|
One of the most popular financial tips that people routinely dispense to others is, “You get what you pay for.” Perhaps that’s why many folks erroneously believe they can’t go wrong by paying more for something — whether it’s a fancy meal, designer jeans, bottled water, or a host of other products and services. That’s not always true. There are plenty of examples — education and gasoline are two of Continue reading 100 Words On: Why You Don’t Always Get What You Pay For Last week I got a notice in the mail announcing that my kids’ school lunch price would be increasing by about 10 percent this year to $2.25. Despite the increase, I’m sure many busy parents struggling to make ends meet think that’s still a bargain for lunch. It’s not. In fact, with the new school year quickly approaching, one of the easiest ways to save money is to bypass the school Continue reading My 4th Annual Cost Survey of 10 Common Brown Bag Sandwiches Last week while we were shopping for groceries in a Hawaii supermarket, I was reminded of why folks should always be vigilant when it comes to finding the best deals. The supermarket was offering two sizes of All Stainlifter laundry detergent as you can see here: No, we didn’t buy both of them. One of the bottles was in our condo when we arrived — and it was empty. Anyway, the bottle on Continue reading Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Then Guess the Price of This. While it didn't make this list, always beware of grocers who insist on using price tags written in Japanese. When I was teenager I worked in a grocery store, initially as a box boy. Within six months of being hired, however, I was promoted to checker. Over time I eventually got to work almost all of the jobs in the store including working the deli counter, and helping the overnight stock Continue reading Sneaky Price Tricks Your Grocer Doesn’t Want You to Know Almost everyone has asked a restaurant, bank, or other business to redress a particular grievance. It’s debatable whether the titular idiom of this post should be credited to Marshall Field or Harry Gordon Selfridge, but it’s true nevertheless. Indeed, businesses that depend on returning customers typically bend over backwards to keep them satisfied. However, they also understandably draw the line when it comes to unreasonable, abusive and/or unethical patrons. After Continue reading 100 Words On: Why the Customer Is (Almost) Always Right Last year I looked back with fond memories at the ten best things I ever bought. At the time, I had intended to immediately publish a follow-up article up on the ten worst things I ever bought, but as you can see I got a bit side-tracked. Anyway, after a lot of thought, I’m happy to say I finally finished. Interestingly, this list was a lot more difficult to compile; unlike my ten Continue reading The 10 Worst Things I Ever Bought Awhile back, we took my Rhodesian Ridgeback, to the veterinarian for what I call a pet “lube, oil and filter.” To put it another way, we had Major placed under a general anesthetic so the vet could clean his teeth and work on repairing a couple of malfunctioning anal glands. I know. Then, adding insult to injury, Major got neutered too. Poor pup. Of course, when my faithful pooch finally awoke in the Continue reading Surefire Tips for Keeping Pet Medical Costs Low There’s a lot to be said for contrarian investing. Guys like Warren Buffett and Jim Rogers are routinely lauded for going against the herd and purchasing unwanted stocks at bargain bin prices. Interestingly enough, nobody ever gets credit for contrarian shopping; that is, purposely choosing to pay more for certain products and services. Don’t believe me? A recent Google search on the term “investing contrarians” turned up over 5 million results. As for “shopping Continue reading Contrarian Shopping: 20 Things I’m Willing to Pay More For Although it requires extra storage and higher upfront costs, many consumers buy their groceries and other products in bulk to save money. But that strategy can quickly backfire for those who indiscriminately buy massive quantities of infrequently-used goods — no matter how good the deal. Consumer Reports found that larger packages were more expensive about 25 percent of the time. Bulk purchases will end up costing more too if you Continue reading 100 Words On: Why Buying in Bulk Is Not Always a Smart Idea |
 Loading ...
|
|
|
Copyright © 2013 Len Penzo dot Com - All Rights Reserved 
|
||
via Email
100 Words On: Why It Pays to Sleep on It Prior to a Big Decision
When you’re facing an important financial decision, there’s something to be said about taking a night to think it over. That’s because, when it comes right down to it, most financial decisions aren’t emergencies — although a lot of folks might think otherwise. Unfortunately, people often feel compelled to throw caution to the wind and make expensive purchases — either on impulse, or under the gun of a high-pressure salesman
Continue reading 100 Words On: Why It Pays to Sleep on It Prior to a Big Decision