tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5375475720350356941.post993823959471632813..comments2023-12-28T04:04:49.750-05:00Comments on $12 a day: What would you spend $624 on; The spending gamerivulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11352395562904461909noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5375475720350356941.post-5416670557634826812016-05-03T06:14:50.295-04:002016-05-03T06:14:50.295-04:00Super interesting topic, because I do agree that p...Super interesting topic, because I do agree that pennies add up, but I am definitely a "I like that store better, so I shop there" person.Pieliekamaishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15706413342474838387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5375475720350356941.post-66697817939394802512016-05-01T06:56:47.234-04:002016-05-01T06:56:47.234-04:00Well the grocery stores in the town South of here ...Well the grocery stores in the town South of here carry more Hispanic type foods, as does that Walmart, b/c there is a large Hispanic population there. The same chain stores in the town West of here carry more Polish type foods as that town has a large % of older people of Polish extraction.slugmamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12728856166374248591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5375475720350356941.post-52734988568532900732016-04-30T15:36:49.134-04:002016-04-30T15:36:49.134-04:00I have no idea what it's like over there, obvi...I have no idea what it's like over there, obviously. The price differences within a chain are often subtle. Like I said, most people that I've mentioned them too had no idea that one store ran considerably more expensive than another.<br /><br />I wonder if by you there are still price differences but on-line shopping would have it's own standard price. It's honestly pretty difficult to keep track of the differences without paying close attention. Between sales and price changes it's difficult for someone to ever notice that one store sells the same item for more or less.<br /><br />For example take two of my stores, milk is priced depending on supply. A few weeks ago one of my stores was selling a gallon of milk for regular retail $2.59 but another was selling it for $2.89. There was a sale on milk last week for $2.50 a gallon. The sales always run the same in a market because of flyers so all the stores around here would have had the milk at $2.50 no matter what regular retail is. BUT this week milk went down in price. The $2.59 a gallon store is now selling a gallon of milk for $1.99 and the $2.89 store has it for $2.29. This kind of thing goes on a lot with lots of items all over the store. <br /><br />I try really hard to buy most things on sale which takes some of the "location" issue off the table but if I were to buy milk (about three gallons a week) not on sale at the more expensive location that's about $50 extra a year just on milk.<br /><br />Sorry, I've been giving ridiculously long responses to everyone on this post. You'd have to make a list of specific items and go to a few locations and jot down their prices to know if stores/ a chain vary prices depending on competition and clientele.<br /><br />Yeah, convenience stores are always way more expensive here. I can't bring myself to stop at one even "just" for milk or butter because everything costs SO much more there (but I am at the grocery store 5 days a week so it'd be pretty ridiculous if I "needed" to stop into the convenience store).rivulethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11352395562904461909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5375475720350356941.post-53416899163410762892016-04-30T15:20:21.434-04:002016-04-30T15:20:21.434-04:00I think a lot of people don't understand that ...I think a lot of people don't understand that a few cents here and there add up, or they're in denial about it. Sometimes I can even be in denial about it and I try to keep this reality at the forefront of my mind regularly. It's like we almost have this malfunction about us, it's part of the living in the moment phenomenon where even though we know "pennies do add up" we are able to deny it or completely ignore the fact because they aren't adding up RIGHT NOW.<br /><br />I write posts like these mostly for myself, just to cement in my mind that every penny counts. That $624 will be gone just like that (theoretically) if I forget to pay attention to small differences in price like 59 cents for a yogurt vs. 65 cents. <br /><br />I believe that in reality we lose a lot more than $624 a year by paying more for items that we could get cheaper. You do it the right way though! Not wasting here and there on this or that and buying something for much less than regular retail, that is really the way to be. I really try to be that way too. And for the most part I really like it. There's very little that I feel I'm missing out on because of my penny pinching.rivulethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11352395562904461909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5375475720350356941.post-68328199145510950252016-04-30T15:13:57.523-04:002016-04-30T15:13:57.523-04:00I can't say I've ever noticed such differe...I can't say I've ever noticed such differences here (UK) except I think that the small convenience versions of the larger chains are more expensive (or don't stock the value ranges). I wonder if the fact that we also have on-line grocery shopping will also mean that the supermarkets standardise their pricing? Variations would be harder to sustain if customers can check on-line. Interesting.Frugally challengedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10222391810215537820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5375475720350356941.post-77838670976349919152016-04-30T15:12:57.855-04:002016-04-30T15:12:57.855-04:00See, for me this conversation takes a weird turn b...See, for me this conversation takes a weird turn because I work within a 20 mile radius and have a plethora of stores to choose from without "going out of the way." I'd say that in a normal situation I'd be just like you. Making the most of what I had while trying to save time and money.rivulethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11352395562904461909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5375475720350356941.post-23524979950286373992016-04-30T14:45:44.948-04:002016-04-30T14:45:44.948-04:00Some people don't understand a few cents here ...Some people don't understand a few cents here and there add up. Those same