Frugality comes natural to some. To others, it is work. I can catch myself getting overwhelmed when going shopping *just in case* I don’t capture every deal out there (ibotta is my current favorite for clicking coupons before grocery shopping), but I rarely check all the places.
This leads to my attempts to spend as little as possible once in store. But that can bite your budget in the … … but I’m going to save you time, money, and frustration and tell you what not to buy cheap.
1. Garbage Bags
My 131 useless plastic sheets of nothingness are probably my biggest source of frustration in our house at the moment. We all know that to buy the biggest quantity usually results in the best deal… unless they’re so cheaply made you end up buying more or using two at a time. Even financial guru Dave Ramsey says to not buy the cheapest garbage bags, should have listened to him (on so many levels).
With cheap garbage bags, not to mention the trail left behind me as I cart our holey trash to the can. Do I haul out my broom for this, vaccuum, or mop? Reality dictates the mop as my tears now qualify as my cheapest multi-purpose cleaner and I can save the money to replace my Swiffer solution.
2. Toothbrushes
This one takes the cake. And leaves it on your teeth. The truth of the cheap toothbrush is that it does do it’s job, for approximately 2.6 cleanings, THEN you need a replacement. Doesn’t bode well for the budget when you replace your toothbrush as often as a clean coffee mug (it’s true, I rinse it out a couple times first before succumbing to the dishwasher).
3. Shoes and Boots
I still have a hard time with this one. Being a frugal shopper it is hard to get through that sometimes value comes with a higher price tag. Last year my kids got new shoes, and by the time my eldest went through his 36th toothbrush (see above) the entire soul dislocated itself and it flapped every time he walked. I figured the airflow was kind of convenient for summer and stinky feet anyway, so that one I lucked out on.
I realized mine are no different though. I used to pride myself on how little I spent on shoes and boots. I would buy them months ahead of time at fractions of the price and then haul them out in season like they were thoughtfully gifted just for me. Right now, the Konmari method would be screaming at me as there’s a nice little space in my closet designated for my broken shoes that I ‘will fix’ but ‘might not be fixable–even by a professional.’ Some say let it go, but again, I got them for so cheap.
{Be on the lookout for discounted *QUALITY* boots and shoes in our store soon though!}
4. Chargers and Accessories
Our phone chargers are our lifeline to our devices. There is a strong pull to not let the battery die, ever. One would think you would buy a suitable charger from a suitable vendor. Logically, of course, in my head I’ve thought through that there MUST be a cheaper version somewhere online less than a retail price point (guess what, I have found them!). I will just say I have been known to buy chargers that have lasted as long as my toothbrush (see above) but in truth, the cost of bandaids after slicing open my finger from them makes the chargers even less of a good deal. Waking up in the morning to find out your phone is completely dead and didn’t charge at all can be quite frustrating, especially when you own your own business (sorry babe).
I will miss the colors though, as much as I love white the colors are a fun excuse to organize which charger stays with which plugin (you take my car one and I’ll come after you)… I tried Konmari, I tried.
5. Happy Meal/Dollar Store Toys
Is it worth the extra price to buy a happy meal (**and did you know they charge extra if you opt for milk**) so your kid can have a toy? Is this McDonalds’ advertising scheme of ‘every kid gets a trophy’ turned into ‘every kid gets a toy at a meal’ and you’re shamed by your own kid at a restaurant when he spikes an earth-shattering screech that there’s no toy here for him. Sigh.
I used to take my kids to the dollar store to pick out gifts for each other. They could pick WHATEVER they wanted there and that was beyond exciting. Other than the limited choices on quality goods, they didn’t seem to mind. In itself, that may be the lesson to gather from this. But I took a different one.
I went Konmari style and decided I was so sick of the piles of useless and/or broken toys that I kept having to pick up night after night (thrown out of the toy bin to get to the good toys, of course). I decided I would rather teach my kids a different lesson on giving.
**Disclaimer: Don’t get me wrong, I still looove the
dollar stores, just not the toy section.**
6. Labels
I do love me a good organized house. Half the time my efforts get covered with piles of laundry, dishes, and toys (see above), but when it happens correctly it’s like gold. So exciting to see my world’s coming together after my hard work and dedication to bring about such savvy categorized systems to efficiently run the house.
As I watched one label take a free fall off the bin I saw my expectations crash with it as I crumpled it up and threw it away in my worthless trash bags (see above). Destruction occurred, all of my thrifty labels curled up in a fatal loss. I’m still finding label remains at the bottom of my once super-organized linen closet. It was such a letdown when I realized the cheap labels I bought were indeed just that, cheap.
