Any Fool Can Spend Money

Someone I know says often, “Any fool can spend money,” and another’s motto is, “Never pay full price.” Both are comfortably well-off people who know the value of a buck, and good thing: In these tough times, every dollar counts.

When we’re busy with families and jobs, it can be hard to bargain hunt. I’m not a fan of garage sales; they’re hit or miss, and it takes too much time to actually find a deal, unless you enjoy the browsing process. I don’t.

But a few other tried and true methods have saved my family significant amounts in the past year.

 Going out of business sales. As much as I hated seeing my favorite bookstore chain close some of its stores, I took advantage of Borders’ going out of business sale—90 percent off in the last few weeks—and bought $500 worth of brand new hardcover and trade paperback books for $50. I often give books as gifts, and this year, I’ll be doing so again, only at a significant savings.

A favorite French country décor shop, Anteo, was closing its Los Gatos store. I needed new everyday dishes and found a “shabby chic” pattern I loved for 75 percent off.  I scored dinner plates for $3.23 each and soup bowls for $2.23, making an entire dinner service a real bargain.

Another favorite store has already started a going-out-of-business sale at 25 percent off, but I’m waiting for deeper discounts. Like the man said, “any fool can spend money.”

Craigslist. My new side-by-side refrigerator is wonderful, but the freezer is ridiculously small. I needed a small secondary freezer to store fish, chicken and other things I sometimes buy in bulk. On Craigslist.com I found an eight-month old, name-brand freezer in pristine condition, complete with key and manual, for sale by a couple who needed to move. It was $150 new, but cost me only $75.

A few months ago I found a four-drawer black standing file cabinet in good condition for $60 on Craigslist, delivered. It sits in my office now.

And last year, I sold our moving boxes on Craigslist. New boxes are expensive, and ours were only used once. I sold them for discounted prices and recovered a little of our investment.

Neighborhood E-lists. My neighborhood has an E-list where we share service provider recommendations, ask questions about household subjects such as gardening, appliance repair and housekeepers, and even offer items for sale. I scored a super-comfortable, gray leather desk chair in good condition (just a barely visible water stain on the leather) for $25. I’ve seen them new for upwards of $200.

Costco. If you’re wondering if the fee to join Costco is worth it, my answer is YES. Not only do I buy all our paper goods there in bulk at great savings, but I’ve found excellent food bargains as well. The quality of Costco meat, fish and produce is very high, often better than the big-name organic chain. Costco’s lower prices on bags of frozen chicken, halibut and steelhead are perfect for a busy family and taste as good as fresh. I’ve spent $4.99 for a bunch of asparagus three times larger than grocery store offerings and of better quality. Last month I bought potted flowers and soil at a significant discount to regular retail. I know people who are thrilled with televisions, stereos and computer equipment from Costco.

My best recent Costco purchase was an Easter ham, half the price of the famous brand. I made my own mustard and brown sugar glaze easily from my pantry and an online recipe; my husband pronounced the ham better than the name brand version we had at Christmas.

If you’ve got a money-saving tip, why not share it in the comments section? Meanwhile, I’m off to scour Craigslist to furnish my new outdoor arbor and seating area.

Carol Cassara blogs daily on living your best life at any age at middle-aged-diva.blogspot.com. She can be reached at ccassara@aol.com.

The opinions expressed here are the blogger's and not necessarily those of the local editor's or anyone affiliated with Patch.