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.

Friday 12/11/09: It's a myth: "Buying bulk is cheaper"

Almost anyone will tell you that it's cheaper to buy in bulk. That is, after all, the thought behind "Value Packs" and Sam's Club and Costco, right? Well, it's not always true. Make sure you're scouting sales and figuring out the cost per item or unit.
Even cheapskates like me have certain things they just won't buy the cheapest version of. One of mine is hot dogs. I will only eat Hebrew National hot dogs. Another is pancake syrup. In our house Saturday morning is Pancake Day. I can't bring myself to buy that cheap syrup that is basically pure sugar with artificial flavorings and tastes like it. I want the pure maple syrup. Yes, I'm aware it's several dollars a bottle, but it's just that good, and we don't go through that much of it. I do buy the store brand, though. Would you believe that the larger size of Kroger pure maple syrup is more expensive per ounce than the smaller size, and has been since I've been buying it. So, I always by the smaller size.
Another example is soda. My husband loves to drink Mt. Dew. The cheapest place to get it, usually, is at Sam's. But occasionally Kroger will run it on sale, plus a buy-three/four/whatever-get-$$-off, and it turns out to be significantly cheaper than Sam's.
Just be sure you're looking to see how much it costs per item or per unit of measure to make sure you're getting a good deal.