Save Money – Avoid These Retail Rip-Offs

Ken and Daria Dolan have a great blog at www.dolans.com that has some great tips for avoiding the highest mark-up items in retail.

1. Wine.
   The bad financial news: You’re paying 300-400% mark up per glass over what you’d pay for a bottle in most retail stores!
   Workaround: some states and restaurants will let you bring in your own bottle of wine. Pay the restaurant to open and cork it for about $10. Or, you may be able to order a bottle and take the rest of the bottle home to drink after you’ve had what you want to drink at the restaurant.
2. Pre-cut fruits and vegetables.
   The bad financial news: You pay at least double the cost for pre-cut produce versus buying their whole counterparts. You also don’t get the full amount of vitamins.
   Workaround: Buy produce whole, and when you get home, cut it up and put it in ziplock bags ready to eat or cook. My husband likes to soak veggies in water if you’re eating them raw. You can do that up to a day ahead of time.
3. Popcorn at movie theaters.
   The bad financial news: You could be paying a 1,300% markup on a tub of popcorn at the movie theater. Plus, it’s really bad for you. For example, a Small with butter has 580 calories 47 grams fat. Think you’ll just skip the butter? Still, bad news. A Medium (no butter) has 650 calories, and 43 grams fat.
   Workaround: Eat before you go.
4. Bottled Water
   The bad financial news: “Did you know that the two biggest brands of bottled water in America –Dasani and Aquafina — are nothing more than purified tap water? In fact, estimates are that 40% of all bottled water is tap water. ” Plus, bottled water can cost 10,000 times more than tap water. You’re paying for packaging and branding.
   Workaround: Refill water bottles with your own purified water.
5. Coffee at restaurants
   The bad financial news: The mark up is huge on coffee at restaurants. At $2 or more a cup, for something you could make at home for about 50 cents.
   Workaround: Drink coffee at home and drink water at restaurants or limit the number of times you drink coffee out.

If you limit drinking wine, coffee and bottled water, you can eliminate what can be a big chunk of money each year. Besides that the calories and caffiene aren’t the best for your health. If you’re healthier, life will cost less for you because you’ll have less trips to the doctor and lower risk for major health problems. Your pocketbook will also be fatter, even if you’re not!

Most of us have some bad financial habits that are tough to break. Focus on cutting back or eliminating one thing at a time. Find a replacement that you can enjoy that doesn’t cost as much.

What tips do you have?

Written by admin on December 1st, 2008 with no comments.
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