HP- Week 15

[AnnieClaus]

This month we are working on the theme of: Money.
We have worked on : Buying Happiness, and:Beware of the Expensive Gym Membership.


This week we ask ourselves: Are you an under buyer or an over buyer?

Here is this week's you tube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDxpHaRWkaQ&feature=related

Notes:
An under buyer: Buys as little as possible. For ex: Even though Gretchen uses eye contact solution twice a day, she only buys one bottle of it at a time. You may also avoid purchases telling yourself that you can make do with what you have.

An over buyer: Buys as much as possible. For ex: May buy large supplies of slow use items like cough syrup or soup. Or over prepare for events.

Both are stressful:
Under buyers often don't have what they need. They are the ones running to the store late at night to get something.
Over buyers often have things that expire and are of no use. They also tend to have more clutter.

Advice:
Under buyers: Buy needful things.
Over buyers: Think before you make that purchase.

Resolution for the week: Think about it: Are you an under buyer or an over buyer?

Idea for the week: "No money is better spent than when it's laid out for domestic satisfaction." - Samuel Johnson

Post your thoughts on your journey into this area this week!

 

[Colleen in PA]

Thanks Annie for keeping us on track! I can't believe we're in week 15.

I am absolutely an over buyer! CostCo draws me in! A good sale on bulk items? Can't pass it up. Unfortunately, I am also an under buyer when it comes to certain things. For example, I HATE grocery shopping, so I put it off and find myself making several trips to grab milk, bread etc. At night for the next morning. Stressful, you betcha! I really need to solve this.

I love the Samuel Johnson quote!

 

[luludou]

Thanks Annie!

I'm an overbuyer too. I'm starting to ask myself ... do I REALLY need this before I buy.. but when I see sales all thoughts leave me

 

[Ahorsesoul]

I'm not either but I would pick under-buyer more than over. I do not stock pile items but neither do I run out. They system I use is to buy an item when I take it off the pantry shelf.

Example: I have one bottle of unopened shampoo on the shelf. When I finish the one in the bathroom I take the one off the shelf. Then I write shampoo on my list. I now have a few weeks in which I can find a coupon to use to replace the shampoo. I do this with most items other than Milk or something that will not keep. Using this method I hardly ever run completely out of items. I do not have a lot of clutter or items that get outdated. There are only two of us and we each use a different bathroom so there are items in each room. If I had more people in the house I might keep two of some items.

With gas in the car, I fill up when I'm at half a tank. I never run low and it does not cost any more than letting your car get to empty.

I have not always been like this but to reduce the stress in my life I found it works better.

 

[AnnieClaus]

Ahorsesoul- I'm a lot like you. I'll keep one bottle back of like deoderant, shampoo, conditioner but I don't stock pile.

One thing I know I'm a serious underbuyer is with big ticket items. I mostly make do with what I have. If I do buy a big ticket item, I research and research before I buy.

Annie

 

[Ahorsesoul]

If I do buy a big ticket item, I research and research before I buy.Annie

Funny, I do the same thing. Are we twins? lol

 

[AnnieClaus]

Diedra-
Oh my goodness, I'm the worst. Half the time I won't even make the purchase. You wouldn't believe how badly teased I got for how long I had a record player!

And the only reason I have a DVD player is because my parents got me one for Christmas. I'd probably still be watching VHS! HA HA!

Annie

 

[ChristmasPir8]

I noticed the book talks about money in July. Should we be reading July's chapter now?

I am on both sides of this w/ spending. I will blow money on some things like eating out but think twice about others. I do stockpile some stuff. (I have a lot of bath and body antibacterial soaps but I go there for gifts also). If I have a coupon for a item that makae it a great deal and we need I will stock up on that. I don't stock up just b/c its a good deal on things we won't use.I don't have a lot of space to stock up on everything. I love gadgets but when it comes to them, they are expensive and I take a while to buy it. I often buy a cheepr version (ie had a MP3 player before a Ipod) or the older version if and when I get them. I have gotten a lot better w/ clearance. I have some toys onb my shelf I got thinkinkg I would use it for gifts and never did. I forgot to donate to toys to tots but will this year. I really think about those items before buying them now.

 

[AnnieClaus]

piratemamamaof3boys-
I noticed to that the book talks about money in July. But, I also noticed that her you tube videos aren't following the book that closely this time around. By that I mean, the areas she's asking us to look at, some of them aren't even in the book.

Annie

 

[ChristmasPir8]

thanks. I don't always watch the videos on you tube so I didn't know.

 

[teachermomof2]

I am a bit of both. I do research big ticket items and often talk myself out of things because they cost too much and we really don't need it. I really try to make due with many things. I do have a soft spot for home decor/patio/garden stuff so I tend to just buy little things to make up for not buying the big things sometimes.

 

[MrsSoup]

I would say that i'm somewhere in the middle. Since we live so far out from town, I tend to make sure I buy enough of certain food items to last a couple weeks or at least until my next shopping trip.

As far as other things, sometimes I will splurge but most of the time I do without unless it's something I really need to replace. We have a good balance going on with what we spend and what we save.