A Strategy for Shopping

Shopping isn't my favorite way to spend time. I find that, even though I always carry a list of just what I need to buy, I often leave the stores with more than I came for. Why do I do that? I know better.

In recent years I've learned that it's far easier to stick to a shopping list if I shop online. Of course, I can browse any website and find all sorts of goodies, but I am far less likely to go beyond the needed items when I'm online.

The point of this post, however, is not shopping. I want to suggest to you a strategy for shopping, whether online or in a brick-and-mortar, that has helped me save a considerable amount of money over the years. It is simply this: don't buy it unless it serves at least two purposes. There are special items, of course, that are made for one purpose only but that we simply must have. (I have yet to find more than one use for my #32 plastic sausage stuffing tube, and I'd be eternally grateful to anyone who can suggest another way to use it)

 Think it over before you put an item on your list to be sure you can really and truly put a desired item to work in more than one area. For example, I wanted a pair of comfortable shoes that I could wear in the house during cold weather but not houseshoes, per se -- I wanted to be able to wear the same shoes in public without being made fun of. A quick google search for indoor shoes turned up 'cheap nike soccer indoor shoes'.


Another example is area rugs. I know that having a door mat on the outside as well as an area rug inside the door can keep vinyl floors and carpets cleaner and give them a much longer life. I buy area rugs that are neutral in color and pattern so that I can move them from room to room to get a new look, and I also use my area rugs to help me slide heavy furniture pieces when I want to rearrange a room.

I have about a dozen 1 quart plastic pitchers that serve the usual purpose (to hold tea and lemonade) but also get used as watering cans (much easier to control the flow, easier to hold, and the lighter weight is easier for me to handle).

There are always going to be times when I just want something, and there's no logical reason to buy the thing. It takes discipline to not allow my desires to override common sense. This does not mean that I don't allow myself little luxuries.

In the end, though, the greatest luxury we can give ourselves is financial stability, isn't it? So I will suggest one more strategy that I've found useful over the years. Whenever there is a frivolous item that I want but have no practical use for, I put the money it would cost into my savings account and wait three days. At the end of that time, if my desire is still strong enough, I take that money out of savings and buy the toy.

More often than not, the cooling-off period is all it takes to restore my good sense, and my savings grow as a reward.