Yesterday, after a day of getting some great Target deals, we stopped by the Chinese buffet restaurant owned by some friends. My daughter opened a fortune cookie with an interesting message. It said, “A bargain isn’t a bargain when you don’t need the product.” Even the fortune cookies are going recession.
Later that night, we were flipping through the television channels when the new show, “Hoarders” came on. We were just amazed watching families who have a hoarding disorder that causes them to overfill their homes with too much stuff. One family was in danger of losing their children to Child Protective Services, while the other was in danger of being evicted. What struck me was that for the second family, the woman said that she couldn’t resist a bargain or a sale. But those bargains were piling up everywhere, and since she mostly bought food, rotting all over the home. Her bargains were hardly bargains.
Okay, so maybe the universe is trying to tell me something. A day of bargains, followed by a fortune cookie, followed by a shocking television show. And that cookie was right. If you don’t need a product, then it really isn’t a bargain. I’ll give you some examples.
The recent Cash for Clunkers program was extremely popular. Many, many people took advantage of it. And, it was a good opportunity to take advantage of. But the thing is, I wonder if how many people might have bought new cars when they didn’t actually need them, thus taking on a car payment.
Think about smaller bargains, such as grocery deal stockpiles or warehouse grocery products that expire before they are used. How about closets overflowing with clothes that never get worn? They might have been great bargains at the time, but if you never wear the, then the money spent on those clothes could have been saved or used for something more valuable.
Getting a good deal is tempting. I almost purchased a product yesterday because it would have only cost me $.19. But we never use the product. I might have been able to donate it, of course, and then that really would have been a good bargain. But, if it sat in my pantry, the bargain would not be a bargain.
As you do your shopping this month, think about your purchases in terms of whether or not they are real bargains.
You can read more blog posts by Mary Ann Romans here!
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