8.17.2009

No-Spend Month Day 17: Costco Conversation

We had to get milk and block cheese for lunches. Costco (by far!) has the best deal on good cheese, and milk was cheaper than elsewhere, so we went there. At the checkout:
Cashier: "Just these two items?"
Me: "Yep"
Cashier: "Wow, you're a strong person. Most people can't get out of here with so little- especially women!"
Me: It was a quick trip.
Cashier: I guess!
This short conversation highlighted the pitfalls of shopping often and shopping leisurely. Because I had in my mind that were were not spending money this month, and we came in with a very specific list. It was hard not to slow down and look at all the snacks and packages of other food it'd be nice to have. I slowed down a couple times to grab a few samples (Hummus! Chicken nuggets! Kashi granola bars!) but tried my best to stay focused and on-task. A downside of Costco is the fact that an impulse buy will cost you $10 or more, while an impulse buy at a typical grocery store will be $5 or less. Having a list- and sticking to it- is even more important at a warehouse store.

See my warehouse store shopping series part 1, part 2 and part 3

Amazingly, we got out of Costco for $8.77
Add to that a $7 lunch on Friday
-----------------
Previous total: $38.40
New Total: $54.17

2 pennies for thoughts:

Amy said...

It was great meeting you at Blog Indiana. I'm loving your No Spend Month series. While I consider not spending to be a challenge, my husband considers it to be a punishment. He's just starting a new job after looking for nearly a year. I want to start the envelope system so his paycheck doesn't just evaporate into thin air.



joanna said...

I'm lucky that my husband is supportive of the experiment, and joining me in the challenge. A big part of avoiding "paycheck evaporation", for us, is giving every dollar that comes in a "job"- allocating it to SOMETHING. If every dollar is spoken for, whether it's to pay down debt or save for home improvements, there's nothing left to evaporate. It also helps to move the allocated money out of our very-accessible checking account and into a savings account that's harder to get to.



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