Check the Cart

Beware of little expenses; a small
leak will sink a great ship.
~Benjamin Franklin

BebeRapa waktu kemaRen gw baCa sebuah kisah, yang...menuRut gw sih bisa buat peLaJaRan idup... Coba deh niyh Lw simak aJa.....

As a single mom working several jobs, I accounted for every penny. My son’s needs came first, then the rent and groceries, then the rest of the bills. Every month, I intended to save for that proverbial rainy day, but it just didn’t happen. As frugal as I tried to be, the expense column topped out the income on my monthly budget.

Then one day, I discovered a game I could play to find those extra pennies. I called it my Cart Check game.

Every time I shopped at the big box stores and then rolled my cart toward the check-out line, I looked through my items. Was there something I could do without? That filigreed T-shirt that I was certain would look great with a denim skirt? It was only $4 -- a real bargain -- but couldn’t I do without it? I took it back to the misses section and congratulated myself on saving $4.

The same strategy worked for groceries. Although I followed my list and used coupons, invariably a hunger pang would strike and I would end up with something extra. So I played the Cart Check game. Rolling toward the check-out, I looked through the cart. That package of cookies might be my son’s favorites, but did he really need the extra sugar? Put it back and save $2.98.


As my son grew, we played the game together. Go up and down the aisles and select what we need. Then roll to the check-out and do the Cart Check. My shampoo bottle wasn’t completely empty yet. I could wait another week, dilute it further with water, and maybe find a coupon when it was completely gone. A savings of $3.95.

My son looked through the cart, “Here, Mom. We don’t need this toothpaste.”

“Yes, we do. Every night we brush our teeth. But how about these toy cars? What if we buy only one instead of two?”

“Well, okay.”

I rewarded Chad by giving him the 88 cents we had saved.

Our Cart Check game helped us save each time we shopped and kept us from impulse spending. Gradually, we made it through those hard times, and I raised Chad to consider the importance of saving. We’re both still careful about shopping, and we still use the Cart Check game whenever he visits me and we shop together.

Now that the economy is in a critical state and every penny counts, I’m making a resolution to re-install Cart Check into my weekly shopping. It’s too easy to add an extra lipstick or a new towel to my shopping list, not realizing how much those impulsive choices add to my monthly bills. But this time, I plan to introduce a twist in the game.

After my Cart Check, I’ll add up the amount I’ve saved and put that money in a special account. By the end of the year, I should have a nice sum that I can use for Christmas gifts. Or maybe I’ll give it to another single mom who’s struggling with expenses.

The Cart Check game will then not only help me and leave a legacy for my son, but also help another mother balance her budget and make it to the end of the month.


iKainheRe

:::: tHe fRienDLy kinDLy cHeeRy giRL ::::