When Saving Money- Costs More Part 2

Part two in our series about when saving money actually costs you more. If you find yourself chasing after bargain deals you will relate this post.

Not only that, but the inexpensive stores tend to be further away from my house, thus I end up having to use more gas to shop at a cheaper store. This can nullify my savings quickly with today’s gas prices the way they are. This also pertains to driving out of your way to find the least expensive gas station, thus using more gas in an attempt to save money on gas. It doesn’t make much sense, but I admit that I’ve done it in the past. The amount I actually pay for a tank of gas seems to register more in my head than the specific amount of gas I’m using to go somewhere, so it can actually seem logical if I’m not careful. And while you’re at the cheapest gas station saving money on your purchase, you can blow it by going inside the convenience store to pick up snacks. Saved $5 on gas, spend $6 on candy and soda. And the gas stations hope it happens that way.

Surprisingly, coupons can also cost you extra money if you’re not careful. I’ve fallen victim to the “Spend $50, get $10 off” coupon. If I find what I want to buy and it only costs $35 then I’ll be running around looking for something that costs $15 so I can get $10 off. After all, that $15 item will really only cost me $5, but that’s $5 too much when I didn’t even need or really want the item in the first place. And when grocery shopping, I’ll sometimes pick up the name brand item because I have a coupon, when the generic brand without a coupon would have been cheaper. Or worse — I didn’t even need the item and only bought it because I had a coupon. It’s usually because I didn’t want to waste my coupon — but instead I end up wasting my money.

Another way you can end up spending more when you are trying to save is by buying a cheaper product and then having to replace it soon after because it broke. Usually when this happens you end up getting the better quality one after all because you don’t want to replace the item once again. I’m not advocating buying the most expensive option of everything you buy, but do consider the quality of what you are buying and how often you plan on using that specific thing. If you plan on having that item for a long time, then you might want to spend a little more for something that will last you longer. This could be true for a variety of items, including appliances, cars, clothing/shoes, and many others.

Saving money doesn’t have to cost you more if you are smart (and most importantly, disciplined). It’s easy to write off those small extra purchases, but if you are really trying to spend less and conserve your money, you have to be aware that those extra purchases can add up and make your saving efforts seem insignificant. So next time you reach for that candy bar or magazine at the checkout counter, think of how many coupons and savings you are nullifying by making that one purchase. It might just help you make the decision to say no.
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