Wednesday 12/30/09: Don't buy more than you need

I have a relative who frequently finds things on sale (or not) and decides it's such a good price she'll buy 15 of them. Or, she goes to the store and sees cheese on sale. She doesn't have a plan for the cheese, doesn't remember she has 3 packages in the fridge, so she buys 3 more. And does the same thing 2 weeks later because cheese is a frequently discounted item. My point is to be aware of what you have and what you'll use. Because if you buy something just because it's 60% off, you've still spent 40% of the retail price, and still spent money you didn't need to, which is the manufacturer's point in the marketing. Know what goes on sale often. Know what is a good sale. Know what you have in your supplies. Know how often you go through something. Then you'll be buying quantities smart.