The night was quiet. Shoppers nudged forward in their steady lines ready to slap down their credit cards. A long look at the content of their carts told me some of the story of their lives. Juice, cereal, diapers meant family. Cheese puffs, diet soda and chips meant hungry teenagers. That, or wanna be couch potatoes. The heaviest cart, laden with items from every corner of the store, each splashed with a logo from a company with enormous brand power, screamed budget overload. Bad planning. A lack of money sense and a desire for labels that could lead to their financial downfall. I looked around. Didn’t anyone else see this crisis-in-waiting?
The other customers chatted to one another or stared glumly at the magazine rack as they waited for their turn to feed the till. Though I was up for it, it didn’t look like anyone else was ready for a debate on the brand cost of living. I stayed quiet even as my head exploded with money-saving tips. “They are grown-ups making grown-up choices,” I reminded myself. “Dumb choices,” I pointed out in return. “Don’t be so hard on them,” I sparred, “I don’t see you reaching for the no-name laundry detergent.” I had to admit I had a point.
Brand name products often do they job they say they will do. I like that. However, I also like to pay my gas bill so I try to find products I can use effectively without the big brand name behind them because I like to save money. I even like to save other people money. I would have rearranged that family’s cart but, thinking I might get carted off myself, I refrained. The buzz and bustle of the lines continued. I watched as the till swallowed the family’s disposable cash the way a lion eats a bird: aggressively and with much joy. Just glad it wasn’t me.
Change of the Day: Look at which brands I’m willing to give up and how much I might save if I do.
Info: Saving on brands from Senior Living Magazine but relevant to anyone: http://abt.cm/1maqWVU.
Photo credit: http://www.nextnature.net.
LifeMatters 