5 Costly Shopping Habits That Drive My 13-Year-Old Daughter Crazy

Comments

1. 1

   red party cups says

   Its good to know a 13-year-old thinks how to spend money wisely.

2. 2

   Sandy says

   Great tips, Nina! Your dad has taught you well and I expect you’ll do just fine as an adult when it comes to managing your money. I’m sure your dad is very proud of you!

3. 3

   Allyn says

   I am very disappointed that you are advocating that people shop at Walmart. Walmart has destroyed tens of thousands of small businesses and countless manufacturing jobs over the past couple of decades. They’ve become a gigantic retail behemoth that sells five times more stuff than any other retailer in the United States; unfortunately, about 85 percent of all the stuff sold at Walmart is made overseas so by buying at Walmart, you’re supporting China’s economy, not ours. Our economy is becoming dominated by highly centralized monolithic predator corporations who cut costs at the expense of the people. Did you know that tens of thousands of Walmart employees don’t make a living wage? Full-time employees and their children are enrolled in Medicaid and are dependent on the government for healthcare and they make so little, they qualify for food stamps. All the money that people spend at Walmart does not stay in their communities. It’s funneled back into the corporate vaults, so Walmart forces local businesses to close because they can’t compete, then Walmart hires local people at a wage that makes them eligible for public assistance. Walmart is the largest employer in 25 states and it is also the chief reason we’ve seen an explosion in the number of “working poor.” In 2010, Walmart had revenues of 421 billion dollars and not a single dollar of that was returned to your community. Is this really the mega-merchant you want to support?

   • 4

     Len Penzo says

     Allyn, to be fair, Nina is only 13! 🙂

     Without turning this into a discussion on the pros and cons of WalMart, I do feel the need to offer a brief, but by no-means exhaustive, counterpoint.

     We have to also consider the money saved by shoppers who take advantage of WalMart’s lower prices. Without stores like WalMart, many people, including the “working poor,” would have a more difficult time making their rent, car payments, or other debts. They can also apply their savings to buy more goods and services — which in turn helps to create new jobs.

     Also, WalMart drives many mom and pop store out of business because they are more efficient, which drives costs lower, which in turn increases our standard of living.

     One last point, in addition to lowering costs for consumers, WalMart also benefits society by acting as a one-stop-shop for many goods. Instead of having to spend a big part of one’s day driving to multiple mom and pop stores, folks can now save time that can be put to much better use elsewhere.

     • 5

       Allyn says

       Thirteen is a good age to start being a smart consumer. Walmart is breaking the backs of the working poor, not helping them. We’ll have to agree to disagree here, Len.

4. 6

   Lance@MoneyLife&More says

   Sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders and your parents have taught you well. Keep it up and you will do well in life.

5. 7

   Jenn says

   I think it’s great that a 13 year old is so financially minded. 🙂

   A couple of comments:
   Not everyone has the luxury of a lot of space to store extra items when purchasing things in bulk. Living in a small (400sq ft) urban apartment, I’d rather spend the $1.39/roll on paper towel than have to trek out to the suburbs where the big box retailers live, wrangle the super-sized items home on transit and then find spaces to put it all. Sure, the cost per unit is less, but overall society spends more in ‘supersizing’ because of the perceived value. More is not always better.

   To me, being able to pick up what I need (no more, no less) is worth the extra couple of dollars I’ll spend and the time saved in hunting down a bargain and having to trip over my ‘savings’.

   I’ll have to +1 Allyn’s comment about WalMart.

6. 8

   Mary Kaplan says

   For a 13 year old girl, you seem to know a lot about what’s going on! There are always two sides to every story, so don’t worry if everyone doesn’t agree with you. I can see your point about the designer labels. It does seem ridiculous when you think about it! And buying in bulk can save you money, but it isn’t always the right answer depending on your available storage space. With gas prices so high right now, trying to make fewer trips and combining shopping trips makes a lot of sense! Keep up the good work, young lady!

7. 9

   shanendoah@the dog ate my wallet says

   I think you make some good points, Nina. I wish I had been as smart about money at your age.
   I will say that sometimes we buy things that we want (but don’t need) because the value proposition is still there for us. Based on what I’ve read here, I’ll use your dog, Major, as an example. Unless you’re talking about a service dog, no one needs a dog (mind you, we have two of our own and foster a thrid). They are expensive- from their food and routine costs to emergency medical care. And yet, I know your parents think Major is worth every penny, and I bet you do, too. I know my dogs are.
   So instead of saying “buy only what you need”, think instead about the value proposition, make sure that what you are spending your money on is worth it, and that you have the money to do so.

8. 10

   Aiketa says

   I agree with you Nina, I don’t get most of this either. Though I must admit that I’m guilty of sometimes going to much at the store to buy for food… instead of doing it all at once. Fortunately, I walk there, so not more money invested because of this habit, but sure more time.

9. 11

   Beckybeq says

   Love it Nina – you remind me of my 12 year old. You are two very bright girls. A few additions perhaps from my Megan?

   #5 – Try Goodwill or thrift stores as well. Megan found Aeropostle shorts (which are one of the few brands that fit her) for less than $5 per pair.

   #4 – Usually, but be sure to check the per unit price. Sometimes the largest size isn’t the cheapest.

10. 12

    chad says

    $421 billion in revenue and not a single dollar was returned to the community. ?? Oh please, fabricate some more stats for us. Sam Walton provided a success story..something a lot of Mom&Pops wished they could be. Walmart just gets picked on because of their size. I shop there for convience and competitive price. I suppose I could have helped a Mom&Pop stay in business by overpaying for the same merchandise or forgoing selection or suffering with older product because they couldn’t rotate stock. But it seems the reason most Mom&Pops went under is because too few consumers were willing to make such a sacrifice themselves.

11. 13

    pen says

    Nina, your guest posts are always nice.
    Designer labels used to mean higher quality products, but that is not always the case now. Still, the habit of assuming a higher price and well known name equals a better item is set in many people’s mind.

12. 14

    Rose says

    You go girl!!! 13 years old and giving great advice to adults… It’s sad and awesome that we can actually take advice from our children 🙂 that doesn’t happen in this day and age very often. Keep up the great posts I look forward to them. Rose <3

13. 15

    drplastickpicker says

    Very wise comments from a teenager! Makes a lot of sense. My daughter is confused why her classmates thought Goodwill for Halloween Costumes was odd. She thinks Goodwill is so cool and she said, “I don’t think they’ve ever been in a Goodwill.”

    • 16

      Len Penzo says

      My daughter loves shopping for clothes at Goodwill too, Dr. P.

      I enjoyed it too when I was in my late teens and early 20s. I used find some really cool ties there.