The Sale Approach

The key to saving money is to buy enough items when they're on sale to hold you over until the next sale. This method works well, and once you develop a system, it's quite successful. But in order for this to work, you have to have money reserved. It saves money in the long run, but if you don't have the money to save money, it won't work. There are many reasons to save, and this is one of them. This approach works especially well for things with a long shelf life such as school supplies, cleaning products, personal care items, household supplies, some dry goods and frozen foods. Sit down one day and really jot down what you need and want. Review it and see if there are cheaper alternatives or other products that can be substituted for a more versatile use. It's always best to formulate a plan, understand exactly what you want and why. It keeps your priorities in focus and reduces your likeliness of going on a careless splurging spree. It's also useful when something's out of stock because you can more easily find a suitable replacement. Remember, it's not necessarily a good deal simply because it's on sale. I wouldn't suggest buying 5 dozen eggs because they're a steal. If you can't finish them or it goes bad before you can eat them all, then it's a waste. Ask yourself if you would buy that if it weren't on sale. If you wouldn't, then it's probably not a responsible purchase. If you overspend because of a sale, you're not necessarily saving money. The key is to spend less money in the long run so that you can live a comfortable life. If you're over exerting your budget over the sale, then it's self-defeating. Sales come and go. You don't have to get everything that's on sale right now. Sales aren't the only way to save money. If a 12 pack of toilet paper is on sale, it's cheaper than the regular price for that 12 pack, but the same brand's 24 pack of toilet paper for the regular price may be a bigger bargain. It's also possible that another brand of 12 pack toilet paper's regular price is cheaper. Always look around for what else is out there.