When is a sale not a deal?  Simple answer, when you are buying something at rock bottom prices for no other reason than it’s on sale.  Sounds stupid right?  But how many people justify buying something because it was on sale? Or say it’s such a great deal I couldn’t pass it up.  The truth is you save more money by not purchasing the item period.  The money you saved is worth more than the money you just spend on a deal.

I’m all for spending money and buying things you need on sale.  I love bargain shopping, but it took a long time to learn it’s not a deal just because it’s on sale.  I have to use it too!

How’d I learn my lesson?  Well it mostly started last year when I began coupon shopping again.  Previously I coupon shopped because we were broke and it was necessary.  Now I do it to save a bit of money and it’s fun to get deals.  But that’s the problem.  It’s not a DEAL.

When I first started coupon shopping in 2007, the best part of it was my cost cutting expenses for DH’s tuition.  I had to get back to my frugal roots.  And it’s helped, I’ve become more conscious about spending.  However, in the beginning I went overboard.  I began to buy things that were “free” because they were deals, nevermind we don’t eat hamburger helper, processed foods, etc.  Nevermind that buying potato chips, snack foods is bad for you.  I bought it because they were DEALS!   

It took me about a month to get it out of my system.  Mostly it happened because my DH said “We’re gaining weight from eating a lot of junk food.”  I had bought free candy, chips, hamburger helper, frozen dinners, etc.  Stuff we never bought before and we had to eat it because it was clogging our fridge and freezer.  So I stopped, I realized sure it was on sale for very little and a great deal, but it wasn’t a great deal for me.  It was costing me more in time, health, and space.  Now I limit my coupon shopping to things I’ll use.  I still love to save a buck, but not at the expense of spending money for useless crap.

I guess this is why sometimes I think that window shopping encourages buying.  That going into Target/Walmart and walking around makes it easier to spend money.  Why people call Target or Walmart the “$100 store”.  Because they enter intending to buy something, but walk out with $100 worth of stuff that are “good” deals.  So you went to “save” money but ended up spending more to save a few bucks because you got sucked into the “good deals” available.

Guess the moral of the story?  Don’t buy “good” deals or sales if you don’t need it.