WalletRehab - Ways to save money

A common saying in old movies was, “It’s a lady’s prerogative to change her mind.”

One of the many things we take for granted in this 21st century world of ours is equality. Gender equality. And I say if women have the right to change their minds, so do us men. Changing our minds is something deeply human, in that we never stop thinking about the consequences of our actions.

It is something that sometimes causes me analysis paralysis, not wanting to change my mind. They say if you change your mind to frequently, that demonstrates a lack of resolve, which is true. However, having a “fire and forget” mentality keeps you from looking at the long term, and also keeps you from adjusting to the constantly changing world.

So what does this have to do with saving money?

When I go shopping, I sometimes (often) accidentally (impulsively) pick up things that I shouldn’t grab. Snack foods are my particular weakness. If they stick a bag of cool ranch Doritos at the end of the aisle, it is very likely that a bag of those salty, crunchy devils will end up in my cart. Once I am away from the display stand, I realize that I don’t want them.

But then again. it takes time to go all the way back to the display and put them back right?

So, instead, I just hand them to the cashier when I go to checkout. Most people think I am the rudest shopper who ever brandished a member’s club card, but they don’t realize that it is part of the cashier’s job to get these unwanted goods re-shelved. Unfortunately, some of my best friends think it’s better to just throw unwanted goods off to the side wherever it is convenient, making a general mess of already chaotic supermarkets. They do this to avoid the shame of being a “food flip-flopper,” and that once an item has entered the shopping cart, that represents some sort of un-written social contract.

So, it’s okay to change your mind. Just hand the bag of chips, box of doughnuts or can of nuts (see the pattern here?) to the cashier, and he/she/it will be happy to put them away for you.

Remember, the customer is always right. And in a grocery store, you have every right to change your mind and choose to not buy things you don’t need.