I have to say the above Haul from Rite Aid demonstrates the Power of Couponing and Shopping Sales. I'd been a while since I'd tracked penny for penny my transactions cash wise, so when I started at a clean slate at the end of December it was the opportunity I needed to track my Rite Aid efficiency. Something people who don't coupon say all the time is I don't have the time or its not worth it to coupon, but I honestly have to say the number ONE thing effective way to save MONEY is couponing and shopping sales. And the effort is worth it!!
Everything in my Haul with the exception of the Sharpies and Cover Girl stuff, would have been thing's I would have bought any ways. If were just to shop sales and wait for the right deal.... below are the competitive sales prices I would have hypothetically waited to purchase the items in my haul at.
I would have probably needed to wait months for the right prices to come up, and spent $249.90 on these essentials or $270 with sales tax included. I'm not even measuring the RETAIL prices which is MUCH more.
Guess how much I spent just buy shopping at Rite Aid timing the rebates, sales and deals and coupons?
My TOTAL Out of Pocket dollars cash spent is currently at $84.89!! The is deducting the $40 in cash rebates I have submitted for. And not counting the I charge everything, for an additional 1% back on my rewards credit card. If I count the $10 in UP Rewards I still hold and plan to use my total true cost would be $74.89 including sales tax which is 8.75% in NYC.
On my personal shopping scale and price targets, that is a savings of $175.01 !! Or $195 if I estimate with sales tax. That's a lot saved for just ONE month of shopping. And it is totally validates why I continue to shop frugally via Rite Aid.
Think of this when you earn a paycheck and get taxes deducted, that final amount you keep is further drained by Sales Tax. Almost every dollar you earn gets double taxed when you shop. For me to truly evaluate if Couponing is worth it, I have to ask myself considering in a month I saved myself $195, how many hours would I have to slave away at my day job to be able to purchase $195 worth of stuff?? Estimating that most of us are getting dinged with at least 25% in payroll taxes, would need to earn $244 in pre tax income to spend $195 on taxable goods. If the average middle class person makes $17/hour, that would mean you would have to work over 14 HOURS to make up for the savings of NOT couponing and shopping sales!!!!! That's close to 2 days WORK!!!! That would be the cost to me of not couponing. That's essentially a part time job!! So YES its totally worth it for me to continue couponing!
AGAIN, that's my own personal evaluation of my shopping at Rite Aid in a Month. I would suggest to evaluate your own scenario to decide. Keep track of a month of your own sales shopping and then truthfully estimate what you would have spent to calculate your savings. And then based on your own salary estimate how many HOURS of work you would need work to make up for not couponing. Feel free to post and let me know! I personally was very shocked.
A lot of Personal Finance books, will say work more or find a side job/business to earn funds.. While that is sage advice... right now in this economy its really not that realistic that your job is looking to give you overtime or a higher paying promotion .. or that there will be tons of people with extra income to feed your side business plans...so for now this is the most effective way I SAVE money (a penny saved is a penny earned)
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