I went grocery shopping this morning. Normally I buy what I want and price becomes secondary.
This morning I made a pass through my local Copps and was constantly being challenged by bulk prices. I wanted to buy one roll of Viva towels. Normally, one “big roll” is around $3.00. There was an alternative deal of 2 rolls for $5.00. Not a bad deal! And then, you could chose 6 rolls for $6.00. This a no brainer. I bought 6 rolls and we will have paper toweling until the year 2012.
Then I went to buy bottled water. A 12 pack of 20 ounce bottles was $4.19. You could get a bonus case of 28 bottles for $5.19. Another no brainer. I bought the 28 bottles. We plan to take a bath with all the extra water.
I turned a corner on the aisle to buy soda. Normally a 6-pack of 24 ounce Diet Coke is $4.19. They had a deal on 4-packs of 6 bottles for $10.00. Whoa! That works out to $2.50 per 6-pack. No brainers are in vogue. Of course I bought 4 packs of 6 bottles. Then when I was checking out, the cashier said there was a better deal on soda if I had a coupon. He had extra coupons and gave me one. I ended up with an extra 6-pack at no charge. The net deal was 5 6-packs of 24 ounce bottles for $10.00. Yep. I took the deal. It assures I’ll have soda for the Christmas holidays.
So you see, I’m a smart shopper. To get good prices on products. I’m willing to buy in bulk.
By being such a smart shopper, I figure I saved a lot of money. Now I can buy other frivilous things like gas for the car. But wait, I reach in my pocket for the extra cash I’ve saved from buying bulk. My pocket is empty. Hmmm. I have to spend more cash to buy bulk. I have less cash but I’ll have towels, water and soda forever….and ever….and ever.
One of you Grasshoppers noted that if a Grandchild turns 16, it doesn’t mean they get a car. No, but it does mean a relentless begging for the family SUV. Here is my advice. If you do buy a second car, buy something old, preferably big and clunky. It should have an under powered 4 cylinder engine or a “weak” V-6, The Grandchild should pay for their own gas and insurance. Privileges for the car can be revoked at anytime! Finally pray. Pray to keep the kid safe and hope they drive responsibly.
Today’s lesson was a “two-fer”. Two tips for free. First, buy in bulk to take advantage of price (provided you’ll use the products). Second, a family car for the kid should be “yukky”, cheap and you want to maintain control.
Love,
Dad