Top Five "DON'Ts" of Saving Money

So far on this little amateur blog of mine, I have mostly talked about some of the ways I know of to save money.  Today I'm going to focus on some of the things to avoid in the process.

1.  Don't buy things you won't use or don't need.  It can be tempting to waver in this area when you see how inexpensively you can pick up, oh, let's say, a case of sardines.  "Oh!  Fifty cents for a whole case of sardines," you might say to yourself.  But does anyone in your household eat, or even like, sardines?  "Just in case" isn't always a good justification.  Fifty cents might not seem like much to waste, but it's still money that could be spent on something more useful, or it could be used to make you more money on a different purchase.  Also, once you start down that "just in case" path, it's easy to spiral out of control until you have no room to store all those items no one is using.  Also, be careful not to buy certain brands that no one in your house likes (on cereal, for instance) just because it's on sale.  You don't necessarily have to sacrifice quality to save money! :)

2.  Don't stoop to cheating or abusing the system in order to gain more for yourself.  Don't purposely try to use expired coupons or the wrong coupon for the wrong item.  One of the worst deceptions I've seen on other blogs is people buying an item that has a money-back guarantee, with the intention of keeping/using the product and getting their money back.  It's one thing to buy a product and really not be satisfied with it after the fact, and then take the company up on their guarantee.  It's a completely different matter to buy a product, knowing the only reason you're paying for it is because you plan to receive a refund.

3.  Don't forget to send in any rebate forms you're counting on for extra savings!  Rebates are different from refunds.  The company, in order to entice you to buy their products, offers to give you some or all of your money back.  I'm guessing they're counting on some people forgetting to send in their rebate forms.  Don't give them the satisfaction! ha ha

4.  Don't be a "vulture!"  Now, this one is probably based more on my personal opinion and past frustrating situations than on any moral obligation.  Remember as kids, when we waited in line at the drinking fountain, and that one kid held everyone up by drinking more water than ten normal people could ever need?  We would say, "Save some for the fish!"  When you're shopping at stores with lower quantities of stock (like Walgreens or CVS), it wouldn't hurt to think of others that might want to benefit from that sale after you.  I'm not saying it's wrong to buy the last Intuition razor because someone else might want it.  I'm just suggesting we be mindful of what, and how many, we really need for our household, or for giving away . . . which brings me to my next "don't."

5.  Don't forget those in need!  It's fine to do some stockpiling for our own households, but let's be careful not to go overboard!  Yesterday at Walgreens, I ended up with 4 men's body washes for free (plus I made $1.50 on the deal!).  When I went to put them away, I realized that, though my hubby does shower every day, :) we really don't need any more stored away for now.   Food banks, missions, shelters, etc. always need hygiene items as well as food.  There's no magic number that works for every family, as far as how much is too much to store for the future.  But don't ignore any impressions the Lord may be laying on your heart to share your surplus with people who truly need it!

Happy $avings!! :)