On Sale, For Free…

Hello and Happy fun-day Sunday. It’s blogging time again.

Many of us do not pay close attention to how we shop….. and why we shop so impulsively. I can be an impulsive shopper at times, so this blog is for people like you and me to open our eyes and use our brains before we dig into our pockets and take out our hard earned money to hand it over to these retailers for items we may or may not need.

Spoiler alert: I do make a list or program in my head on what I intended to buy at the grocery store. But at checkout, I get caught getting some goodies while waiting in line. No one, including myself, never sticks to our spending budget at the discount stores. By the way, those displays at the checkout line and counter are to lure us in to buy since retailers know how impulsive we are. I worked retail before. I know people like you and me.

I love marketing. Selling is my game, but I believe being transparent in my offers, even if I do not sell much, honesty is being transparent. I can not say the same for some retailers. 

Let’s talk about traditional retailers for starters. We all understand how business works. Sales are needed for businesses to stay afloat.  Getting a market share of this industry is great for the business, its investors, and its customers. It is all good for the economy. It not their fault how they lure us in. It is our duty to be smart about it. If we  spend above our income threshold and are in no control of our spending habits; there is no one to be blamed but ourselves.

Here’s my hack. I join a customer loyalty program for all retailers I use often. Investing in them as in shares will gain me ownership in that business. And lastly, as I often say, the dollars I save will go into a piggyback or cash jar, which I use diligently. This hack is the best way for me to get the most out of my spending money and getting a great return on my dollars. Here is a nugget: Do not spend on things you can not easily afford.

Here is a thing to watch. The buy one, get one free. The buy one, get another half price. The sale price of an item you couldn’t afford then, but the price is right now. None are actually a bargain since it is given after your purchase is received. Even if you put the balance “saved” into your piggy bank, you still have to spend your money to get these so-called bargains.

Affiliate marketeers are annoying me with the urgency to take an offer at a discount now, or it will go to the original price very soon. Hotels and other online businesses use this urgency to get you to rent or buy before the price goes up, which I believe is hogwash. I love to ignore these rushed offers.

Now, let’s get to the “free” segment on my blog today. Let me assure you that there is no such thing as free in this world since someone is paying or already paid for it. Facebook was rumored to start changing a fee to subscribe. Many people vowed to exit if this occurred. Facebook got smart and dropped that idea. Like all social media giving us free subscriptions today, advertising pays the bills and selling of our profiles to third parties being unnoticed. Nowadays, you can get paid premium prescription service on social media as an option. This is my thought on this. If people do want to pay to use social media, why waste my time with them for free.

The same rings true to my blog website. I can give you free content, but I still need to pay to maintain this site each month. In general. What appears free to the general public is that it is surely not free at all.

Let’s move back a few years to the stimulus that was given as a fresh start for individual spending wallets to help jump start the economy after the covid-19 pandemic. Is it just me, or does it feel like prices on everything are sky high today, and our income taxes are way up as well. This is payback. Many thought that it was free money. Student loans are not even forgiven anymore, and one must pay up. Transportation tolls and fares are way up as well. Retailers are also feeling the burn and desperately in need of our leftover money after expenses. We should watch our spending and be frugal. Ask what we can do for them(the retailers) and what they can do for us.

Thanks for reading.

Until next time….