Do you get your money’s worth when you shop? If you’re not pleased with the way your dollar stretches, you’re not alone. Perhaps all you need are some shopping guidelines, a little practice, and above all, a healthy dose of skepticism. I’d like to discuss some practices I’ve employed over the years that result in substantial savings.
A lot of money can be saved if you know where to shop. Good-sized eggplants sell at Von’s Market for $2.39 each. A similar one is available at Farm to Market, just 300 yards away, for 99¢. It’s a matter of familiarizing yourself with what’s available and then shop accordingly. And if you need encouragement to make the effort, think of it as an adventure that you can boast about to your friends.
2-Put brands in their proper place.
Whether your choice of lipstick is the $20 Chanel selection from Macy's, the $5.46 Max Factor brand from Osco Drug, or the 94¢ Wet 'n Wild tube from Target, be aware that the essential ingredients are the same. The difference is packaging, promotion, and mystique, which is what cosmetics is all about. Similarly, a 24-ounce bottle of mint-flavored Scope mouthwash can be purchased at one well-known chain for $3.99.
On the shelf two feet to the right is a 24-ounce bottle of mint-flavored Value Wise at $1.99. Thanks to federal labeling laws we know the contents of the two bottles are identical. As to flavor, there’s no detectable difference. Possibly both are manufactured and bottled together in the same plant and from the same spigot. Keep this in mind as you shop.
3-Ignore high pressure promotion.
A person's possessions speak volumes on what the individual considers important. The advertising industry, devoted to identifying what the citizen considers significant, manipulates the market to create those choices. With massive sums to be spent, the competition is as fierce as it is grotesque. And what is pushed?
Magazine subscriptions, timeshare projects, $300 per ounce bottles of perfume, Las Vegas weekend getaways, $1,800 ballpoint pens, and the purchase of lottery tickets, to name just a few. As a rule of thumb, the more overpriced the merchandise, the more innovative its promotion. Don’t be a victim.
