Size matters when it comes to food and money—and sometimes smaller is better. But sometimes…it just isn’t. Especially when it comes to food package size.
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have reported higher than expected profits and one reason has been that for both companies, the smaller mini can has been a part of their revenue-boosting strategies. That came at a time when the sales of carbonated soft drinks were beginning to fizzle out.
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While shopping at the supermarket and cooking at home is the best way to keep your food costs low, we all know there are times when we just want (or need) to dine out. Whether it’s at a fast food joint or a nice restaurant (or someplace in between), the saving money while dining out part can be a real challenge. But it is possible. Here are some easy ways you can save money and yet still enjoy a good time out and away from your kitchen. When that need arises, think about these ways to save money when you dine out.
Coupons, Coupons, Coupons!
I always use a coupon whenever I want to dine out. This can be at a simple fast food spot like McDonalds or Wendy’s for a free drink or BOGO (buy one get one) on a burger which is perfect for sharing with my wife, or a discounted meal or item at even nicer restaurants.
Why do people wind up in big debt? You probably weren’t born into debt like was common back in the feudal age hundreds of years ago, so why does it seem so many wind in debt that way today?
These days when someone has a money problem, like when and if their car dies or they need to replace something like an air conditioning system for their home or pay off a big shopping spree that they impulsively made on their credit cards, they don’t have the money to pay for it all when the bill comes in. They really need the car fixed to get to work or the air conditioning fixed in the middle of a sweltering summer, so they end up having to purchase it on credit. Ironically sometimes that debt lasts longer than the item that they purchased! And then there is student debt, and we all have either heard about that disaster or worse, experienced it. So that raises the question, can anyone actually live a debt free life?
I am really amazed about how things work out in life. For one, we spend so much of our lives mulling over money that when you think about it, it is kind of scary. I’m not claiming here that I don’t, hell I always have and now even in my retirement I spend hours every day writing and thinking about it. But the time I devote to the subject these days is much more balanced than it was all the years that came before. Know why? It’s because as I have aged, I have learned and re-learned the ups and downs, the trial and tribulations, and the financial knowledge that makes money make much more sense to me! I’m not claiming I have all the answers but I can say at least this: I know most of the questions. And that’s something.
One of the good things in life is that I have lived long enough (69.833 years) to have learned stuff and yet one of the great mysteries is why all of that financial knowledge is wasted on the retired?
Life isn’t easy. We all make little and big decisions every day and sometimes it feels like there isn’t a minute that goes by that we can just veg and not have to do any decision making at all. Oh, and by the way, if you actually try to do just that, someone will probably call you out and tell you that you’re shirking your responsibilities or not facing up to reality or must be plain lazy or stupid. Is that why you never avoid making a decision or you agonize over one and never ever take a few minutes to take a deep breath before you do?
When it comes to your money decision making, the pressure is even more ridiculous. Why? Because not only are those decisions important to you, but they show up and stand out. I mean they are pretty visible to the naked eye and often are the main ways that others can see how you function and judge how good your decision making actually is. Even though it sometimes doesn’t show up immediately to the naked eye, your money decisions will eventually be very visible and will affect you, your family, friendships, and even your job. Perhaps you can hide a few bad decisions, at least for a while. But when that day of reckoning arrives, everyone will know what really happened. When that happens, it’s not just bad for you, but for everyone around you and that just sucks!
It’s my educated guess that almost everyone loves a real bargain. I base that on a couple of obvious things from my life experiences. For one, I love a bargain and I’m pretty much like everyone else: I’d rather get something for less than everyone else paid for it. And if it’s really going to ring my bell then “free” would be the nirvana transaction that makes my day. Free is my favorite word, but you already know that.
Now that I’m retired, whenever I’m out shopping I usually mumble something about that guy “Clarence” because his name is on so many things in the store. Where is “he” anyway? Yeah, don’t tell me; it annoys my wife whenever I say that.
Do you have any idea how many debt-burdened people don’t want to open up their mail every day? According to a 2018 Bankrate survey, 36% of Americans are losing sleep over their money troubles every day. I don’t have that financial fear and in fact, I actually look forward to getting and opening up my mail each day. That is a symptom of getting old I guess more than a result of my “braveness” when it comes to money. I just look forward to getting the coupons and sale flyers and yes, that is fairly sad, isn’t it? But for others, it is very different.
Can you imagine hiding from the mailman or being afraid to answer the telephone in fear that the next thing you might see or hear is that someone is coming for you or worse, your money? That may sound like high drama (and it actually is), but if you were to check around, you would find that there are way too many people who live in this kind of fearful existence. The shoeboxes they have full of those unopened bills would make some of us seek immediate emergency cardiac care. I hope that isn’t you.
Have you ever looked back at times and moments in your life and said to yourself “What could I have said or done differently” that might have changed the outcome of something? You know, like when you took on a new job and realized later that was a mistake or perhaps breaking off a relationship with someone that now you know shouldn’t have happened. We all have those moments of doubts and regrets, and they cover a spectrum from the ridiculous to the sublime, from love to money. Well, I can’t supersavingtips my way to saving you on love…you’ll have to go to Dr. Phil or Ellen or someone like them for that. But, I can advise you a little bit about the money thing. So here goes.
It is an exercise in futility to question yourself over and over again about your past because you cannot alter it! 30, 15, 10, or 5 years later—it doesn’t really matter when you do it. It’s like trying to put the toothpaste back into the tube. It’s done, over and out, history. However, you can use the lessons learned to alter your future. That’s advice you can bank on, and sooner or later you will learn (and the sooner you learn that the better off you will be!).
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