How To Save Money

[Asonokirk V 2.0]

I guarantee you, when you go shopping, and after the cashier rings up your purchases and tells you how much you "saved" by buying whatever you bought, the word "saved" isn't being used as it is defined. You spent money, you didn't save anything. Saving money is accomplished by not spending it. You ain't saving a freaking thing by buying something that the vendor claims is "saving" you money. Spending "less" does not count as saving anything.

So, the next time you're in a check out line, or service counter, and the clerk tells you how much you "saved," tell them their understanding of the word "saved" is as accurate as the understanding a crack saturated fugitive from personal hygiene has for the phrase "just say no."

[kah]

You can't look at it that way. If you were going to buy the item anyway, you would have paid the original price at another time. Here's the best way for me to describe it.

Every week I buy 2 gallons of milk. The regular price is $3.39 a gallon, and we don't tax groceries, so I spend $6.78 on milk every week. Every once in a while, it goes on sale for $1.99 a gallon, saving me $2.80, because that is money I would've spent either way. The trick, is to put that $2.80 aside into savings, since without the sale, that money would be gone.

That is just a small-scale example, but it can apply to everything, even luxury items. If you were going to buy something and spend x amount of dollars on it, anything you spent that is less than that is rightly called savings. It is up to you, then, to actively put that money "saved" into your savings. Otherwise, you will spend that $2.80 on a bag of chips you weren't going to buy, but indulged in since you saved money on the milk, thereby eliminating your savings.

[Asonokirk V 2.0]

Sure, you're getting a discount, but YOU ARE NOT "SAVING" ANYTHING. Spending money, in any amount for any reason, is NOT SAVING, it is SPENDING. The connection between the word "save" and the term as used by retailers when purchasing something for a lower price, is not real.

[Scotia]

Sure, you're getting a discount, but YOU ARE NOT "SAVING" ANYTHING. Spending money, in any amount for any reason, is NOT SAVING, it is SPENDING. The connection between the word "save" and the term as used by retailers when purchasing something for a lower price, is not real.
I think you're simply playing with semantics here.

If said item is a necessity and can be purchased at a substantial discount, then yes, a very tangible percentage of money is saved. That amount confirms that the term "save" is applicable. I have conserved/hoarded/saved a measurable portion of grocery coin. You're arguing that "saved" refers to an absolute expression which I don't think is correct. It's a term commonly referenced in business transactions which by defintion involves some sort monetary exchange. It's synonymous with being frugal or thrifty, being smart with your money. It doesn't always translate into a complete avoidance of spending.

[Asonokirk V 2.0]

I think you're simply playing with semantics here.

If said item is a necessity and can be purchased at a substantial discount, then yes, a very tangible percentage of money is saved. That amount confirms that the term "save" is applicable. I have conserved/hoarded/saved a measurable portion of grocery coin. You're arguing that "saved" refers to an absolute expression which I don't think is correct. It's a term commonly referenced in business transactions which by defintion involves some sort monetary exchange. It's synonymous with being frugal or thrifty, being smart with your money. It doesn't always translate into a complete avoidance of spending.

I was being satirical and hoping for some laughs. My interpretation of the situation is deliberately obtuse and singular, for the sake of starting from the absolute baseline of logic from which our interpersonal communication function is derived.

[southpaw]

I was being satirical and hoping for some laughs. My interpretation of the situation is deliberately obtuse and singular, for the sake of starting from the absolute baseline of logic from which our interpersonal communication function is derived.


OH, in that case.....




http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/573/untitled3ka.png

[Kaeos]

[quote=kah]Every week I buy 2 gallons of milk. The regular price is $3.39 a gallon, and we don't tax groceries, so I spend $6.78 on milk every week. Every once in a while, it goes on sale for $1.99 a gallon, saving me $2.80
quote]

Damn girl! $3.39? Your in freeking Wisconsin, cheese country? You guys should be swimming in milk! Why so high?

You mentioned they don't tax groceries out there, sure, but here in NY a gallon on skim milk costs $1.69, whole milk $1.99. Even with 8% sales tax that still only adds $0.14. Your getting raked sister K.

I do however agree with your idea of putting away whatever you suposedly "save" We do that from time to time and use it to pay the kids allowances.

[kah]

[quote=kah]Every week I buy 2 gallons of milk. The regular price is $3.39 a gallon, and we don't tax groceries, so I spend $6.78 on milk every week. Every once in a while, it goes on sale for $1.99 a gallon, saving me $2.80
quote]

Damn girl! $3.39? Your in freeking Wisconsin, cheese country? You guys should be swimming in milk! Why so high?

You mentioned they don't tax groceries out there, sure, but here in NY a gallon on skim milk costs $1.69, whole milk $1.99. Even with 8% sales tax that still only adds $0.14. Your getting raked sister K.

I do however agree with your idea of putting away whatever you suposedly "save" We do that from time to time and use it to pay the kids allowances.

It's called the cost of trucking impacting the price of milk. Everything is moved by semi around here. The cost of diesel fuel skyrocketed here in the last year. It has always been lower than gas, but lately, it has been higher. It has about evened out with gas, but for truck drivers to pay 3 bucks a gallon for diesel raises the prices of everything else.

I comfort myself with the thought that my cigarettes only cost $3.25 here, whereas I'd be paying close to $7(correct?) in NY.

[Kaeos]

[quote=Kaeos]

I comfort myself with the thought that my cigarettes only cost $3.25 here, whereas I'd be paying close to $7(correct?) in NY.

Unless you go to the Seneca reservation then yes.

:D The better answer is that you quit smoking becuase your baby wants mommy to be there when he gets married. He wants you there when his first baby is born. He wants you there for baby's first day of kindergarten.....:wink:

[fastcar]

Hey, I save......with my Giant Eagle Advantage Card.


When I go shopping, buy my prescriptions, rent movies, anything that equals $50, I get $0.10 off a gallon of gas.


So, on average I save $0.20 on every gallon. I usually put 13 gallons of gas into my car. Since gas here is $2.89 a gallon that would be $37.57. With my discount it would be $34.97. I save close to $3.00 on my gas.

Doesn't seem like much.....but, think about it this way. If I want to go buy something at Best Buy, Home Depot, Sears, Red Lobster, or a number of other places, I go to Giant Eagle first and buy the gift card there. They count, too. Now I'm not limited to just one store to get gas discounts.


So, ok, I didn't save anything by buying groceries, but I did keep myself from paying full price at the pumps.

[Kaeos]

Man I miss Giant Eagle....until I shop at Wegmans.