Who doesn't love a sale? To me, a sale, bargain, or deal is the prize "catch" of the hunt or the winning "trophy" of the competition. No matter where I go shopping, the sale isle is always my first stop. There is something quite satisfying about stealing a deal. I feel as though my purchase is a victory of sorts. My endorphins kick into high gear when I spot (what I deem as a much needed item at that very moment) with that "reduced" tag/sticker attached. I then move quickly to snatch it up and declare (to myself) "Victory is mine!"
Why am I sharing this subject with you today, dear reader? Well, I wanted to express to you the thrill of shopping on a budget (yes, I said thrill) and to help you along with the self confidence needed to attack home and job/work projects yourself.
You see, most of us are not doing as well financially as we would like these days and have had to cut back on many things. After paying for the necessities like mortgage/rent and utilities, we need to find ways to save a bit on all purchases made, from food to fashion and everything in between, let alone getting the leaky faucet fixed by the high priced plumber. This can be a very painful process, I know. That is why I am here to give you a bit of hope and help you through this "speed bump" by making it a fun challenge, or sport, if you will.
I am not a "coupon queen" by any means. I find them tiresome and laborious. If they work for you, then great. I would rather go hunting for bargains sans a bucket of coupons and the rifling through at the register. I guess I'm just not as patient as some.
Creativity and necessity can go hand in hand when it comes to shopping for bargains. You may find yourself trying out new recipes with those 10 cans of corn you just bought on sale at the grocery store for 20 cents each. You may come to the conclusion that buying off the sale rack (in the back) at your favorite clothing store is really not so bad and that you've become fond of paying less while others pay more for the same quality clothing at the front of the store.
Yes, you really wanted that gorgeous slate tile in your kitchen you saw at the designer home center, but for maybe half the price you can go to the home warehouse store, or tile outlet center and get enough of a similar tile to maybe do twice as much. Who knows? You may even like that tile better!
Are you in the market for a new car? Do you really want a certain make/model automobile that you know is way beyond your means? If you so choose, you can do what I did and went to that particular car dealer and purchased a "certified" vehicle for a lot less. Yes, it will be a couple years old and have a bit of mileage on it, but who needs to know and who cares?
Do you need a room or two repainted and don't have the cash for a painter? Why not try painting the rooms yourself? If you don't know where to begin, then learn! The sense of accomplishment afterwards will leave you with a major amount of self confidence. With this new found confidence, you will find yourself indulging in other home fix up projects. The money you will save on supplies and labor will be enormous and the new found talents you will have under your belt will be priceless.
By not depending on others to do the work for you (whatever and wherever the project may be) and learning to do them for yourself, you become more astute as to how much money you spend on these services in the future, cause if you can do it yourself, you won't be as willing to hand over your hard earned earnings.
On the surface, the above listed examples are but a very few things you can do to save money. Yet, my true intention for you, dear reader, is that you become a bit more mindful of your purchases. That you turn the negativity of a smaller bank account into a hopeful challenge. That you discover your hidden talents. That you can recover from this "recovery" with a new found sense of empowerment and the peace of mind in knowing that you are not alone and that you can get through this.
There are oh so many of us living with great financial adversities these days. If you happen to be fortunate enough to not be in this predicament of sorts, please make sure to be mindful of those around you who are. Give them hope and the helping hand that they so desperately need, for we are all connected. We are all here for one another and we all matter.
Love the idea of a "sale" also. I am a really good and loyal "frequent shopper" at Salvation Army which I affectionately refer to as "S A". My husband asked me the other day if we won the lottery for millions would I still go to S A to "look around" and my answer was a resounding, "of course". You see, as stated in your blog, it's the challenge of the hunt and finding treasures.
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