I love the grocery outlet, FB market place and the dollar store. I make double income, me and my husband have a good income but we still like to live below our means. You'd never know we get everything cheap. I guess I just wonder why more people don't go out of their way to live frugally? Do they think that if they have money they should just spend it? Are they too good for discount stores? Do they just not know how to find good deals? I feel like everyone's life would be easier if they shopped smarter.
Why are people too good for second hand items, bargain markets and the dollar store?
byu/Distinct-Dependent24 inFrugal
Posted by Distinct-Dependent24
20 Comments
Sometimes buying something good once instead of buying it over and over cheap is the frugal choice.
Sometimes I think about this too, I shop a lot of clearance and then I remember that people had to buy this full price and some not sell for me to get the great deal, or something had to pay full price and resale it for cheap for me to buy it at a good price.
I appreciate those less savvy shoppers and their sacrifice esp that I can have good stuff cheap 🫡
I keep buying my snack pretzels at the dollar store. And I enjoy searching Walmart for mark down bargains.
If everybody shared the same values, the second-hand stores would be packed with people and I’d miss out on all the treasures. Let them buy what makes them happy!
Because I rather pay more on store than interact with the people who uses Facebook marketplace.
I don’t even sell on it, I just donate.
I think it has to do with the quality of those places. Thrift stores and fb market places are either a hit or miss. Dollar stores are a rip off imo. They are great for some stuff though.
Dollar store is mostly junk, but lots of great quality items at the thrift store. Those who know, know. Shh don’t tell
Some people don’t “go out of their way” to live frugally because they literally do not have time, energy, or transportation, to do so. Being poor is very expensive.
With second hand I get really anxious about how dirty it might be. Including the dirt we cant see but can never really be cleaned out without also ruining a thing (usually fabric, fabric gives me the most anxiety). I probably watch too many cleaning channels on YouTube who clean hoarded spaces. But its so hard to get past that fear.
I grew up in a household that HAD to live frugally. I carried those values forward and it has served me well
I went through an expensive divorce, have had unplanned periods of unemployment and some insane years of medical bills and had to be on short term disability, which helps, but hardly a full paycheck and survived just fine.
It’s more important to me to make sure my financial safety net is substantial.
Edited to add: I have a co-worker that’s always complaining about bills. She spends a lot on spa stuff, DoorDash and ulta. I don’t get her priorities. Yes, you can get nice things. But…. I have an aunt like this as well. She’s broke, but can’t drink anything less than high end coffee. How’s that rent check going?
I am sick of buying clothes from the thrift store that stink of perfumed detergent.
My time has value so I genially go to less expensive stores but don’t go to three grocery stores to compare prices.
We used to go to Grocery Outlet and dual income. Also furnished our house from CList, OfferUp, and Estate Sales – had a great inexpensive refinisher for hardwood furniture. Loved Grocery Outlet the one near my house would get stuff from Whole Foods and sell it at good prices!! Now retired early and traveling outside the US so no GO!!
My version of frugality involves just shopping *less*. I bought my couch new because I don’t want to get bed bugs from someone’s used one. I bought my large furniture new because I didn’t have a truck to fit a whole dining table in, and it’s beautiful. I’ll buy some things second hand but I hardly ever go to thrift stores because I hardly shop in general.
I don’t go to the dollar tree because I can’t even imagine what I’d buy there. Everything is going to be more expensive there per ounce than how I can buy it in bulk somewhere else. And I’m not about to buy their seasonal garbage.
I am frugal so I can save my money for the few things that are important to me, even if that means buying them new. Like a new fancy mixer (better than a KitchenAid) for when I make homemade bread in large batches. Or a couch that’s custom made to fit my living room instead of something that was free on a street corner.
I will buy things used, like baby clothes, though I didn’t need as many as everyone made me think I would. I bought a used baby swing after throughly checking it for bugs. I’ve bought a used KitchenAid before I upgraded to something that can actually handle mixing dough.
It’s not about someone being “too good” for used stuff. It’s about how they choose to use their money, and they just might save in different ways than you. If anything, I think it shouldn’t necessarily be about shopping smarter, but about shopping less.
Why do you care though? If everyone shopped smarter credit card companies wouldn’t like that and go bust. This ponzi scheme of an economy doesn’t reward people who shop and live frugally
The last time I went to the dollar store, most items were 10-30% higher when calculated for cost per unit compared with other nearby stores); one of the few items that was comparable (dishwasher liquid) wound up being noticeably worse quality when actually put to use; and most of the rest was made of questionable materials. But I’d love to know if anyone is getting a real bang for their buck there.Â
But most people I know are using combinations of bulk stores, incorporating discount chains, and some versions of couponing. But there’s a lot that goes into trying to find true deals and discounts–every retailer is trying to trick you into thinking their items are discounted or saving you money when they’re not (on top of the endless other retail tricks).
For secondhand stuff I think most people are just tired and worn down by life. I think you’re not really factoring the added labor it takes to search, seek out, and bring home used goods. Plus, there’s just a lot of pressure (artificial or not) to acquire or replace an item quickly once you realize you need or want it.Â
No idea… Grocery Outlet also often carries higher quality food products then Walmart or many standard grocery stores I do avoid the dollar store for many things at least here their quality is yuck.
Not everyone has the interest, time or access.Â
The only things I’ll buy at Dollar Tree are greeting cards, gift bags and travel sized toiletry items when I go on vacation. Their grocery prices are higher than at regular grocery stores based on size. Dollar Tree might sell a can of Campbells soup for $1.25 but it’s a smaller can. I don’t feel like overall dollar stores are a bargain.
Sometimes they think that’s for poor people and they are better than poor people so they can’t shop where the poors do
For some they rather pay the price for their time and something they know is quality / works well.
The grocery outlet might be an hour away, and they value organic food, and they have the income – so they shop at the Whole Foods closer to them.
I’ve paid for pickup laundry because I just didn’t have the time. I made more in overtime and the time I did have needed to be better spent than shopping for the best deal. It was actually a really hard change at the time.