I have yet to find an iPhone app for this particular exercise, if anyone knows where I can purchase an iPhone app that allows me to do unit cost conversion on the fly just by scanning the barcode on the shelf, PLEASE let me know. Now, kids, it's time to wake up and start paying attention to where it's all going! We work, we get paid, by the time the next week starts, it's nearly all gone! Where does it all go?Well, here's one place that it goes, and we all do it because we all think that we are getting a
great deal at the Family Dollar|Dollar General|Dollar Tree store when in actuality we are not. So, for those couples who are living together, and who have two cars and two mobile phones - take a couple of hours off on Sunday afternoon and go save yourself some money and some fodder for the next argument!One of you go to your favorite dollar store, and the other of you go to your regular grocery store - always be on the phone with each other while you are doing this!
First things, first, read this then follow along as I show you how to save some money when you are buying staples.
The Lazy -er - um- Efficient Guide to Creating a Price BookIt's called a "price book" and you will soon see why I want somebody to produce an app for the iPhone to replace this exercise.
As you enter the dollar store, tell your partner what you are looking at, and direct your partner over to the same aisle at the grocery store. When your partner gets over to the same product that you are looking at in the dollar store, look at the item, and tell your partner the cost and how many ounces of what you are getting for that cost.Use your price book to record the store, the date, the item name, the total ounces and the net (before sales tax) cost.Each of you should go into your respective destinations with a price book and use it to determine where you are getting the best deal for your money!Here's another hint, instead of taking that saved money from your price book and spending it on
something else< > Take the savings and put it into a box -
do not touch the money that you have saved, this is going to be your emergency fund. Here's two other tips:
- One: whenever you break a dollar bill, keep all of the change, don't be tempted to get a Coke or buy a candy bar with it, just have some self control and bring it home and put in that same box with your grocery savings
- When you get home, put any singles that you did not spend into that same box!
Before you know it, you will have a tidy little sum sitting there in that box!Now, here's the tough part, there is going to be something that blows up - refrigerator, dishwasher, alternator, air conditioner - and you will want to open that box and say "here! use it!"Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!< >Instead, try to repair the item yourself, if you cannot, then barter to have the item repaired or replaced. If you cannot, then budget to repair the item out of forward earnings - this way you do not end up without an emergency fund.Mark :)
