OMG – are you sitting down with your Go-Go Juice this morning? Well – I last remember sipping mine when a bright light swallowed my whole being while cute little green men paraded around me showering me with sparkling jewels and sweet smelling rose pedals…OK – who spiked my coffee?
Ha – just kidding. It has been tremendously busy as we wrap up the end of the school year, continue the job search and get ready for the summer season. But you’ll be glad to know, I never put my Go-Go Juice down for one measly minute. It’s my main motivator to find ways to make money and save money. How many of you spend countless waking hours in contemplating the same? In this economy…I bet everyone is. All my close “buds” know that I do what I can to make an income, at least until I finally achieve a replacement from my last lost job – I offer everything from consultation to short term projects to helping out a neighbor to writing jingles (yes – I write jingles…check out my website). But, I can attest, it’s never enough. Hence, I do everything I can to save or as some would call, I’m thrifty. Now, the one thing I’ve noticed is when standing in line at the grocery store, I get a kick out of people who are what I term as “coupon fanatics”. I look through the Sunday Newspaper goody section – but I must say, I never really find coupons for what I buy, so I don’t use as many coupons unlike others, which leads me to wonder if people change their purchasing habits or needs based on discounts they find. For instance, I don’t normally purchase Tide (although I think it’s the best product on the market, it is one of the most expensive detergents – obviously for good reasons), however, I save usually over $4.00 a bottle by buying a lesser brand detergent that still does a good job at getting clothes clean. However, there’s a coupon for $1.00 of Tide – now…I can get double coupon savings (meaning $2.00), but that means I would be still spending an extra $2.00 than what I would budget. What about glass cleaner? I buy the generic brand that costs me no more than $1.19, but Windex offers a coupon for .35 cents off two bottles whereas I would have to spend almost $2.50 more to buy the product to get the savings. Do you see where I’m going with this? I think a lot of people “think” they’re saving money by using coupons when in reality, they are actually spending more just to use the coupon. We all pinch pennies, but truly, in our own perceptions, do we actually run the calculator and determine if we’re really saving or are we costing ourselves? How many of you go shopping for clothes on regular basis? If you do, the only question is, do you wear them? Are they needed? Clearly my baby Melissa does not need more clothes – she has plenty, but my house guest comes home more often lately with new little “outfits” that she spent .50 cents to $1.00 per outfit. Now, in the spirit of saving money – how cool is it to buy an outfit at such dirt cheap prices? But on the same token, it was not money saved…it was money spent.
I’ll be the first to say; that we need to spend a little now and then…it is good health to splurge a little whether it’s for you or for someone else. But on an ongoing basis, you’ll wind up in the “poor house” or at least have a longer time getting out of it. I came across an article provided by the New York Times, written by Alina Tugend. Its title is Penny-Pinching is Fine, but it Won’t Save the Profligate. I encourage you read it.
Well, it’s onward and upward my dear readers. Keep your Go-Go Juice nearby and sip it with a friend. Have an amazing weekend.
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