and end up with less stuff, and spend less money overall.

Interesting research..........the exact opposite to what I would have thought, and conventional wisdom would dictate.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

I finally ventured out the day after Boxing Day...........Walmart was still nuts.

Long, long lines and frustrated people at the return counter.

I went to buy plastic storage totes, because they were "on sale".

I ended up paying $110 for plastic storage totes, which I believed I needed.

Then I watched the interview above..............and realized that I didn't really "need" the storage totes, we have lived here for 7 years without them after all, but I bought them because they were on sale.

Anyways, the basement is much more tidy now..........in case company comes to visit and they do a basement inspection, or we decide to entertain them in the unfinished basement.

We also threw out a whole whack of stuff that we had bought on sale years before., to make room for any new stuff we buy on sale now.

From Stompin Tom Connors..............decades ago

_Oh, yes we are the people running in the race,
Buying up the bargains in the old marketplace,
Another sale on something, we'll buy it while it's hot
And save a lot of money spending money we don't got_


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

I actually think this applies to some people who use reward cards as well. I've actually heard people in stores say, "let's get that and put it on our rewards card so we get the points!" That's exactly what the credit card companies want you to do: buy stuff you don't need and buy more than you can afford so you end up having to pay interest on your credit card.


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

People apparently order more french fries when a salad is available on the menu than when there is no salad on the menu. http://www.weightymatters.ca/2012/12/is-vicarious-goal-fulfillment-why-you.html

I *could* have paid full-price for these things, but I didn't - I got them on sale - so *obviously* this is a wise and prudent and responsible purchase.


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## OptsyEagle (Nov 29, 2009)

Spenders feel good when they buy something and savers feel bad. That is the fundamental difference.


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## mind_business (Sep 24, 2011)

Spenders will eventually feel bad about their purchases ... it just takes a bit longer.


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## dogcom (May 23, 2009)

Or how about when you buy meat on sale or buy bulk and fill up your freezer. You find after time has passed that you end up throwing a lot of stuff out when you clean out your freezer.

I am thinking about replacing my old chest freezer when it breaks down with an upright freezer even though it would use more power so I don't waste food buried at the bottom of the current chest freezer.

The only thing I find that is good to have a multiple of is hammers, screw drivers and tape measures.


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

We buy what we _need_...and when it's on sale........and if it ain't on sale..we don't _need_ it.


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

dogcom said:


> Or how about when you buy meat on sale or buy bulk and fill up your freezer. You find after time has passed that you end up throwing a lot of stuff out when you clean out your freezer.
> 
> I am thinking about replacing my old chest freezer when it breaks down with an upright freezer even though it would use more power so I don't waste food buried at the bottom of the current chest freezer.
> 
> The only thing I find that is good to have a multiple of is hammers, screw drivers and tape measures.


I gave away my chest freezer a while ago and now, while my fridge's freezer is always full, I only buy up to what fits in it. Food waste drives me insane and I operate, personally, much better when I simply buy what I need each week and then...eat it.


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

We moved our chest freezer to the basement for staging purposes when we were thinking of selling the house, and haven't moved it back upstairs. It sure decreases the amount we use it. But I like to make big pots of soup in the crockpot and freeze it in individual servings for lunches, so the space in the freezer is handy for that. We probably keep too much crap in our upstairs freezer, though. I should make a new year's resolution to eat most of it (not all at once!).


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

Food waste is actually an amazingly big problem. In the United States, food is the largest single source of waste to landfills, accounting for 21% of all waste sent to landfills in 2010 -- this translates to 33 million tons. The US EPA recently launched a food recovery challenge program and is working with businesses and consumers to reduce their food waste: http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/foodwaste/index.htm


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## Jungle (Feb 17, 2010)

Yes I would agree with food waste. When people ask how our food costs is so low, the first thing I say is "there is no waste."

But yes, I know someone who is amazing at shopping for deals. But it has surpassed want vrs need and ends up spending more (and hoarding too)\


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

My aunt used to be a saver/hoarder. 

She would come home with bag after bag of stuff.........and my uncle would say.........what, all this food and no beer?


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

My wife and I are diehard savers. Few things get our juices flowin' like watching our net worth climb. We save about about 6k every month. We hate to spend money on big purchases. Yet I am about to spend 2k on a new sound system for our 12 year old vehicle. We are actually excited about this.

The end of the world is nigh. :tongue-new:


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Okay... I think I am a spender based on what was said here, but then we save a lot too, so now I am wondering which one I category I fit into.

