Saving money shopping

Since my wife is a teacher and she on spring break, I thought it would be a good time to inspect the car she drives. It’s an older model Honda CRV, we like it, and good car maintenance is important. I have my step dad mechanic to drive it and he gives me some good advice. Next day I go to the side of the road tire guy I have gone to for years. This time, he advises me that I need two rear tires. Then strangely he convinces me to buy two used tires costing $30.00 because it was a deal and he is a good guy. Cool.
Next order of business. Stepdad has recommended new shocks and struts. When shopping the price on the web it looks something like the dealer charges around $1,100, some places will do it for $750 or $800 (but I got a guy). My guy says he will do the labor for $180 and I know that is a great price.
I go to a couple of car places and they quote around $425 after taxes for the four parts. At this point it would seem to be $425 + $180 = $605 but no. Buying auto parts on the web I find two places that sell would I need for $160 with no shipping (and possibly no sales tax). My point
The range in consumer cost, I will be paying $340 but could have paid $1,100.

This takes me back to the time I took my young son to a pediatrician. He sent us next door to a pathology place to draw and test blood. When they said it would cost $800 and be coming out of my pocket as part of the deductible first deal, I kind of freaked because we don’t just have $800 for blood stuff at our house.
Drove away thinking about it. Saw a sign that said pathology lab 200 yards from the first place. Went in with son and said how much for this, they said $400. WOW so I said ok
Then because I paid cash they took 20% off.
I paid 320 and 200 yards back it would have been $800. The morale of my story.

Shop everything

Shopping, Cards, and Shiny Things

How is it possible the general population is so easily manipulated, so easily deceived.

Things that are both shiny and non functional are worth more than other things.
Furthermore, if you don’t buy into this idea, you will be chastised and thought to be cheap, classless, and having poor taste.

A guy proposes marriage and there are ring expectations because of what the symbol represents and commitment. What a bunch of nonsense. A young couple starting out and has little in the way of income should not be led to believe a shiny thing that costs way way more than they can afford and serves no functional purpose is something they must have, even when it requires a high interest credit rate and puts them in debt.

Rarely does the jeweler point out that it is a must to have 5 supports for a diamond because it only has 4 and one stud break, oops.

Shiny must be really important.
Everybody thinks its valuable so it is, but it really isn’t.

Incidentally, capitalistic countries like ourselves bass the dollar on a bunch of gold bars that suit almost no purpose other than wearing to show status.

It’s Shiny but doesn’t do anything except sit, or decorate, and it’s heavy.

Occasion cards. Someone got everyone to think you were a bad person if you didn’t sent people a birthday card, a Christmas card and more recently cards for a whole new bunch of invented holidays that didn’t use to exist but do now.

Someone has an occasion, you go to the store, look at a bunch of cards that all cost too much, write two to ten words, and mail it.
They read it, throw the envelope away, and keep the card with a whole bunch of other cards they feel to guilty to dispose of and never look at them again.

The cards cost like five bucks.

Let’s go shopping. What are we shopping for. I don’t know, I’m not there yet.
gee.

It is amazing how many people do just this for no reason other than immediate gratification and the belief that it is an appropriate use of time.

Almost no one can afford this behavior, but many seem unable to alter what has become a mindless lifestyle socialization choice. They do it because their friends do it, their families do it, and they have always done it.

Shopping is not something to do when they are bored or want to hang out.

Shopping is something someone else needs you to do so they earn money.

OK I’ll stop now. http://www.danoettel.com