The Virtues of Thrift, Part 5

I have to confess that I don't have an item for today. When I started putting this together at the beginning of the week, I decided to split up the posts because the ideas were turning into too much for just one post. I assumed that by the time I got to today, I would have thought of something.

Well, here it is Friday afternoon and inspiration hasn't struck. But that's okay; I can still offer a couple of quick tips. First, some of the Stop & Shop supermarkets in our area have gas stations, and if you have one of their rewards cards you get something like five cents per gallon off the posted price. But periodically they run promotions where, over a certain period of time, each dollar you spend on groceries earns a point, and when you reach a certain number of points (100, I think) you get ten cents off per gallon on your next fill-up. I don't drive, so I don't buy gas, but this discount seems to make the Mrs. happy.

In a similar vein, warehouse clubs like BJ's and Costco sell gas at discounted prices (though not in our part of the country). That's just one of many reasons why joining one of these facilities can be beneficial. But how do you know if a club membership will be worth it to you? It depends on where you live (whether or not a club is conveniently located); how often you shop and how much you buy; whether or not you have the room to store bulk quantities of cheese, toilet paper, cat litter, or whatever; the size of your family, etc.

If you have a friend who belongs to a club, ask to tag along so you can get a look at the merchandise and the prices. Also, I know that BJ's frequently sends out free trial membership offers that give you 30 to 60 days to shop and evaluate. Or maybe your employer (like mine) offers discounted memberships as an employee benefit. Clubs in some parts of the US (but again, not in New England) also sell wine, beer, and liquor. Oh, how I wish...

But above all (and I've said this before, but it bears repeating) you need to know what stuff costs in order to know if you're getting a good deal. This is true not just for warehouse club shopping, but everywhere you spend money. You have to do your homework. If you're not willing to invest even a little time and effort, you're probably going to end up spending too much.