Saving money is front and center on most people’s mind these days. We’re all trying save money in any way we can. But sometimes our efforts backfire and a good deal ends up costing us money.
There are times when spending more money will end up saving you money in the long run. If it’s possible, here are the 3 times I recommend spending a little more.
When it saves you a return trip to the store. If you have ever walked into Target and walked out with only the item (or items) you planned on getting, your kung fu is stronger than mine. For me, and most people, every trip to the store costs you, and not just the money you planned on spending.
Stores have lots of psychological tricks up their sleeves to get you to spend more – like putting Milano Cookies everywhere – and convincing you to add more stuff to your cart. Every time you walk into a store you subject yourself to their Jedi mind games. So it stands to reason that the fewer trips you make, the more you’ll save.
Try to plan ahead as much as possible so you don’t have to make additional trips. Did you say you’d make the cupcakes for the school party? Pick up the ingredients (or a box mix, if you’re me) on your weekly grocery shop rather than returning to the store to get them later.
When you go for quality. When Mr O and I moved into our house we needed a few rooms worth of furniture. We had just bought a house and our budget was pretty tight, so we went to a local discount furniture place. Our theory was that, with family planning on the horizon, we’d be okay if what we bought didn’t last forever.
Well, it didn’t last anywhere near forever. Less than 2 years later the bonded leather on the sofa started to crack and peel and the recliner (aka my office) make a loud crunching noise when it reclined. To give credit to the discount store, they did replace the sofa at no cost to us. However, the replacement also started cracking a year later.
In the end we had to buy a new living room set far earlier than we’d planned, spending more than we would have if we’d just opted for quality in the first place.
When you stock up. This is the second cousin of #1 on this list. Stocking up on your must-haves can save you a trip to the store, or a stroll down that ever tempting cookie aisle.
When we first started stocking up our grocery bill actually ticked up for a couple of months, before dropping by about $100 a month. Now when something we use a lot of goes on sale I stock up, sometimes to an embarrassing degree. Recently my family’s favorite boxed rice went on sale for $.79 a box (regular price is $1.99) – I bought 2 cases.
You don’t have to be an extreme couponer to stock up. Just track the prices of your favorite items and take notice when they go on sale. If I’m not sure about the full price, my rule to stock up is buy 1 get 1 free, or half off.
So if you’re thinking about spending a little more, don’t beat yourself up. Sometimes spending money can really end up saving you money. Also check out When Buying a Maintenance Plan is Worth It!
Would you add anything to this list? Have you ever had to spend more to save more? Share in the comments.