We don't have any consumer debt, and save a fair chunk each month. We also spend a fairer chunk each month. 



sags said:


> She did research into the difference between spenders and savers, and went to their homes to take inventories.
> 
> What she discovered was that people who shopped for bargains, which one would assume are the frugal ones, ended up with more stuff in their homes they didn't need and wouldn't use. They also spent more money overall than people who paid full price.
> 
> ...


I still consider myself frugal on many things, but do tend to look for bargains. Alot of the bargains I do find, if they are really good, they are things I generally would use or buy. I do buy more than what I need, but it's still less than what I would pay for regular price for the amount consumed.



OptsyEagle said:


> Spenders feel good when they buy something and savers feel bad. That is the fundamental difference.


Hmmmm... I feel good when I have saved money buying something that I normally would buy, and I feel good when I save money... where does that leave me... 



mind_business said:


> Spenders will eventually feel bad about their purchases ... it just takes a bit longer.


I have to admit I seldomly feel bad when I buy something... if it's an impulse buy, I will make sure that I can return it... and I always make sure I can afford it. 



dogcom said:


> Or how about when you buy meat on sale or buy bulk and fill up your freezer. You find after time has passed that you end up throwing a lot of stuff out when you clean out your freezer.
> 
> I am thinking about replacing my old chest freezer when it breaks down with an upright freezer even though it would use more power so I don't waste food buried at the bottom of the current chest freezer.
> 
> The only thing I find that is good to have a multiple of is hammers, screw drivers and tape measures.


I LOVE LOVE my upright freezer. I buy everything in bulk from meat, dry goods, clothes, presents, toys, crafts, you name it. I actually find I save a lot of money with my freezer and bulk buying and more importantly... time.

I generally know how many things I need to buy for during a year, and when there is a good deal, I will buy enough. One year I bought enough presents for all the kids on boxing day. Whenever there was a birthday party, I would just have my girls 'shop' from the gift area in our house (is a a couple of storage boxes and a shelf). If I have misjudged, then the items get donated to charity, which I would be doing any ways. I find I don't misjudge often, as we have a lot of social events, and my spouse often tells me at last minute there is a shower or party. The time savings has been well worth it. No running out at the last minute, looking for gifts at regular prices. 

For our food, I actually have a pretty good inventory, kan ban system that I've worked out through the years. I know how long things to tend to last for, our consumption rate, and how often things go on sale, or at least what time of year they go on sale. I tend to buy ONLY on sale, and in massive quantities. 

Our freezer is stocked with meat from a butcher, and will last us the year. It also has the room for us to put all the home made things that we make. I tend to save up our veggie peelings (washed of course) that would normally be thrown away, and make an awesome stock, same with bones from chickens, etc. I will freeze individual portions of sauces, and meals for the kids lunches. I do freezer meals, so after I buy 50 lbs of chicken, I will split it up into meals with marinades, and sauces, and get 15 dinners for 5 people plus lunches, for under $1 a serving, of good healthy, high quality meals. Our extra large freezer actually allows me to run our house like a restaurant, and it's really efficient. 

Sorry, I'm not sure of the point, I guess I am a spender that loves to save.


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

stand up freezer all the way,
we keep strawberries, raspberries and I pick huckleberries as well the wild game i gather, salmon and halibut i catch.
the stand up freezer is easy to organize.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Halibut............you catch your own halibut........??

Jeez..........we have to pay 9 bucks for 1 decent sized piece at Archies' Seafood.................

Halibut.........Best fish there is...........in my opinion.


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

Plugging Along said:


> Sorry, I'm not sure of the point, I guess I am a spender that loves to save.


The points are that you are clearly someone who knows what system works for her, and has developed and implemented a system that works, maximizes income, minimizes time, etc. 

I don't know that these binary options (either you are THIS or THAT) work very well to describe most people, except in a very general way. I think the key here is self-knowledge - to know what will work for you and what will not. I know that a stand-alone freezer doesn't work for me, so I don't implement that system, notwithstanding how well it works for others!


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Thanks MG for providing a little more self awareness. Usually, I can read binary posts and know where I fit, this time, I couldn't, so I just kept typing.


For those who are thinking about an upright, just make sure you get a latch, or freezer alarm. When our freezer is really full or something falls and opens the door, we have had it defrost over night


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

sags said:


> Halibut............you catch your own halibut........??
> 
> Jeez..........we have to pay 9 bucks for 1 decent sized piece at Archies' Seafood.................
> 
> Halibut.........Best fish there is...........in my opinion.


My second freezer is also full of halibut and some smoked salmon. I had to give away a lot of halibut so I could keep some chicken and steak in the other freezer.

