* One year the 4 year old asked for a Barbie car (the kind you can ride in)–they’re $500, no way she was getting it. Until I saw a red Hot Wheels car in a Black Friday ad for $75. $75 for the car and $5 for some Barbie stickers, WHOA look at that, $80 for that car that she wanted and I could get it for her, even though it wasn’t on my list. Need? No, but it was better than $80 in clothes (which she really didn’t need) like her dad was going to get her.

* Getting frustrated by toasting our bread in the oven (or worse, grilling it in butter) because we didn’t have a toaster, but hadn’t seen one at the thrift store yet. Got a 4-slice toaster with bagel button and cancel button for under $20 on Black Friday, normally 2-slicers with less than the requirements cost more than that. Wouldn’t have been out on BF if it weren’t for that, only got the one thing then went back home for breakfast.

* This year, our vacuum was dying. As someone with serious allergies and major money problems right now, this was an issue. A vacuum was getting purchased whether we could afford it or not, but at least BF sales allowed us to get a decent one for cheap.

PS folks, try making cookies in your waffle iron. It means you can make a couple at a time, which seriously helps keep you from over-eating. Also, they’re amazing.

I’ve also seen recipes for cheese-chips in waffle irons, as well as hash browns… I mean really, just Google for recipes for things to make in the waffle iron. Amazing.

When I shop on my card, I think about the purchase more and I realize that I am inconveniencing the business owner to process the card, so I try to spend enough to make it worth their while (unless it is a big chain like mcdonalds that won’t notice). This means I buy less incidental things that will be forgotten. Online shipping costs have the same effect for me too. I rarely will buy just 1 thing to have shipped to me. If I can’t find anything else on that site, I just won’t get it.

Here is the recent credit card study abstract http://www.jstor.org/pss/10.1086/661730

Self study is important, I’m one who spent more with credit cards even though I always paid it off. Debit cards work for us b/c we limit the amount of money available to spend on the debit card through our allowance system.

Blend it all up.

Also make one with 1 scoop vanilla protein powder + 2.5 egg whites + 1/2 tsp baking powder – very dry for sure but it’s all in the service of building muscle.

Best (lower carb) topping I’ve tried is:
2 tsp low fat cream cheese
1-2 tsp vanilla flavored yogurt
1 tsp cool whip

That could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your perspective. I know people who go to boxing day sales to pick up items (clothing, yarn for blankets, etc) for charity, and the sales really can make your budget go farther.

Would love to have something like this on hand for my husband to just pop in the toaster!

Great point. No need to pressure yourself into spending money. Something better or equally as good will come along if you miss an opportunity.

But thinking of it your way is much more convenient!!

tl;dr version – If you’re really disciplined, and wait to splurge when prices are that low (and do most of your shopping online), it’s a good way to practice conscious spending at great prices. Because if I miss a deal? Oh well. Money not spent

But when it comes brands such as Vitamix – where you can buy a $400 blender at a fraction of the cost that will last for decades or Le Creuset cookware that will last a lifetime (I’m into buying things once), its worth it to wait it out and buy used because the retail price is so high and the used quality is just as good as new.

What’s driving me nuts is all the flash sales. It’s so hard to keep track that I just don’t bother. The good news if that if you miss one sale, competitors seem to offer the same deal at some point.

I just keep reminding myself that there’s always going to be another sale. No need to feel pressured to buy something until I’ve thought it through.

You did mention making a list of the things you were going to buy, and I did check the Black Friday ads this year for a laptop, since I’m wanting to go mobile (hard with a desktop). Still, I didn’t find anything that met my requirements for price and features, so I didn’t buy anything.

It’s also important what you say about only being able to save money if you don’t spend it. I just wrote a guest post about living in a small town to avoid the expense of living in the city. Got a mixed reaction, but the point still stands: you can’t save money that you spend.

In JD’s grey box in that article he links to some other articles that come at the issue in different ways. None of them are perfect, but they are suggestive.

Another important thing that many of these articles don’t get at is the idea of total spending– when I have a card, I tend to spend more in one place. Once I start spending, I spend a lot. But I don’t often take out the card, and I don’t like to use it for small purchases. When I have cash it just flows through my fingers, but I only spend small amounts each place. Which I spend more with depends entirely on how much cash I’m carrying when I carry cash, and the size denominations it’s in (people are reluctant to break large bills).

Luckily, in this case, I’m quite certain — after serious self-study — that I do spend more money when I have my debit card as opposed to bringing cash. I have done test cases in which I bring cash and bring my debit card, and I almost always spend more when I have that ability to pull out the debit card (unless, of course, the bank account is bare). this may not be true for everyone, but as a tactic to use to keep yourself honest, it’s very useful.

You’re right, diet is like PF for sure.