people complain they don't have money for anything. I would buy a plane ticket but I save all my beans for travel :) I scrimp and penny pinch to make it happen and it does. I don't splurge on coffee out, I don't buy new clothing (only thrift store duds, really fabulous ones that cost lots of money new but pennies on the dollar used) and I cook at home 99% of the time.Cheapchickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15158208632054014311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5375475720350356941.post-85166584993682726552016-04-30T13:30:04.775-04:002016-04-30T13:30:04.775-04:00I live in an area like you do where options are ev...I live in an area like you do where options are everywhere. I fall somewhere between the 2 schools of thought. Though I can find anything within 1 mile of my home, I have noticed price differences just 4 miles away. If I am in that area doing something else I tend to shop there, but because of traffic (and traffic lights) it often takes 20 minutes to drive those 4 miles and I am unwilling to give up that much time to save a few cents every time I go to the grocery store. Since I have the luxury of having 4 stores to cherry pick within a mile of my home, I think I save both time and money. Anne in the kitchenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01533249631969001657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5375475720350356941.post-34696104816675700902016-04-30T11:33:36.511-04:002016-04-30T11:33:36.511-04:00I do not think I'd drive 45 minutes to go to a...I do not think I'd drive 45 minutes to go to a cheaper store. 45 minutes is a long drive if it's not necessary. Gas and vehicle costs alone probably wouldn't be worth it. And time is very valuable. If you're wasting precious time to save money, then in many cases you're not saving money.<br /><br />I'm referring to people and places where there are several options of where to shop. If there is a 5 or 10 minute difference and one location is cheaper, over time it really adds up. But most people don't think about their grocery pennies adding up like that. Most people shop at the store which has newer signs and fixtures or shinier floors or a smaller population of questionable people. (I'm not encouraging anyone to feel unsafe but I work at a few locations where there are "interesting" individuals. The majority really aren't unsafe in any way. They're just different. But people avoid such locations because of different customers. Believe me there are stores I would never go to because they are unsafe.)<br /><br />Over all, a lot of people are spending hundreds of dollars more a year in pennies worth of price differences because of the store they chose to shop at, which may be 2 minutes away from a much cheaper store.rivulethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11352395562904461909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5375475720350356941.post-74589366536113670922016-04-30T11:24:59.327-04:002016-04-30T11:24:59.327-04:00LOL, "well I don't at R-A because I never...LOL, "well I don't at R-A because I never spend $ there." You are awesome!<br /><br />I wouldn't encourage spending more on gas then on savings or wasting too much time to save $10 here or there :) <br />That's obviously just another factor. Here though, there are stores galore. There might be something fairly unique about my part of the world. We have the two major super centers and honestly the different ones aren't very far apart. For example if I start at my southerly most location where I work I will drive directly past four other super centers on my way home (that's five super centers total) in 30 minutes. Along with those super centers the landscape is dotted with gas stations, convenience stores, pharmacies (there are at least five Walgreens in this 30 minute stretch), and smaller grocery stores as well (not super centers).<br /><br />It's not just this way with grocery stores. There is big competition for most retailers. Hardware stores for example, there are 3 major ones and a few small ones within this 30 minute range.<br /><br />Yes, I do drive all over for my job so I do have the luxury of choosing to shop at lower price locations without the vehicle expense factor but in general I think a good majority of people (obviously not all) have several different options for where to buy groceries. I'm not sure most people think of the subtle price differences between locations, or care about those price differences. That's sort of the bigger issue. Most people that I talk to don't actually care. I know several people who do actually drive a few miles further to go to the "nicer" store, where things do cost more. That's more what I'm referring to.rivulethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11352395562904461909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5375475720350356941.post-77212428553604781402016-04-30T09:56:45.587-04:002016-04-30T09:56:45.587-04:00Interesting analysis. I live outside of a small t...Interesting analysis. I live outside of a small town with a Walmart which does have higher prices than other Walmarts. I do shop there even though I could drive 45 minutes to a larger city and pay quite a bit less. The reason I shop there is because I don't want to sacrifice my weekend to drive there to save a few bucks. I work full time and I want to spend my free time hanging out with my kids or gardening or whatever. Plus, I do like supporting the local Walmart and other grocery store because I want to keep them in business and support the jobs in my town.Nd.chichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09918828872616125907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5375475720350356941.post-54635406935207563592016-04-30T09:50:47.911-04:002016-04-30T09:50:47.911-04:00Given your job and bent for being frugal it's ...Given your job and bent for being frugal it's easy to see that you'd notice these store's price differences.<br />I've noticed this too.....my Weis and Rite-Aid stores in my teeny tiny town are higher priced on most items than Weis and Rite-Aid stores are in adjacent towns. That's because my little town is seen as more affluent than these other towns so we get gouged on price(well I don't at R-A because I never spend $ there lol). But the thing is, if I drive to those other town's stores instead, after factoring in time and car costs for the extra mileage, am I really saving $ by doing this?<br />Interesting question.<br />slugmamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12728856166374248591noreply@blogger.com