52 Money Save Ways: Week 37: A Sale Does Not Equal a Need

52 Money Save Ways: Week 37: A Sale Does Not Equal a Need

Week 37 of our Money Save Ways tips is here. I hope you had a wonderful Summer as we head into fall! This series is designed to help you save money all year long with a new tip each week to go along with your deposit in your money jar for the 52 Week Money Challenge. This week, make sure to drop in $37 or just $20 if you are doing the challenge in reverse. Let’s look at another way to save money!

52 Money Save Ways: Week 37: A Sale Does Not Equal a Need

For those of us who like to buy things are a good price and have a hard time passing up a bargain, this piece of advice might be hard to follow. Simply put, just because something is on sale, doesn’t mean you need to buy it.

Sales are designed to make us think we have to act now. They are there to convince us that if we don’t, we may never see it at that low price again and will always regret not taking the offer when it was there. While it may be partially true (that the deal may be a really awesome one that is a once in a lifetime price), it doesn’t mean we have to give in an buy said thing, either. It also doesn’t mean that every sale is a rock-bottom deal.

When deciding whether to buy something on sale, ask yourself these questions:

1. Is this something I actually need?

2. Would I buy this even if it wasn’t such a good deal?

3. Do I already know how this will benefit me?

4. Could I get it cheaper at a different time or date?

Knowing the answers to this may help you decide if you are just buying on impulse or buying because it is something that you really do need or want.

I think many time as bargain shoppers, we fool ourselves into thinking we are saving money all over the place by scooping up great deals as they come around and in reality, we are spending money elsewhere on items we don’t necessarily need in order to feel like we didn’t miss out on a good price.

The next time you are at the store and you see something on a really good deal, make sure to ask yourself the questions above and be completely honest. You may see yourself walk away from more stuff than you think and in the long run, save yourself a lot of cash.

Have you missed previous weeks? Click on the weeks you missed below!

• Week 36: Eat out the Smart Way
• Week 35: Carefully Shop the Dollar Store
• Week 34: Take a Second Look
• Week 33: Use Less
• Week 32: Get Amazon Prime
• Week 31: Consider Renting
• Week 30: Skip Disposable
• Week 29: Reduce Your Meat Budget
• Week 28: Borrow Everything
• Week 27: Store Food Properly
• Week 26: Cloth Diapering
• Week 25: Buy Generic Medication
• Week 24: Shop at Farmer’s Markets
• Week 23: Don’t Call in the Experts
• Week 22: Learn to Rebate
• Week 21: Seal up Those Leaks
• Week 20: Always Compare Prices
• Week 19: Watch Your Food Waste
• Week 18: Use Vinegar to Clean
• Week 17: Buy the Smaller Package
• Week 16: Teach Your Kids About Money
• Week 15: Splurge When it Matters
• Week 14: Wash Your Car At Home
• Week 13: Meat Free Mondays
• Week 12: Create  A Price Book
• Week 11: Avoid Fees
• Week 10: Cut Your Own Hair
• Week 9: Watch Your Electricity
• Week 8: Turn off The TV
• Week 7: Drink More Water
• Week 6: Maintain Your Car
• Week 5: Reap the Rewards
• Week 4: Practice the Waiting Game
• Week 3: Buy Seasonings in Bulk
• Week 2: Buy Your Clothes Used
• Week 1: Make Lists
• 52 Week Money Challenge
• 52 Week Tracker