Comments on: Are You Really Saving Money On That?

By: Preschool, Investing, Credit Cards, and Weddings!

Preschool, Investing, Credit Cards, and Weddings! — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:33:06 +0000

[...] Are You Really Saving Money On That? at Simple Mom [...]

By: Jenny

Jenny — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:42:53 +0000

Just found your blog and love it so far. Another tip – I started using diapers.com to purchase diapers. They have free shipping on orders over $49. I almost always spend that much and the diapers, wipes, etc. are delivered to my door. And the real money saver – it keeps me out of Target! I’ll go to Target to buy diapers, but somehow end up spending $100 or more on stuff I see while I’m there. So between keeping me out of Target and saving gas money, diapers.com is a bargain!

By: Jenn

Jenn — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:37:52 +0000

Oh my gosh, I totally fall for the free shipping deal – and I recognize when I do it, too! I’m also terrible about going into big box stores, I always see so many things I “need”! Of course, I didn’t even know I needed them before I went shopping…

Jenn’s last blog post…Struggles, part 3

By: Anne

Anne — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:54:51 +0000

I just wanted to make a comment on the buy now/pay later schemes. Here in Australia they are called “interest-free loans”. Of course the interest free part only applies if you pay it off during the interest free period. We have used these schemes successfully three times so far, by following a few unbreakable rules. We got a minimal credit limit. The credit limit reflects what we can afford to repay per month on one income. We *never* spend up to the credit limit. *Ever*. We repay more than the minimum monthly repayment. Every month. We buy what we need i.e. bedroom furniture for the kids, but one kid at a time; a microwave and a clothes dryer; and currently a lounge after our second hand, more-than-25-years-old one gave up the ghost. The interest free period expires in March 2011, but we’ll have it paid off by half way through next year. We get offered an increase in our credit limit every month. Every month it goes in the shredding box.
These schemes work, but only if you set rules before hand and don’t break them. Ever.

Anne’s last blog post…WARNING

By: Leanne

Leanne — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:52:03 +0000

I disagree on the free shipping for purchases over X point. Yes, you end up spending more. However, you get product for every penny you spend. Whereas if you pay for shipping, you may spend less, but part of what you are spending is just leaving your wallet with nothing coming into your home in exchange.

I’ll always make sure to spend enough for free shipping. If it means waiting a little longer until I have enough items on my list to make it, or if it means sticking an extra item into my order.

I agree with every other point, though!

By: mandy

mandy — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:52:06 +0000

I just stumbled across your blog & appreciate this article. However, the one thing I don’t agree with is encouraging people not to use credit cards. We have a cash-back credit card with a huge interest rate. But I treat it like a debit card- I keep track of everything we’ve spent with it, but use it to buy EVERYTHING. We pay it off completely each month & never over-spend, so we’ve never had to pay the interest rate. Then at hte end of the year we have an average of $600 FREE from the cash-back benefit of the card. It takes self-discipline, but if you keep track of everything it truly is FREE MONEY.

mandy’s last blog post…We’re Finally Home!

By: CiderSapling

CiderSapling — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:47:27 +0000

There are several things to mull over here… I currently have an Amazon Prime membership and I’ve grown to love it this last year. I’ve been debating over renewing it. I have certainly saved tons of money buying through Amazon, but I probably could have planned ahead better and used free shipping. Things to think about.

As for the ‘big box’ stores, I admit I like to to to them – my favorite is Target. I go into the store with my list and I as I walk through, I use the back and side aisles – not the main drags. This way, I don’t see as many of the impulse buys so I am tempted less to over spend. I also go into the store with $10 -$20 extra in my budget for the clearance items I can use. I limit this to laundry soap, diapers, paper towels, toilet paper, etc. Unless there is a very large quantity, clearance ends up on the back “end caps” of the aisles off the main path. Using this technique, I can budget for household items and save money at the same time. I admit, though, it took me a while to control those impulse purchases!

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:33:38 +0000

Can I say that I *mostly* agree with what you’ve said?? I truly *love* your blog, so I don’t want to be the lone dissenter!! I think if you are hyper-vigilant, you *can* use some of those things to your advantage. For example, with existing debt {due to foolishness} we have moved our credit card balances several times to take advantage of those 0% offers. I *hate* being in debt, so I would agree with you not to use those financing plans, period. Pay cash!! I like what a previous commenter said about the “free shipping” deals: to wait until your order is big enough to qualify. Even so though, I sometimes still find that it would be cheaper to buy a used a book & pay the shipping than it would be to buy brand new. When it comes to big box stores, you surely have to be on your guard about impulse buying. For those that live in less populated areas, like me, driving to several different stores is just not an option. I try to save money by using the pantry principle: rotating through the different stores, one per week & buying whatever items are cheapest at that store to get me through until the next time I am at that location.

Thanks for all the great inspiration :>)

Rebecca’s last blog post…Win Some, Lose Some

By: jaye

jaye — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:55:13 +0000

…i *love* this post so many great tips!

two things i’d like to add….(learned from my dear ol’ mom….)

1) diversify your thought process in the store (grocery, etc.). for example, when i moved into my apartment during grad school, i needed a new kitchen scissors. in the kitchen department of the store, they were priced at a scorching $9. unsatisfied, we headed over to the tool section and found a pair of **better** scissors, much better made than those in the kitchen scissors for HALF the PRICE.

2) clipping coupons isn’t always a money saver. for those who live in cities with a diversity of grocery stores AND get the Sunday/Wednesday paper, it may be well worth those 15 minutes spent each week. but for those of us who live in smaller cities, try signing up for “Deal Emails” from the grocery stores that feature their weekly/monthly sales & specials–this alerts you to the deals at the stores without eating up precious time from your day!!

keep the tips coming…i LIKE this post

jaye’s last blog post…a man born blind.

By: Aimee

Aimee — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:41:39 +0000

Very enlightening post from Miranda- she’s bang on about the impulse buys. Guilty as charged!

Aimee’s last blog post…Chocolate-Raspberry Oat Muffins