I never have time to look for deals on food and I hate grocery shopping let alone chasing food deals. Food is probably the thing I waste the most, but it is inevitable if I want to cook for myself the short times I'm home. I much prefer to buy unprocessed food from a farmer's market if possible

I find that stuff on sale is "usually" disposable junk and I prefer to rather buy actual quality things I will keep for a much longer time. I will rather buy quality things used or online or else pay the full price for something directly from the shop I will keep a long time instead. I can't stand malls and glittery commercial centers. They're like casinos full of distractions and gimmicks really

I never look at weekly flyers anymore. I would somehow end up thinking I needed something that was on sale which had miraculously not occured to me before. I think a lot of people buy things just because it's on sale or for the rewards points or some other expolited human mentality. Marketing has been perfected in _'Merica_, just like the casinos, you can only get lucky a few times but you'll never beat them at their own game


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## 44545 (Feb 14, 2012)

We're savers but sometimes you spend upfront to save. 

Case in point: we've found sales and coupons for our brand of laundry detergent so we stocked up. We might have spent $50 but won't need to buy anymore for a couple of years.

Perhaps that's what separates the "obsessive saver-spender" from just plan "frugal" - we stopped buying once we had a _small_ stock pile.


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## Haligonian (Nov 3, 2012)

"I watched an interview with a psychologist on television."
Hey Sags - what television show was it, who was the interiewer, and who was the psychologist?


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

I used to shop at thrift stores in the belief I was 'saving' money when in fact I was just buying crap I didn't need. I've learned, and stopped but now I have a lot of things in my house I really don't need or use. Not horder by any means, but still I have to set aside the time it takes to sort, get ride of (by whatever means, donating, selling, trashing) things we do not need then organizing items we really do want but need to be stored (ie seasonal items we use yearly). When we were in our condo in Vancouver, a modest 1 bdrm it was so minimalist and I loved it that way. We bought what we needed for that week and used it, with little to no excess. Now we're in a 5 bdrm 3 bath house it's easy to have too much stuff because we have room to store it, and this includes staples like pasta etc on sale, which is ridiculous really because pasta at any time is cheap!


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

Addy said:


> I used to shop at thrift stores in the belief I was 'saving' money when in fact I was just buying crap I didn't need. I've learned, and stopped but now I have a lot of things in my house I really don't need or use. Not horder by any means, but still I have to set aside the time it takes to sort, get ride of (by whatever means, donating, selling, trashing) things we do not need then organizing items we really do want but need to be stored (ie seasonal items we use yearly). When we were in our condo in Vancouver, a modest 1 bdrm it was so minimalist and I loved it that way. We bought what we needed for that week and used it, with little to no excess. Now we're in a 5 bdrm 3 bath house it's easy to have too much stuff because we have room to store it, and this includes staples like pasta etc on sale, which is ridiculous really because pasta at any time is cheap!


My wife has a rule " if you don't touch it for a year its gone". Its a good rule, although she is better at it than me.

I used to buy clothes at thrift stores to, Value Village in particular, but now I find I can buy clothes cheaper at Costco and they are brand new. 
That buy winter clothes in the spring and summer clothes in the fall.


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

"I used to shop at thrift stores in the belief I was 'saving' money when in fact I was just buying crap I didn't need. I've learned, and stopped but now I have a lot of things in my house I really don't need or use."

Me too; I like to buy small appliances I will use once and never take out of the cupboard again (electric wok, hand held blender) but can take comfort in the fact that I blew $3 instead of the $39.95 the original owner spent.

Have also gotten a few things I use regularly (blender, juicer, rice cooker, food processor, George Foreman grille) so I figure I got off cheap.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Hawkdog said:


> My wife has a rule " if you don't touch it for a year its gone". Its a good rule, although she is better at it than me.
> 
> That buy winter clothes in the spring and summer clothes in the fall.


I think this is a great rule, but I have a really hard time following it. I am too much of a pack rate. I kept my clothes for years hoping to get back into them, as I had gained a lot of weight. 

I do buy off season for the kids, and find I save a lot that way. I just bought the girls their jackets for next year. I paid $13 for $75 jackets.


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## jcgd (Oct 30, 2011)

I like to buy stuff, I like to tinker and I like making money so I try to combine these qualities when I buy things. I bought a pair of vintage speakers the other day. I wanted them, but didn't need them. I can play with them by refinishing them, re-capping them, cleaning them, enjoying music from them, and the day I bought them I could have likely resold them for about 25% more than I paid for them. If I was to invest a little time and money I could likely double my money selling them on eBay. I bought them cause I want them, but it is good to know I can likely get my money back if I would like to.


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