DISQUS

Consumerism Commentary: 10 Examples of How You Can Be Penny Wise, Pound Foolish

  • 2million · 3 years ago
    How about driving around the JFK airport terminals while you wait to pick up someone instead of paying the parking fee and then getting your car towed when you have to make a quick pit stop :-)
  • Flexo · 3 years ago
    Good one -- sounds like you know about this from personal experience.
  • Pete · 3 years ago
    Some good points. I like #9 because we lose focus at times how we can improve ourselves and increase our income yet spend time worrying about finding the best 50 cent coupon. Also, #1 about not having health insurance (same goes possibly with life insurance or disability insurance - once you know you need it, it is too late).

    How about some bigger items:

    1) Not taking your spouse out for an occasional night out only to pay for the divorce lawyers because the romance is dead.

    2) Saying you do not have the money to hire a financial adviser (or to read a good book on budgeting) to help you with your money issues until you are out of debt.

    3) Spend time on the job tracking the stock market to ensure a comfortable retirement, just to be laid off years before retiring due to slacking off

    4) Going to the pub for their $1 drafts, yet buying 50 cent wings and a taxi cab ride home because you can't drive.

    5) Not taking your car in for an proper maintance (including tires), then having a car wreck due to poor tires or brakes.

    6) Going to a grocery store to get 10 cent gas rebate, yet spending 10% more in higher prices than shopping at the discount grocery store.
  • Pete · 3 years ago
    Almost forgot the big mistake ....

    Deciding not to go into debt to get a college education, only to end up in a $8 retail job asking if they want fries with that.
  • Special Ed · 3 years ago
    "3) Spend time on the job tracking the stock market to ensure a comfortable retirement, just to be laid off years before retiring due to slacking off"

    Ouch! It's like you're right there looking over my shoulder.

    I couldn't agree more about the new car. I have to keep reminding my wife that the new car smell is NOT worth $10,000.
  • G. · 3 years ago
    Spending a dollar a day on a lottery ticket hoping to win big, instead saving that dollar and getting the guaranteed reward.
  • Foobarista · 3 years ago
    I'm not so sure I agree on the "health insurance" question, at least if you have a well-funded efund. HSA-based insurance with high deductibles can be vastly cheaper than more traditional insurance, and if you are relatively healthy, you can save big bux and have more tax-sheltered money to save for retirement.

    With insurance, there are generally two approaches you can take: cash-flow preservation or wealth preservation. Cash-flow preservation is making sure you have few unexpected out-of-pocket expenses, while wealth preservation is making sure you have no massive unexpected bills. These two goals conflict unless you are willing to spend a lot on insurance.

    If you don't have a lot of savings, cash-flow preservation, ie low health insurance deductibles, "comprehensive" car insurance, etc makes sense. If you have more savings, wealth preservation, ie insurance with higher deductibles but no "open-ended" upside costs, and higher liability insurance with less "damage" insurance makes more sense.
  • jengod · 3 years ago
    * Not buying fruits and vegetables because they spoil quickly and may go to waste.
    * Buying such cheap toilet paper than you end up using more than you would otherwise
    * Joining and then not using an expensive gym while paying someone else to mow your lawn, weed your flower beds and prune your trees.
    * Getting a fancy rewards credit card for the cash back and then spending more than you would otherwise to earn extra rebates.
  • jengod · 3 years ago
    P.S. This is a great post. Thanks for sharing these important reminders.
  • Lazy Man and Money · 3 years ago
    I think I would have gone with "an ounce of prevention is worth of cure" for my cliche. Almost all of these are calculated risks people take.

    For instance, my inexpensive clothing doesn't have to be replaced very often due to poor quality.
  • Single Ma · 3 years ago
    I don't have anything to add but I had to LOL @ #9. I spend time doing online surveys (not hours) and I'm very happy with my career. Thank you very much! :-)
  • Tim · 3 years ago
    I don't know if you intended it to be but that was an entertaining post. I like the illegal download one. People are funny.
  • Daniel · 3 years ago
    I love it! You nailed it on all of these!
  • Mrs L · 3 years ago
    I have to tattle on my dad for this one: not replacing the 20 year old stove that only has one eye working because it costs too much, but having to buy take out every night because my mom hates to cook on it!

    And this one is me: Buying the cheapest vacuum cleaner instead of a good one with a HEPA filter and suffering with the misery and expense of a year-round allergy to dust mites.
  • 3 Things about Money · 3 years ago
    These are wonderful reminders -- comments as well. All important reminders about focus and priorities! Thanks.
  • Mr P · 3 years ago
    I dont quite agree with #2. especially if you talk about financially responsible people who know how to use these offers to make money AND get the best rates possible when applying for a mortgage. See mymoneyblog.com for an example.
  • Flexo · 3 years ago
    The post wasn't directed to financially responsible people... I would think that would be obvious from the other examples. :-) And #2 can certainly happen to financially responsible people if timing is off...

    Anyway, don't take it too seriously. People who successfully pull off any of the above would disagree with their particular point based on their own success, despite considerable failure and mistakes by most other people.
  • Simplicity in Kansas · 3 years ago
    Interesting. Your advice is much different than others on your own moneyblog network web pages so I find the divergence very interesting as it is nice to a seperation of opinions as it relates to item number 2. Do have a top ten of most valuable things to do to save money? That would be a great list to review too. Thanks for sharing.
  • Flexo · 3 years ago
    Well, I wasn't giving advice here, but my philosophy isn't that much different than others. 0% balance transfers can be helpful, but #2 just says not to forget about the bigger picture as you go off in search of these deals.
  • Deb · 3 years ago
    Having a garage full of "stuff" you bought, can't find when you need it (thus don't use), and no room for your $50,000 car left out in the elements 24/7.
  • mapgirl · 3 years ago
    Let me sum it up. "Haste makes waste." ;-)
  • Y10K · 2 years ago
    How about buying office equipment at ridiculously low prices, only to find out that the salesman's claims about functionality were greatly inflated....