Survival of the Bargains

I must say, I don't consider myself a bargain hunter or shopper but only the persevere survive. After reading this you will never throw away your weekly round of junk mail complete with grocery ads and emergency fast food restaurant coupons.

With $3.80, I was able to have a meal - a combo meal, but a meal -we all know that purchasing a combo from anywhere for under $5.00 now and days is unheard of! Thanks to Carl's Jr. and their fabulous coupon clippings, I have been able to eat a meal for under $4.00 on two separate occasions! Really!

Of course there is something in it for this popular fast food chain, the promotion of new products. I don't mind being used this way! The first coupon they offered was to promote their new Parmesan Chicken sandwich, which was $3.99 and I received a free small drink and fries - meal. The second coupon that I eagerly used today was to purchase any burger and turn it into a combo for only $1.Of course with my budget, I chose the cheapest burger I could find, which at the time was The Big Carl for $2.99.

Of course there are healthier and more important 'emergency' coupons enclosed as well. Like sales ads for the new Fresh n' Easy market stores emerging all over Southern California. Fresh and easy on the pockets? That's my kind of store.

Never until now did I actually appreciate the opportunity that we receive from these bargains to live reasonably within our means. All this mushiness from a few below-the-budget Carl's Jr. meals? Absolutely! But it's more than coupons.

Since the fall of the economy, when reality hit us all, I have realized that it's not always responsible to buy it just because you have a few extra dollars in your pocket. We are a society of living beyond what we need and grossly over what we want. Most of us who have gone to college have taken a few economic / business courses or two and have a basic understanding of the business cycle. We understand it enough to know that the economy will continue to have its ups and downs, but we as consumers, and even businesses do not have to be caught like a deer in headlights, nor do we have to suffer financial loss as many have during this recession.

Clip some coupons, create a budget or set a limit on unnecessary spending...I know how it feels to want to buy because you have recorded a net income after all the bills have been paid...I love to shop when I can, but that does not mean I have to put my excess money in the shredder. But it is time to re-evaluate our means of living and our lifestyle and habits in general. Invest (that excess money no matter how little or how much it may be), prepare for the unexpected - it is possible, and live wisely, because every decision we make, good or back, will reap a result...good...or bad.